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 EPI Home Page Educator Preparation Institute –
The Need The State of Florida, Broward County specifically, continually needs highly qualified teachers. Because of the critical teacher shortage, the Florida Department of Education commissioned the community college system to create another pathway to teacher certification – the Educator Preparation Institute (EPI).
Broward Community College’s EPI BCC’s EPI program opened its doors in January 2006. We had 32 students in our first cohort and began a rolling enrollment – with new students beginning every major term. Two years later, there are now over 200 active students in the program.
Admission Requirements Individuals are required to: • hold at least a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college/university • have an undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher • have or be in the process of obtaining a Statement of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Education • complete a BCC application (www.facts.org) as well as the supplemental EPI application (www.broward.edu/survey/epiapplication.htm) • request all official (sealed) transcripts to be sent to BCC
The final phase and the most crucial part of the admissions process is a face-to-face interview. All applicants must be interviewed before they can be accepted into the program. The interview provides the EPI staff the opportunity to evaluate the applicant’s disposition, motivation and educational goals.
Curriculum: The EPI program is 21 credits consisting of 7 courses and 2 field experiences. The EPI is a “packaged” program and therefore all students are required to complete the full 21 credits. Students are also required to maintain a 2.5 GPA throughout the program.
BCC’s EPI program is a fully online program. Many faculty members choose to have optional face-to-face meetings throughout the semester to support and enhance the student’s learning experience. The EPI courses are:
• Classroom Management • Instructional Strategies • Technology • The Teaching and Learning Process • Foundations of Research Based Practices in Reading • The Teaching Profession with Field Experience • Diversity with Field Experience
Additional Completion Requirements: In addition to the 21 credits, students are required to create an electronic portfolio to document their competency of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. Students are also required to take and pass all sections of the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (the General Knowledge, the Subject Area, and the Profession Education Exams).
Funding: BCC has been awarded a SUCCEED, Florida grant for the 2007-2008 academic year. The grant allows the EPI program to offer full tuition reimbursement (for the duration of the grant) to program participants. Click here for complete descriptions of the EPI Courses. Click here for information about the EPI faculty. Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the EPI program. For more information contact: Julia Vattiato, Director Please refer to the following web sites for additional information: www.browardschools.com (Broward County Public Schools) | ||||
