Caldwell County Schools

The Caldwell County Schools Educator Pathway (CCSEP) is a state-approved alternative route Educator Preparation Program (EPP) for the North Carolina Residency License. CCSEP specifically targets current CCS employees, substitutes, and aspiring teachers from nearby districts in the fields of elementary education, middle grades science, middle grades math, secondary science, secondary math, or special education: general curriculum. Teachers in the program will teach under a Residency License while participating in online coursework and additional licensure requirements, beginning with in-person training during the summer. The goal of the program is to be a high-quality, research-based, affordable, accelerated training and licensure program that recruits, prepares, and retains teachers to meet the diverse and changing needs of students.

• Caldwell County Schools teachers attend tuition-free, contingent upon signing an agreement to remain employed with Caldwell County Schools for three additional years following successful completion of the residency program.
• Non Caldwell County Schools teachers pay a non refundable $500 enrollment fee upon acceptance, with multiple options available for payment of the remaining tuition of $3,000.

The program consists of 3 phases:

1. Enrollment Phase (May to June): Orientation, access to licensure test prep materials, and field experience requirements
2. Summer Groundwork Phase (4 days in July): Mandatory 4 days of in-person professional development
3. School Year Program (August to May): Clinical residency, Online coursework, Monthly in-person meetings, edTPA practice assessments, Field experience requirements, edTPA submission to Pearson

• Bachelor’s degree with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher
• Secured full-time teaching position in elementary education, middle grades science, middle grades math, secondary science, secondary math, or special education: general curriculum
• Completed 24 hours of coursework in the requested licensure area OR passed ALL NCSBE required content area examinations (excluding edTPA)

How long does it take to complete the program?

Caldwell County Schools Educator Pathway takes one full calendar year to complete.

How much does CCS Educator Pathway cost?

If you are a full-time teacher for Caldwell County Schools, the program is free as long as you remain in good standing and agree to remain employed with CCS for three additional years following successful completion of the program. For participants outside of Caldwell County Schools, the cost is $3,000 plus a $500 nonrefundable enrollment fee.  

All participants, regardless of employment location, are responsible for the costs associated with edTPA and licensure testing.

Is this program in-person or online?

Caldwell County Schools Educator Pathway is a hybrid program with both in-person and online components. All coursework modules, assignments, and assessments are online while the summer session and the once-a-month meetings are in-person.

Do you have to work for Caldwell County Schools to participate?

No, you do not have to be employed by Caldwell County Schools to be part of our program!  We happily welcome resident teachers from our neighboring counties in Western North Carolina!

Am I eligible to apply?

To be eligible to apply to CCSEP, you must meet the eligibility requirements for a residency license in North Carolina. These requirements include bachelor’s degree with a GPA of at least 2.7 and at least 24 credit hours of coursework in their requested licensure area OR have a passing score on ALL NCSBE required licensure testing (excluding edTPA).

What licensure areas are supported in CCSEP? 

CCSEP has programs for residents to complete licensure requirements in Elementary Education (K - 6), Middle Grades Math (6 - 9), Middle Grades Science (6 - 9), Secondary Math (9 - 12), Secondary Science (9 - 12), and Special Education: General Education (K - 12).

Is financial support available?

At this moment, there is no additional financial support available through our program. But CCSEP is tuition-free for full-time teachers in the Caldwell County School System and is offered at a discounted rate of $3,000 and a nonrefundable enrollment fee of $500 for teachers outside of Caldwell County Schools.  Residents are welcome to seek outside grant opportunities for financial support.

How do I apply?

Applications open each Spring for the cohort that will begin in the summer. For employees of Caldwell County Schools, use this link to apply. 

For employees outside of the CCS district, use this link to apply.