Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP)

Table of Contents

GaTAPP Program Overview:

Oconee RESA is a Georgia Professional Standards Commission approved Educator Preparation Provider.  Our alternative teacher preparation program is approved to offer GaTAPP for individuals who have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher but have not met the requirements for renewable teacher certification.  Candidates are served through a blended (face-to-face/electronic model) to minimize teacher candidate travel and to minimize absences from the schools in which they teach. This program does not replace traditional teacher education programs offered by universities and colleges; instead, Georgia TAPP seeks to equip teacher candidates with skills that ensure a reasonable expectation of initial success in the classroom and to provide a supervised internship/induction program that will enable intern teachers to move toward subsequent mastery of teaching.
We offer training which will lead to professional renewable certification in the following fields.

  • Early Childhood (P-5)
  • Middle Grades (4-8) – All Content Areas including CTAE (Career Technical and Agriculture Education)
  • Math
  • ELA
  • Reading
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Secondary (6-12)
  • All Content Areas including CTAE (Career Technical and Agriculture Education)
  • All Core Content Areas
  • P-12
    • Art (P-12)
    • Health/PE (P-12)
    • Special Education (P-12)
    • Foreign Languages (P-12)
    • Technology Education (P-12)
    • Music (P-12)
    • Dance (P-12)

Oconee RESA also offers the One Year Add-On Elementary Education.
* This is ONLY for teachers who are already certified and wish to change fields.


To Apply:

Step 1:  Submit Candidate Application (Form 1)

The first step to our admission process is to submit a Candidate Application for admission.

Step 2:  Submit Official College Transcripts

Candidates must have received a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university in a related field of study (minimum 2.5 GPA).

Please make sure you submit all college transcripts electronically to Georgia Professional Standards Commission from each institution you have previously attended.  Failure to submit all transcripts can delay the processing of your admission application.

Step 3:  Submit a Copy of Certificate of Completion to verify you have taken the Ethics Exit Assessment 360 
It takes 2 weeks to post electronically. 

Step 4: Submit District Assurance (Form 2) and Payment Agreement Form

Candidates must have secured a job offer for a teaching position in a local system in a district served by Oconee RESA.

GaTAPP candidates must be employed by a regionally accredited local unit of administration (school district or private school), a charter school approved by the Georgia State Charter School Commission, or a charter school approved by the Georgia Department of Education as a classroom teacher full-time or part-time for at least a half day.


Checklist:

Oconee RESA GaTAPP Program

  1. Completed Candidate Application (Form 1) 
  2. Create a MyPSC account if you do not already have an account. 
  3. Request from the Institution to Submit to Upload Official College Transcripts to Georgia Professional Standards Commission(GaPSC)  
  4. Documentation of GACE scores or exemption score reports
  5. Documentation taken Georgia Educator Ethics Assessment (360)
    (Upon completion, report will be uploaded to GaPSC)
  6. District Assurance Form with all appropriate signatures (Form 2)
  7. Payment Fee Agreement Form
  8. Submit all forms and documents to: Georgia TAPP Admission

     

Elementary Education Alternative Practicum
(Elementary Add-On) Program

  1. Completed Elementary Education Alternative Practicum Application (Form 3)
  2. MOU with Principal for Elementary Education  (Form 4)
  3. District Assurance Form with all appropriate signatures (Form 2)
  4. Payment Fee Agreement Form
  5. Submit all forms and documents to: Georgia TAPP Admission

    Submit to:
    Oconee RESA
    Attn: GaTAPP Admission
    P. O. Box 837
    Tennille, Georgia 31089


GaTAPP Forms:

Candidate Application (Form 1)
GaTAPP District Form (Form 2)
Elementary Add-On Alternative Practicum  Application (Form 3)
MOU with Principal for Elementary Education Add On (Form 4)
Member Districts Fee Agreement
Nonmember Districts and Private Schools Fee Agreement 
Reenrollment Form

Tuition and Fees:

Oconee RESA accepts GaTAPP payments from employing school systems and candidates who wish to pay fees. Repayment policies are at the sole discretion of each individual system. You may contact your Human Resource Director for additional information regarding GaTAPP tuition repayment policies.

  • Tuition for Candidates Employed by Oconee RESA Member Systems
    Year 1: $3,500.00
    Year 2: $500.00
    Year 3: $500.00

  • Tuition for Candidates Oconee RESA Non-Member Systems/Private Schools
    Year 1: $5,000.00
    Year 2: $1,000.00
    Year 3: $1,000.00

  • Tuition for Elementary Education Alternative Practicum (One-Year Elementary Add-On) Candidates
    • Oconee RESA Member Systems: $1,000
    • Oconee RESA Non-Member Systems: $1,500


Additional Fees - Not included in tuition

Required GACE Content Assessments and Program Admission Assessment fees


GaTAPP Resources:

Educator Preparation

Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators

GACE Test Preparation Materials

Canvas Log in

Georgia Professional Standards Commission

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

The U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE)

What courses can I teach?


Contact Us:

Dorothy Reynolds, GaTAPP Director
dorothy.reynolds@oconeeresa.org

Carolyn Whitaker, GaTAPP Registrar
carolyn.whitaker@oconeeresa.org

Sheila Poole, GaTAPP Assistant
sheila.poole@oconeeresa.org

Holly Hoyal, GaTAPP Supervisor
holly.hoyal@oconeeresa.org

 Updated: Jan. 25, 2024

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