The Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation & Pedagogy (GaTAPP) program provides alternative routes to teacher preparation for qualified individuals to teach on an intern basis while completing teacher certification requirements. GaTAPP is designed for candidates wanting to enter the teaching profession in a core content area primarily in middle grades and high school.
Although the Cartersville City School System has participated in the GaTAPP program on a very limited basis in the past, the current job market in our system makes it very difficult to enter the teaching field using this avenue. We typically have many qualified applicants who are fully certified for each vacancy. The school system will generally only hire a GaTAPP applicant when there is no qualified and certified teacher available. Usually, these candidates will be in shortage areas such as math, science, special education, and foreign language.
Basic criteria for the program as utilized by Cartersville City Schools.
To be eligible a candidate must:
- have at least a bachelor’s degree from a GaPSC-accepted accredited institution in a related teaching field, (not all teaching fields are available for the GaTAPP program);
- have at least a 2.5 grade point average in the bachelor’s program on a 4.0 scale if the program was completed in the last 10 years OR been accepted into or completed a Masters level program;
- have passed the GACE Basic Skills Test (or exempt by having a combined verbal and math SAT scores of 1000; a combined GRE verbal and quantitative score of 1030; or a combined English and math ACT scores of 43);
- You may register for the GACE Test at https://gace.ets.org
- To obtain SAT or GRE scores, you can contact the Educational Testing Service at www.ETS.org. ACT scores can be obtained at www.ACT.org. SAT and ACT scores are sometimes available on your high school transcript
- have evidence of content knowledge by having passed the GACE assessment in the content area of the teaching field or have a major in that field with 21 semester hours;
- Special Education candidates may have a major/concentration in any area depending upon the particular teaching assignment
- have a satisfactory criminal background check and clearance; and
Qualified candidates must submit a complete Cartersville City School application with all required documents
When a vacancy occurs, the principal may consider and/or interview a qualified TAPP candidate.
Other information:
- the RESA fee for the TAPP program is $3500. The school system may assume part of the cost of the program if funds are available and it is determined in the best interest of the school system.
- Once hired, the system submits the official transcripts and requests interim certification from GaPSC.