Certification Areas
Level I Teaching certificates are available in the following areas: Elementary Education (K-6), Special Education (K-12), and in the following areas of Secondary Education and K-12 content fields: Art, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, General Science, English, French, German, Latin, Spanish, Mathematics, and Citizenship Education (History). The five year Master’s program in Elementary/Special Education also provides Reading Specialist certification.
Admission and Retention
Admission and retention in a teacher certification program is a three-step process. The first step is applying to be a major in Elementary Education for students pursuing an elementary or elementary/special education teaching certificate, or to declare Education as a minor for students pursuing a secondary teaching certificate in the content area in which they are majoring. This is usually done during the freshman year or early in the sophomore year. Students then begin their course work by enrolling in two Foundations courses, Schools in Society and Educational Psychology. (Note: These two courses also count toward the Social Sciences GER.) They must complete these two courses with a minimum combined average of B in order to continue in the program. At this point, as part of their course work, students will begin the development of a professional portfolio that demonstrates success with important competences, such as writing and speaking skills.
The second step is taken after completing fifteen three-credit courses and two field experiences (labs). Students may then make formal application to the teacher preparation program. This usually occurs at the end of the fall semester of the sophomore year. To be accepted at this level, students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 after 47 credits to align with state regulations. Students who do not have this GPA at the time of application, may apply if they meet alternative criteria or they may continue in the program with the expectation that they will achieve the required 3.0 GPA at some point prior to student teaching. (See advisor for approval.)
By the time of the application, students must also have completed six credits in English and six credits in mathematics. In addition, they must have taken and successfully passed the first set of teacher exams, the PPST Praxis tests, in reading, writing, and mathematics.
The third step involves application to the student teaching program. In order to student teach in the senior year, students must apply to the Director of Student Teaching during the year preceding student teaching placement according to the deadlines established by the Department. Students are expected to complete the remaining Praxis tests during this phase of the program.
Students must complete the program with the same 3.0 GPA that is required for admission into the program (see above). A grade of C or higher in all Education courses is also required; students must retake any Education course for which they earn a grade lower than a C-. While courses in which a student earns a D or D+ will count toward graduation requirements, these courses will not be accepted as part of the teacher certification program.
Praxis Examinations
All students take and must pass the PPST reading, writing, and mathematics sections of Praxis I prior to admission into a certification program. Elementary certification candidates must also take Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge, as well as Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. Special Education adds Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge. Secondary minors, in addition to the three PPST subtests, take the specialty test for their certification area.
The Education Department offers programs leading to certification in the following areas:
Certification in Elementary Education
Students majoring in elementary education will apply for certification in Elementary Education, K-6. They are encouraged to acquire either a minor in another academic area or an appropriate distribution of courses among designated liberal arts areas, such as mathematics, fine and performing arts, history, linguistics, and the natural sciences.
Dual Certification in Elementary/Special Education
Students will begin to take Special Education courses in their junior year following the required initial course Education of the Special Learner, and will continue integrating regular elementary and special education studies during their senior year, working with students placed in Special Education facilities during this time. This dual certification program of studies is rooted in the liberal arts; students complete the required GER Common Courses, GER University Distribution, GER electives, and all major and minor requirements. In addition to major requirements, students take two special education field experience labs.
K-12 and Secondary Certification
Students seeking certification in secondary education and K-12 content fields will major in Art Education, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, General Science, English, French, German, Latin, Spanish, Mathematics, or Citizenship Education. See the section of this Catalog that applies to each of these majors.
Secondary and K-12 certification students should refer to the appropriate section of this catalog for further information regarding the Education minor in a content field. They should also declare their intention to participate in a certification program by declaring Education as a minor during their sophomore year. The secondary candidate’s application for student teaching must include a letter of recommendation from the department chair of the student’s major attesting to the readiness of the candidate to teach in his or her content field. Foreign language candidates must have demonstrated proficiency in the specific language as defined and assessed by the Department of Foreign Languages.
