Hello grammypoppy-ga!
I spoke with someone at the Pennsylvania Department of Education to
find out what your son will need to do obtain a teaching certificate
in Pennsylvania. The short answer is that there is one test that is
required of all applicants, regardless of the length of past
experience. Here are the details that I discovered.
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PENNSYLVANIA CERTIFICATION
Minnesota and Pennsylvania are among the 45 states with an Interstate
Certification Agreement. These states recognize past teaching
experience in determining those who must take certification exams. As
long as your son has been teaching on a full teaching credential
issued by the state of Minnesota for 3 of the past 7 years, he is only
required to take the Praxis examination for his ?content area.? This
would be elementary education.
?Pennsylvania has signed an Interstate Agreement with 45 other
states/jurisdictions based upon the mutually agreed-upon conditions of
that contract. It should be noted, however,
that candidates for Pennsylvania Instructional certification must
complete the Praxis
tests required by Pennsylvania unless verification is submitted of
three years of teaching on a comparable state-issued certificate
within the past seven (7) years. In those cases, the candidate must
take and pass the appropriate Praxis content area test. In order for
this Bureau to evaluate an application using the Interstate Agreement,
the candidate must provide verification that he/she has:
* Been awarded a baccalaureate degree
* Completed a state-approved teacher education program, including a
supervised student teaching experience, leading to a comparable or
broader certificate in the member state
* Received the recommendation from the certification officer at the
college or university on an application form designated by this Bureau
* Complied with all ancillary requirements, including Pennsylvania
tests and college minimum grade-point average
* Met all Pennsylvania requirements related to citizenship as well as
moral, ethical and
physical/mental fitness
Candidates who possess a valid and comparable (in subject and grade
level scope) certificate issued by the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards will be issued a Professional Instructional II
certificate. The applicant will not be asked to complete any
additional requirements for that certificate, including Praxis Series
tests.?
http://www.teaching.state.pa.us/teaching/lib/teaching/OutofStateBookletJuly2006.pdf
This Department of Education website has links to useful information
for applicants from out of state.
http://www.teaching.state.pa.us/teaching/taxonomy/taxonomy.asp?DLN=97
The following site has links to the application and instructional
booklet for a Pennsylvania teaching certificate. It includes specific
instructions for out-of-state applicants.
http://www.teaching.state.pa.us/teaching/cwp/view.asp?a=15&Q=28570&teachingPNavCtr=|#528
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PRAXIS TESTING
The Educational Testing Service administers the Praxis examinations.
Your son would be required to take the Level II test related to
elementary education. Here is the site for Pennsylvania-specific
information.
http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=376baf5e44df4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=d378197a484f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD
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I hope that you find this information useful! If you have any need of
further clarification, please let me know how I can help.
Sincerely,
Boquinha-ga
Search strategy:
Speaking with a staff member at the Pennsylvania Department of
Education, Bureau of Teacher Certification and Testing |
