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How to Apply for Your Pennsylvania Instructional I Teaching Certificate
Congratulations on completing a teacher certification program at Gettysburg College! You are now ready to apply for your Pennsylvania Instructional I Teaching Certificate, the credential you will need to teach in any of the Commonwealth's public schools. We have prepared this document to provide you with all the step-by-step details you need to navigate the application process successfully. Before we begin walking you through the process, please take special note of the following three very important points:
1.) Who is responsible for your certification application?
You are! Although you have completed an approved teacher certification program, you will not automatically receive a Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate. You must apply for the certificate. The Gettysburg College Certification Office will help you submit the appropriate application materials. However, you must take the initiative to provide the necessary materials. Neither the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania nor the Gettysburg College Certification Office will prepare your application materials for you. It is ultimately your responsibility to begin the application process, track your materials, and verify with the Certification Office that your application file is complete.
2.) When should you apply for your Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate?
Now! Sometimes students who have completed a certification program at Gettysburg College graduate and leave without applying for their Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate. THIS IS A HUGE MISTAKE. People who apply for a teaching certificate in Pennsylvania must meet all of the requirements in place at the time that they apply. Because you have just completed an approved certification program, you now meet all of the state's requirements. However, if you wait one year, two years, five years, or ten years, the requirements may change and you may no longer be eligible, or you may need to do a substantial amount of additional work (e.g., taking new courses or passing new examinations) to be eligible again. Even if you think you will never teach in Pennsylvania, we strongly urge you to apply for your Pennsylvania certificate now. Obtaining your Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate will never be easier than it is now because you meet all of the state's requirements. Furthermore, once you have your Pennsylvania certificate, you will find that it is relatively easy to obtain the comparable certificate in other states. We strongly advise you: APPLY FOR YOUR PENNSYLVANIA TEACHING CERTIFICATE NOW!
3.) How Do You obtain Teacher Certification in Another State?
Gettysburg College is approved only to endorse your application for a Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate. If you wish to pursue certification in a state other than Pennsylvania, it is your responsibility to apprise yourself of that state's certification requirements and application procedures. The University of Kentucky maintains a website that may be useful to you: Certification Requirements for 50 States.
Applying for Your Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate:
A Step-by-Step Guide
Here's the information you need to apply for your Pennsylvania Certificate. We encourage you to print this page and use it as a checklist for yourself. Please read and follow all the directions explicitly before you contact the Certification Office with questions. When your application file is complete, the Certification Office will send it to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) in Harrisburg. Do not send any materials directly to Harrisburg. All of the materials you submit for your application file become the property of the Certification Office. The Certification Office will not photocopy any materials from your file. Make sure that you retain your own copies of all the documents you submit.
IMPORTANT DATES
If you are planning to complete the program in December, all of your application materials must be filed with the Certification Office by December 1. If you are a May graduate, your application file must be complete by May 1.
Applying for a Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate is a three-step process:
1. Complete the application forms required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
2. Take (and pass) the required PRAXIS II examinations for your certification area.
3. Verify that your application file is complete.
1. STEP ONE: PDE APPLICATION FORMS
¿ Dowload the application booklet.This booklet contains the two PDE forms that you must complete and detailed instructions for both. You will find the booklets on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website in .pdf format. Click here: application booklet. Read all of the information in the booklet!
¿ Complete Form PDE 338 C part A only . Directions for completing the form are found in the booklet. Print your last name, first name, middle initial, and social security number. That is all you need to do with this form. Do not send this form to Harrisburg. Return it to the Certification Office to be placed in your application file. Be sure to make a copy for yourself before you submit the original to the Certification Office.
¿ Complete Form PDE 338 G. You need to complete all parts. Please note that #10 must be signed by a doctor-not a nurse or physician's assistant-within one year of your application date. Don't forget to have the physician provide the state and physician number. You do have the option of visiting the health center at Gettysburg College for your physical examination. If you do decide to have your physical exam at the health center, please don't forget to take the PDE 338G form with you.
¿ Include payment along with the forms and submit to the Certification office, campus box 396 in Weidensall Rm. 106. You need to submit a money order payable to the "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" in the amount of $40.00 along with your application.
2. STEP TWO: PRAXIS II EXAMINATIONS
¿ Pick up a PRAXIS flyer from the Education Department Office (Weidensall 106) or visit the PRAXIS website for registration information: http://www.ets.org/praxis. Your PRAXIS II scores must be received before your application can be sent to Harrisburg. You need to allow at least six weeks for scores to be reported to us.
¿ Register for the PRAXIS II examinations that are required in Pennsylvania for your certification area. Click here to find the specific tests that are required for your certification area..
¿ When you register for your examinations, you must name Gettysburg College and PDE as score recipients. Use the following codes:
Gettysburg College Code: RA2275
PA Department of Education Code: R 8033
¿ Take and pass the exams for which you have registered!
3. STEP THREE: STUDENT VERIFICATION
You must contact the Certification Office to verify that all of the materials listed above have been received and that your application file is complete by December 1 or May1, depending on your graduation date. Contact the Certification Office by emailing The Education Department: kambrose@gettysburg.edu.
¿ Verify that your completed Form PDE 338C is in your application file.
¿ Verify that your completed Form PDE 338G is in your application file.
¿ Verify that your PRAXIS exam scores are in your application file.
¿ Verify that your money order in the amount of $40 is in your application file.
A NOTE ABOUT CRIMINAL HISTORY CLEARANCES
Gettysburg College does not require you to submit criminal history and child abuse clearance forms for your certification application. However, if you plan to seek a public school teaching position in Pennsylvania, you may want to obtain those clearances now. If you obtain a teaching position, you will need to provide criminal and child abuse clearances as a condition of employment. Generally, these clearances need to be current, that is, within one year of employment. Although school districts will give new employees time to secure the necessary clearances, you may want to expedite your employment process by obtaining them now.
NOTE: Any of the preceding information is subject to change at any time, either by the Pennsylvania Department of Education or Gettysburg College. |
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300 North Washington Street · Gettysburg, PA 17325