Drexel offers a number of education certification and degree programs that prepare students for formal teacher certification. Once a student has successfully completed their undegraduate course of study and all qualifying teacher certification exams required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Drexel recommends the student to the PDE for the appropriate teaching certificate.

Teaching Certification GPA Requirements

The School of Education requires that students maintain at least a "B" average (3.0 GPA) in content courses needed for teacher certification in addition to earning a grade of "B" or better in each core pedagogy course required for certification.

Pennsylvania Teacher Certification Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to obtain and submit updated and current copies of the required clearances to the School of Education annually in order to participate in classroom observations and student teaching in Pennsylvania. All full-time undergraduates will receive assistance in gaining these clearances during their first term. Non-PA students should contact their state's department of education or school district office for a list of clearances required in their state.

Teacher Certification Process

Instructional I Certification

This initial certification qualifies a teacher to teach for a maximum of six years. The six years need not be continuous. To continue teaching after the six years are completed, the teacher must receive an Instructional II Certification.

Instructional II Certification

The Instructional II Certification is considered a permanent certification. A teacher applying for Instructional II Certification must have:

• Instructional I Certification
• A minimum of three years and a maximum of six years of teaching experience on an Instructional I Teaching Certificate
• 24 semester-hour (or 36 quarter-hour) credits beyond a bachelor’ degree
• Completion of an induction program (generally provided by the teacher’ school of employment)

Elementary Certification (Grades PreK–4) and Special Education Certification (Grades PreK–8 and Grades 7–12)

The Pennsylvania Educator Certification Tests (PECT) are required for Grades PreK–4 and Special Education. All undergraduate and dual degree BS/MS students are required to pass the Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) basic skills exam. In addition, students will be required to take the appropriate assessment test for each area of certification they wish to obtain.

For more information about examinations and registration:

Middle Level Certification (Grades 4–8) and Secondary Certification (Grades 7–12)

All undergraduate and dual degree BS/MS students seeking certification in middle (grades 4–8) or secondary (grades 7–12) levels are required to pass exams from the PA Education Certification Tests (PECT) and the Praxis II Series. Students must pass both the Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) basic skills assessment test and the appropriate Praxis II Content Knowledge test for each area of certification they wish to obtain.

For more information about examinations and registration:

Pennsylvania Act 48 Requirements

To maintain Instructional I and Instructional II Certifications, the PDE requires a teacher to complete one of the following every five years:

• Six semester-hour (or nine quarter-hour) credits. Credits must be acquired from an accredited, four-year, degree-granting college or university.
• 180 hours of professional development
• A combination of credits and professional development hours every five years.

Note: For those working to acquire Instructional II Certification, the 24 semester credits or 36 quarter credits needed to apply for Instructional II may also count toward Act 48 requirements.

Download the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Frequently Asked Questions about Act 48 [PDF].

The mission of the Dual Special Education Program is to develop competent, caring, and ethical educators who are able to meet the diverse learning needs of all students across a variety of age, grade, and ability levels. The preparation program will facilitate competence in areas of academic, social, and emotional growth, and methods of maximizing a student’s capabilities through diagnostic and instructionally adaptive practices.

The Dual Special Education Certification program prepares candidates to work with special needs populations in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades (PK-12). Students will follow the requirements for an initial certification program in Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Middle Level Education, or Secondary Education with a few course substitutions permitted as noted below, in addition to completing the extra requirements for the Special Education program. Special Education is a concentration that students may add to their initial program in order to qualify for dual certification.

Elementary and Early Childhood Education Major with Dual Special Education Certification

Students majoring in Elementary and Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Special Education PK-12 will complete the following courses in addition to the afore-cited Elementary and Early Childhood program requirements (not the course substitutions permitted):

• ED 180 – Educational Psychology (a student must earn a final course grade of 2.5 in ED 180 and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 before proceeding to ED 190 and ED 191)
• EDSP 226 – Special Education Methodology II with Field Experience (20 hours)
• EDSP 227 – Behavior Management with Field Experience (20 hours)
• EDSP 300 – Assessment in Special Education (this course replaces the PK-4 ED 344 – Assessment in Early Childhood and Elementary Education—course)
• EDSP 302 – Special Education Methods
• All EDSP courses, in combination, will substitute for the PK-4 ED 363—School, Family, and Community—course)

Special Education certification candidates will complete half their student teaching in a special education setting and half in a regular education setting.

Middle Level Education Major with Dual Special Education Certification

Students majoring in Middle Level Education with a concentration in Special Education PK-12 will complete the following courses in addition to the afore-cited Middle Level Education program requirements (not the course substitutions permitted):

• EDSP 226 – Special Education Methodology II with Field Experience (20 hours)
• EDSP 227 – Behavior Management with Field Experience (20 hours)
• EDSP 300 – Assessment in Special Education
• EDSP 302 – Special Education Methods (this course replaces the Middle Level ED 375—Middle Level Methods—and ED 380—Content Area Literacy—courses)

Special Education certification candidates will complete half their student teaching in a special education setting and half in a regular education setting.

Secondary Education Minor with Dual Special Education Certification

Students minoring in secondary education with a concentration in Special Education PK-12 will complete the following courses in addition to their specific program in the major:

• EDSP 226 - Special Education Methodology II with Field Experience (20 hours)
• EDSP 227 -Behavior Management with Field Experience (20 hours)  
• EDSP 300 - Assessment in Special Education
• EDSP 302 - Special Education Methods

Special Education certification candidates will complete half their student teaching in a special education setting and half in a regular education setting.

Programs

Teachers College offers a wide variety of educational experiences for teacher education students at the preservice and in-service levels. Programs are field-based, offering practica, internships, and student teaching. Academic departments offer programs that lead simultaneously to a master’s degree and to eligibility for New York State certification for teaching in elementary or secondary schools, as well as for specific subjects and to special populations (see sections below on additional New York State Department of Education (NYSED) requirements for initial teacher certification). Some of these programs also offer New York State teacher certification with a bilingual extension. The programs typically require a minimum of an academic year and a summer term to complete degree requirements. Applicants need not have included courses in education in their undergraduate programs, but inadequate preparation in the proposed teaching field may necessitate additional coursework to meet admission, certification or graduation requirements.

For a complete list of teacher preparation programs, please go to: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/admissions/areas-of-study/teacher-education-and-teacher-certification/

Office of Teacher Education

The Office of Teacher Education (OTE) offers many services to teacher education students and programs at Teachers College.  For example, OTE including conducts professional development workshops, provides information regarding certification requirements, offers information sessions on New York State Teacher Certification Exams, and supports students with student teaching requirements. Most importantly, OTE oversees and manages the certification process, recommending candidates for certification once all institutional and NYS requirements are met.

Student Teaching and Observation

Candidates for initial certification must complete a student teaching experience. This experience may take place in one, two, or even three settings, based on requirements set by NYSED and the student’s TC teacher education program. The student teaching experiences are structured to enable each student teacher to gradually develop pedagogical competence and skill, and typically begin with observation of an experienced cooperating teacher followed by incremental assumption of responsibility as the term progresses. The College provides on-site supervision to ensure that students are well-supported during this component of their teacher preparation program.

Student teachers are required to obtain clearance to commencestudent teaching and to carefully review the “Student Teaching Handbook.” A general orientation to student teaching is offered by OTE in the beginning of each semester. Please go to the “Student Teaching” tab of our website at www.tc.edu/ote for a full list of workshops, packets, and handbooks. 

New York State Certification

Teachers College has an array of programs which, upon successful completion, lead to an institutional recommendation for New York State Certification at the initial or professional level.  Students enrolled in programs that lead to New York State Certification are responsible for becoming knowledgeable about New York State Certification requirements and regulations. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) mandates the teacher certification requirements that are needed for program completion and graduation. These requirements are listed below.

Content Core.  NYSED specifies general Content Core requirements according to the certification area.  For example, students in the MA program in Mathematics that leads to initial certification (7-12) are required to be Mathematics majors at the undergraduate level or hold 30 credits in pure mathematics.  For more information about these content core requirements, please refer to the NYSED website http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/, the Office of Teacher Education Website at www.tc.edu/ote or call the OTE Office at 212.678.3502.

Child Abuse Identification Workshop. Students may fulfill this requirement at Teachers College by taking a workshop offered through Continuing Professional Studies (CPS) in collaboration with the Office of Teacher Education.  For a list of dates and times, please go to the CPS Website at www.tc.edu/cps. Students may also fulfill this requirement at Teachers College by taking HBSS4116, Health Education for Teachers, which is offered by the Department of Health and Behavior Studies.  Alternatively, students may opt to take an on-line or in-person workshop offered by approved NYSED vendors.  This requirement must be met prior to degree conferral. For information about these workshops, please go to http://www.op.nysed.gov/training/caproviders.htm.

School Violence Intervention and Prevention Workshop. Students may fulfill this requirement at Teachers College by taking a workshop offered through Continuing Professional Studies (CPS) in collaboration with the Office of Teacher Education.  For a list of dates and times, please go to the CPS Website at www.tc.edu/cps. Students may also fulfill this requirement at Teachers College by taking HBSS4116, Health Education for Teachers, which is offered by the Department of Health and Behavior Studies.  Alternatively, students may opt to take an on-line or in-person workshop offered by approved NYSED vendors.  This requirement must be met prior to degree conferral. For information about these workshops, please go to http://www.p12.nysed.gov/sss/ssae/schoolsafety/save/SVPIWP_location.html.

Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Workshop. Students may fulfill this requirement at Teachers College by taking a workshop offered through Continuing Professional Studies (CPS) in collaboration with the Office of Teacher Education.  For a list of dates and times, please go to the CPS Website at www.tc.edu/cps. Students may also fulfill this requirement at Teachers College by taking HBSS4116, Health Education for Teachers, which is offered by the Department of Health and Behavior Studies.  This course may be offered on-line; however, to fulfill the DASA requirement, students must complete 3 hours of in-person preparation. In addition, a list of NYSED approved providers is available at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/dasa-applicant.html.  This requirement must be met prior to degree conferral.

Autism Workshop (only for students seeking certification in special education/teaching students with disabilities). Students fulfill this requirement at Teachers College by taking a course specified by their programs.

New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE):  Please see the chart below for exams required by certificate type. 

For more information regarding NYSTCE test registration and schedules please see the NYSTCE website at: http://www.nystce.nesinc.com/.

For more information regarding NYSED test requirements by certificate title and grade level, please see the NYSED website at: http://eservices.nysed.gov/teach/certhelp/CertRequirementHelp.do.

Please note that Teachers College programs lead to New York State certification.  If you would like to seek certification in another state, please contact that state’s Department of Education regarding requirements.

Applying for Certification

Students who are in programs leading to teacher certification must complete a two-step process.

Step 1: Create a NYSED TEACH account, and apply and pay for the teaching certificate(s) via the NYSED TEACH online system at: www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert.

Step 2: Submit a completed Institutional Recommendation Data Form (IRDF) to the OTE. The IRDF can be found on the OTE website at: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/office-of-teacher-education/office-of-teacher-education/certification/institutional-recommendation/.

Once all requirements have been met, and the Office of the Registrar has notified the Office of Teacher Education that candidates have been cleared for graduation, TC’s Certification Officers will electronically submit the institutional recommendation for certification via the NYSED-TEACH online system.

Students who are in the Literacy Specialist, practicing Specialist programs must provide proof of either completion of an approved teacher preparation program or of a valid teaching certificate. Students who are in the Summer Principals Academy program must provide proof of teacher certification and hold a minimum of three (3) years of full-time classroom teaching/PPS experience.  If you have questions about this requirement, please contact the Office of Teacher Education at 212.678.3502 or ote@tc.columbia.edu.

Teacher Education Standards at Teachers College

Consistent with the College’s long tradition of serving the needs of urban and suburban schools in the United States and around the world, the vision and purpose of professional education at Teachers College is to establish and maintain programs of study, service, and research that prepare competent, caring, and qualified professional educators (teachers, counselors, psychologists, administrators and others). This vision is based on three shared philosophical stances that underlie and infuse the work we do:

Inquiry stance: We are an inquiry-based and practice-oriented community. We and our students and graduates challenge assumptions and complacency, and embrace a stance of inquiry toward the interrelated roles of learner, teacher, and leader in P-12 schools.

Curricular stance: Negotiating among multiple perspectives on culture, content, and context, our graduates strive to meet the needs of diverse learners, both students and other adults, in their school communities.

Social justice stance: Our graduates choose to collaborate across differences in and beyond their school communities. They demonstrate a commitment to social justice and to serving the world while imagining its possibilities.

Expectations of Teacher Education Candidates at Teachers College

Our candidates are inquirers/researchers who have breadth of knowledge and a variety of tools to ask questions about educational environments. They reflect on and continually evaluate the effects of their choices on others (children, families, and other professionals in the learning community).

Lifelong Learners:  Our candidates are continually engaged in learning and research. They take responsibility for their professional growth and seek/create learning opportunities for themselves and others.

Learner-Centered Educators:  Our candidates understand their subject matter/disciplines, learners and learning, and curriculum and teaching. They create learning experiences that foster development and achievement in all students.

Effective Collaborators:  Our candidates actively participate in the community or communities of which they are a part to support students’ learning and well being.

Advocates of Social Justice and Diversity:  Our candidates are familiar with legal, ethical and policy issues. They provide leadership in advocating for children, families, and themselves in a variety of professional, political, and policy-making contexts.

Expectations of Teacher Preparation Programs at Teachers College

Teachers College programs preparing teachers and other professional school personnel ensure that candidates have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for effective teaching. By the conclusion of the program, candidates demonstrate:

Knowledge and Understanding of:

Skills in:

• self-critique and reflection;
• use of research and inquiry methods and application of research to practice;
• planning, implementation, and evaluation of professional growth;
• planning, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum/services;
• communication and collaboration; and
• addressing inequalities in the classroom, school and society.

Dispositions/Commitments to:

• inquiry and reflection;
• the profession, ethics, and lifelong learning leadership;
• the fullest possible growth and development of all students;
• cooperation and collaboration; and
• social justice and diversity.

Jaffe Peace Corps Fellows Program

The Jaffe Peace Corps Fellows Program recruits outstanding Returned Peace Corps Volunteer educators who are passionate about making long-term commitments to teach in New York City’s public schools. Since 1985, the program has recruited and prepared more than 750 urban educators. As the Paul D. Coverdell Fellows (formerly Fellows/USA) flagship teacher preparation program, we provide full scholarships covering all tuition expenses. Upon completion of our 13-week Intensive Summer Institute, new Jaffe Peace Corps Fellows teach full-time as salaried teachers of record in NYC public schools for a minimum of four years. All related Master's degree requirements are completed at Teachers College within two to three years. We prepare teachers for a variety of grade levels and subject areas. For more information, please review the Program website www.tc.edu/pcfellows or call 212-678-6622.

Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOCII)

The Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOCII) program is a New York State Education Department grant funded program designed to increase the number of New York State teachers from underrepresented backgrounds. To be eligible for TOC II at TC, candidates must be New York State residents who are enrolled in a TC teacher education program that leads to certification.  Participants are provided with tuition assistance for coursework at Teachers College.  All participants engage in a 10 month internship from September-June at one of our local partnership schools, seminars with renowned TC faculty who are committed to culturally sustaining pedagogies, and professional development opportunities that suit the needs and inquiries of the TOC cohort. 

Teaching Residents at Teachers College (TR@TC)

This 18 month intensive, full-time program prepares those who wish to teach in high-need New York City public schools. With support from the U.S. Department of Education, the Teaching Residents at Teachers College (TR@TC) program was developed to ensure that Teaching Residents receive exceptional preparation and multiple supports, while enrolled in a Master’s degree program leading to initial NYS teaching certification. Teaching Residents receive generous stipends. Upon graduation, alumni benefit from induction support for at least two years, while they fulfill their commitment to teach in a high-need urban school in New York City for a minimum of three years. For more information please visit: www.tc.edu/teachingresidents.

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

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