Routes to Instructional I and Instructional II Elementary Teacher Certification

1
Routes to Instructional I and Instructional II
Elementary Teacher Certification

• Why Pursue Certification at the Graduate Level
  at IUP?

2
Comparison of Typical Undergraduate Teacher
Preparation and M.Ed. In Elementary, Track 1

• For Students without a Teaching Certificate
  (Track 1)

3

• Undergraduate Elementary Teacher Education
• Approximately 130
• undergraduate credits in
• education
• Instructional I Certification
• Teach for 3 years and earn
• 24 credits or equivalent in
• 5 years
• _____________________
• 154 credits
• No graduate degree
• No salary increment

• M.Ed. in Elementary
• Track 1
• Approximately 130 undergraduate
• credits in another field, no
• certificate
• 36 credits for Instructional I
• 9 more credits for M.Ed.
• Teach for 3 years however,
• 24 credits for Instructional II have been met
  through the M.Ed.
• __________________
• 175 credits
• Eligible for graduate assistant support in Year 2
• Master of Education degree

4
Comparison of Undergraduate Post-Baccalaureate
Certification Sequence and the M.Ed. in
Elementary Education

• For students without a teaching certificate
  (Track 1)

5

• Post-Baccalaureate
• Continuing Education
• 4-year degree in another field
• 50-80 undergraduate credits
• for Instructional I
• 24 more credits and 3 years
• of teaching for Instructional II
• ____________________
• 74-104 credits
• No graduate degree
• No salary increment

• M.Ed. in Elementary
• Track 1
• 4-year degree in another field
• 36 graduate credits for Instructional I
• Instructional II concurrent with
• 3 years of teaching
• 9 more credits for M.Ed.
• ___________________
• 45 credits
• Master of Education degree
• Salary increment
• Eligible for graduate assistant support in Year 2

6
Comparison of Typical Approach to Instructional
II and M.Ed. In Elementary

• For practicing teachers with a valid
  Instructional I Pennsylvania teaching certificate

7
Act 48 Credits Approach M.Ed. In
Elementary (Track 2)

• 3 years of teaching
• 6 credits (180 hours) X 4
• 720 hours
• _________________________
• Often takes 5 years to fulfill requirement
• No graduate degree
• No salary increment
• No professional growth opportunities associated
• with a graduate assistantship

• 3 years of teaching
• 24 credit requirement is met in
• 3 consecutive summers
• _______________________
• 3 years of teaching and
• completion of 24 credits is
• simultaneous
• M.Ed. is earned with total of 36 credits
• Salary increment obtained early for maximum
  effect on career earnings
• Eligible for summer graduate assistantship
  (tuition and/or stipend) and work with a faculty
  member on a research project (10 or 20 hours per
  week)

8
Teacher Certification in PA

• The PA elementary teaching certificate qualifies
  you to teach kindergarten through 6th grade.
• No institution awards the teaching certificate.
  Certification of teachers is a function of the
  Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
• IUP recommends candidates who have successfully
  completed all requirements, including the Praxis
  (national teacher exam), criminal record
  clearance, student teaching (for Track 1), and
  classroom teaching (for Track 2). IUP has a
  longstanding reputation for high standards in
  teacher preparation with PDE.
• Pennsylvanias requirements for certification are
  rigorous. As a result, many states accept a
  Pennsylvania teaching certificate as equivalent
  to their own (reciprocity).