Orientation to Certification for Teacher Candidates

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Orientation to Certification for Teacher
Candidates
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Certification Prerequisites

• Bachelors degree
• General academic course work
• Subject area major
• Teacher Preparation
• Praxis I-Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) or
  waiver
• Professional education program
• Praxis II/ACTFL
• Institutional Recommendation

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Short Form Application Process for the Initial
Educator Certificate

• ED 170-A
• 100 (money order or bank check)
• Experience form (if necessary)
• Certain endorsements require verification of
  previously completed experience.
• Random Audit (approximately 10 of applications
  received from your institution)
• Credential letter mailed to applicant
• Evaluation of official transcripts
• Initial Educator Certificate issued

4
Criminal History Records Check

• The State Board of Education is required by
  statute to submit all applicants, by name and
  date of birth, to the State Police Bureau of
  Identification for a state criminal history
  records check.

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Fingerprinting

• School districts will require each person hired
  to be fingerprinted within 30 days of employment.
  

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Certification ContinuumLevels of Certification
Professional Educator Certificate Valid for 5
years Completion of professional development 90
hours or graduate course work
Provisional Educator Certificate Valid for 8
years 30 months of experience Advanced course
work requirements
Initial Educator Certificate Valid for 3 years 10
months of experience successful completion of
BEST OR 30 months of experience in approved
non-public school
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Validity of Certificates

• Early Childhood, Elementary Education and Middle
  Grades
• May teach in grade levels covered by the
  certificate.
• May not teach up or down a grade level.
• Secondary Subjects, Grades 7-12
• May teach down to grade 5 in a departmentalized
  setting.
• World languages may teach down to grade 4.

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Cross Endorsements

• Responsibility of the individual to meet course
  work and testing requirements for the cross
  endorsement sought.
• Application is made directly to the Bureau of
  Educator Preparation and Certification.

• Cross endorsement areas available
• Elementary
• Early Childhood
• Middle
• Secondary
• Special Subjects
• Special Education
• TESOL
• Bilingual
• Remedial Reading/Language Arts

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Consider Endorsements in Shortage Areas

• World Language, 7-12
• Mathematics, 7-12
• English 7-12
• Science, 7-12
• Comprehensive Special Education, K-12
• Bilingual Education
• School Library Media Specialist
• Technology Education PK-12 (Industrial Arts)
• Speech and Language Pathology
• Intermediate Administration or Supervision
• Music, PK - 12

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Interstate Certification Agreement

• Facilitates the certification of teachers from
  one member state to another
• NASDTEC (NIA) 36 Member States
• Must be eligible for a Connecticut Certificate
• Allows acceptance of preparation program
• Does not waive testing, experience or advanced
  course work.

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Finding Your First Position

• www.CTREAP.net and www.cea.org
• Check Sunday newspapers
• Join statewide/national association related to
  your teaching area
• Network with principal, human resource director
  during student teaching and substitute teaching
• Add an endorsement in a shortage area

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Services Available

• Pick-up and drop off materials in person
• Submit questions in writing in person, by
  regular mail, Email, or FAX.
• Speak to consultant during public phone time to
  obtain general information or obtain status of
  pending request

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Services Not Available

• Provide individual consultations to walk-in
  applicants
• Provide individual evaluations without an
  application and fee on file
• Approve a course over the telephone
• Print a certificate on the day payment is made
• Print individual certificates upon request
• Accept personal checks or credit cards

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Certification Support

• Address
• 165 Capitol Ave., Rm. 243, Hartford
• For pick up of blank forms or drop off of
  materials only
• Website www.ct.gov/sde
• Email teacher.cert_at_ct.gov
• Response time 5-7 days (average).

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Certification Support

• Phone [phone]
• 24-hour access for status inquiry or faxed
  verification
• Consultant support available 12 4 p.m. Monday,
  Tuesday, Thursday Friday, general questions
  only
• Fax [phone]
• Options request forms, course approval
• Response time 5-7 days

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Remember..

• To teach well is to be a lifelong student.
• Author Unknown
• Best wishes for success in your teaching career.