Orientation to Certification for Teacher Candidates

1
Orientation to Certification for Teacher
Candidates
2
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/Foundations of Reading
• Institutional Recommendation

3
Short Form Application Process for the Initial
Educator Certificate

• ED 170-A
• 200 (money order or bank check)
• Official transcripts
• Experience form, if necessary
• (Certain endorsements require verification
  of experience)
• Random Audit (approximately 10 of applications
  received from your institution)
• Evaluation of official transcripts
• Initial Educator Certificate issued

4
Mandated Background Checks

• 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.

9/7/2014
4
5
Mandated Background Checks

• Public Act No. 11-93, Section 1(g) requires each
  applicant seeking an initial issuance or renewal
  of a certificate, authorization or permit to
  submit to a records check by the Department of
  Children and Families (DCF) child abuse and
  neglect registry established pursuant to section
  17a-101k. If notification is received that the
  applicant is listed on the DCF child abuse and
  neglect registry, the application for the
  certificate, authorization or permit must be
  denied.

6
Fingerprinting

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

7
Certification ContinuumLevels of Certification
Professional Educator Certificate Valid for 5
years Renewable upon application
Provisional Educator Certificate Valid for 8
years 30 months of experience Advanced course
work requirements Effective July, 1, 2016
masters degree will be required
Initial Educator Certificate Valid for 3 years 10
months of experience successful completion of
TEAM www.ctteam.org OR 30 months of experience
in approved non-public school
8
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.

9
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

10
Consider Endorsements in Shortage Areas

• World Language, 7-12
• Mathematics, 7-12
• Hearing Impaired, PK-12
• Science, 7-12
• Comprehensive Special Education, K-12
• Bilingual Education
• School Library Media Specialist
• Remedial Reading and Language Arts 1-12
• Speech and Language Pathology
• Intermediate Administration or Supervision

11
Interstate Certification Agreement

• Facilitates the certification of teachers from
  one state to another
• NASDTEC (NIA) 50 States DC
• Must be eligible for a Connecticut Certificate
• Allows acceptance of preparation program in
  teaching or special services areas.
• Does not waive testing, experience or advanced
  course work requirements.

12
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

13
Code of Professional Responsibility

• Equivalent to a code of ethics for educators
• The Code provides
• Guiding principles for safe and productive
  learning environments.
• Responsibilities to students, profession and
  community.
• Expectations for appropriate conduct both in and
  outside of the classroom. As educators you are
  held to a higher standard of behavior.

14
Expectations for Professional Conduct

• You represent the profession in all that you do.
• Your email address should be professional.
• Limit or avoid use of Facebook, Twitter and other
  personal web accounts.
• If you have accounts, remove statements and
  pictures which could be misconstrued.
• Avoid sharing personal/confidential information
  with your students.
• Dress and speak appropriately to students,
  parents and staff.

15

• Avoid Situations That May Be Interpreted As
  Inappropriate
• You have worked hard to receive certification.
• Do not let perception jeopardize your career.
• Avoid isolating yourself with a student.
• Make arrangements for parents to drive students
  to and from school activities- unless it is an
  emergency, do not transport students in your car.
• Do not engage in personal exchanges with students
  via telephone, email, texting, twitter, etc.
• Avoid inappropriate physical contact with
  students.

16
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

17
Services Not Available

• Cannot provide individual consultations to
  walk-in applicants
• Cannot provide individual evaluations without an
  application and fee on file
• Cannot approve a course over the telephone
• Cannot print a certificate on the day payment is
  made
• Cannot print individual certificates upon request
• Cannot accept personal checks

18
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/cert
• Email teacher.cert_at_ct.gov
• Response time 5-7 business days (on average).

19
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]
• Response time 5-7 days