Article Written By: Michelle Conner
The education of its students is considered a top priority by the State of Connecticut. This is one of the primary reasons that the state requires its teachers to be properly licensed as a prerequisite to teaching. Anyone teaching in a public school or for a board of education in Connecticut must hold a certificate that has been issued by the Department of Education in Connecticut specific for the position.The certification process for Connecticut is uncomplicated. As a candidate, you must meet three basic requirements. Firstly, you must complete the prerequisite courses. This coursework must be specific to the subject and the grade level of which you have selected. This is because each specific certification has course requirements explicit to it. Preparation is the next stage of certification. Get help becoming certified as a teacher by researching more information about online teaching degree.This preparation is accomplished by completing a program at an accredited school that has been pre-approved by the Department of Education. Those who do not have a teaching certificate or have not graduated from an accredited school with a bachelor's degree in education may find their credentials will satisfy alternative teaching requirements.The last part of the certification process concludes with the successful completion of testing requirements. You must successfully pass a basic skills test, known as the PPST, Pre Professional Skills Test, in addition to one dedicated to testing your proficiency in the subject area of the preferred endorsement. This exam that assess competency will either be the Praxis II (for the area of certification requested) or the ACTFL - the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Assessment.Connecticut issues three levels of teaching certificates. The first level certificate is the Initial Educator Certificate which is valid for three years. The next level of certificate is the Provisional Educator Certificate which is valid for eight years. The second level certificate requires the candidate to have met the qualifications of the Initial Educator Certificate and either have 30 months of appropriate experience (within a 10 year time-frame) in any one of several approved school locations or the successful completion of 10 months of teaching experience while maintaining the first level certificate along with the completion of the BEST - Beginning Educator Support and Training program.The culminating level of certification is the Professional Educator Certificate, which is valid for five years and requires its holder to complete two and a half years of appropriate experience under the Provisional Educator's Certificate or have completed additional courses as outlined by Connecticut's regulations for certification regarding the specific endorsement. Furthermore, Connecticut will find some out-of-state teaching credentials acceptable. At the current time, the state accepts over 40 states in the certification reciprocity program that is offer through the department of education. Every situation and circumstance will vary, so it would be smart to contact the Connecticut State Department of Education to address any concerns about your specific situation.
This Article Has Been Published on Thu, 26 May 2011 and Read 258 Times