Students pursuing the Certificate in PK-12 Spanish Education are prepared to become teachers in the PK-12 classroom. Students will develop proficiency in all three modes of communication and will develop knowledge of the history, culture and literature of Spanish-speaking countries.

Courses in the foundations of education and pedagogy complement the study of Spanish and proficiency development. Students create and present lessons, first in their courses and then in school classrooms, culminating in the student teaching experience in the final semester.

Students pursuing the PK-12 Spanish Education Certificate must complete four sets of requirements:

• Requirements for the Spanish BA, including the mandatory study abroad experience, and specific Liberal Studies courses.(The Spanish BA requirements are pursued simultaneously with Certificate courses listed below.)
• Mid-Program Review;
• Admission to Student Teaching; and
• The three-step process as outlined in the in the College of Education andCommunications section of this catalog.

For detailed explanations and evaluation criteria, please see the Spanish Education  PK-12 Student Handbook.

Mid-Program Review

During the semester in which students complete EDUC 242 with a “C” or better, they must meet the following departmental requirements:

• Complete a departmental/advisory writing proficiency test in Spanish. Students will receive written feedback on their writing performance including areas for improvement that may be necessary to reach the exit requirement of Advanced-Low in writing.
• Demonstrate Intermediate-Mid or higher level of oral proficiency in Spanish in a departmental/advisory individual Oral Proficiency Interview (ACTFL).
• Satisfactorily complete an interview in English with the Spanish education coordinator, a second faculty member from the Spanish section of the Department of Foreign Languages, and one cooperating teacher in order to assess their ability to interact with others on a professional level.
• Have a minimum GPA in Spanish coursework of 3.0.

Admission to Student Teaching

• Updated portfolio requirements as part of EDUC 342.
• Demonstrate Advanced-Low or higher level of oral proficiency in Spanish in an individual Oral Proficiency Interview (ACTFL)—to be completed instead of the PRAXIS II Spanish: Content Knowledge Exam.
• Demonstrate Advanced-Low or higher level of written proficiency in Spanish in an individual Writing Proficiency Test (ACTFL)—to be completed instead of the PRAXIS II Spanish: Content Knowledge Exam.
• Have a minimum GPA in Spanish coursework of 3.0.Earn a grade of “C” or better in SPAN 330 and SPAN 454.
• Complete requirements to teacher certification, titled “Three-Step Process for Teacher Education,” in the College of Education and Communications section of this catalog.

Students pursuing this certificate must meet all requirements for the BA in Spanish with specified Liberal Studies requirements.