Spanish Education PK-12 Teacher Certification

Students pursuing the  Spanish Education PK-12 Teacher Certification are prepared to become teachers in the PK-12 classroom.

There are three pathways to earning the Spanish Education PK-12 Teacher Certification:  Students may pursue a first bachelor’s degree in Spanish along with the Spanish Education PK-12 Teacher Certification, or if they already have a bachelor’s degree, they may follow one of two options to earn this Certification.

STUDENTS PURSUING A BACHELOR’S DEGREE   

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 the development of proficiency. 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 Spanish Education PK-12 Teacher Certification must complete four sets of requirements:

• Requirements for the Spanish BA. The Spanish BA requirements are pursued simultaneously with Certification courses listed below.  The Spanish BA requirements include the mandatory study abroad experience and specific Crimson Core courses.
• Mid-Program Review;
• Admission to Student Teaching and the Three-Step Process as outlined in the College of Education and Human Services section of this catalog.
• Completion of all courses in the pre-professional and professional education sequences.

For detailed explanations and evaluation criteria, please see the Spanish Education PK-12 Teacher Education 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 Iintermediate-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 and at least 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 WHO ALREADY HAVE A BACHELOR’S DEGREE AND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Students build on existing language proficiency and take courses in the foundations of education and pedagogy. Students create and present lessons in their courses and in school classrooms, either during student teaching or in an intern position.

Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree can complete the Spanish Education PK-12 Teacher Certification without earning the BA in Spanish, leading to Pennsylvania Initial Certification in Spanish. 

Students in this category must meet the program’s language proficiency requirement by completing an Oral Proficiency Interview through LTI https://www.languagetesting.com/.  The required proficiency-level is Advanced-Low on the ACTFL scale (ACTFL/CAEP Program Standards), and must be completed before entry into the program.

Students who have already earned a Bachelor’s degree have two options: 

1. Program Option I:   Complete the Spanish Education PK-12 Teacher Certification, including all required program courses, the Mid-Program English Interview, and Admission to the 3-Step Process [Link the text to the section.].  All courses are available online. In-person student teaching arrangements will need to be determined.
2. Program Option II:  For qualifying students, the Spanish Education PK-12 Teacher Certification is now an approved provider for the PA Intern program:   “Pennsylvania's teacher intern certification is a professional certificate that entitles the holder to fill a full-time professional teaching position.  The teacher intern certification program is an alternate route to certification through an approved Pennsylvania program provider” (PDE Intern website: )

https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/education/programs-and-services/educators/certification/new-educators.html#accordion-d8889bdee3-item-bb82e5717d ).  Note that our content-area testing is the ACTFL OPI at the Advanced-Low proficiency level, as described above. Students pursuing this option must locate employment directly with a school district.Students must complete all of the required courses except the student teaching sequence, as the intern experience replaces student teaching

Students who do not have Advanced-Low proficiency on the official OPI are permitted to enroll in methodology classes as Continuing Education students while they engage in additional experiences to improve their proficiency, such as study abroad or summer language programs.