In addition to public school certification, there is also private academic school certification. Either certification is appropriate for nonpublic and private academic schools in the appropriate areas.
Teachers who teach in a private academic school licensed by the Department of Education are required to be Pennsylvania certified.
Teachers who teach in a nonpublic school (religious school) registered by the Department of Education are not required to be Pennsylvania certified; however, the school can choose to request certification of their teachers.
Further information can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions section of the website.
The requirements for the full private academic school certification:
- Health Certificate
- Verification of experience on form PDE 338 V (PDF) from all employers listed in the application other than Pennsylvania public schools. Pennsylvania public schools will provide verification electronically through TIMS, PA's online certification application system.
- College education:
- All areas of certification (except Assistant nursery/kindergarten) require a bachelor's degree and:
- Nursery/kindergarten: 24 credits in early childhood, child development, or elementary education
- Elementary education (grades K-8): 18 credits in elementary education content area
- K-12 subject areas (see chart below): 6 credits in education theory and 18 in the subject area of application
- Secondary education (grades 9-12): 6 credits in education theory and 18 in the subject area of application
- Special education areas (grades K-12): 6 credits in education theory and 18 in special education
- Assistant nursery/kindergarten: minimum of 2 years college education (60 credits) with 24 credits in early childhood, child development or elementary education
- Maximum of 3 college credits based on CLEP tests can be accepted toward content area credits
- All areas of certification (except Assistant nursery/kindergarten) require a bachelor's degree and:
| Area of Certification | Sample Competency Areas (18 content credits) | Recommended Number of Competencies |
|---|---|---|
| Art K-12 |
| 4 studio art areas and 1 other competency area |
| Biology 9-12 |
| 3 |
| Chemistry 9-12 |
| 3 |
| Communication 9-12 |
| 3 |
| Computer Education K-12 |
| 3 |
| Earth & Space Science 9-12 |
| 3 |
| Elementary K-8 |
| 1 reading/literature methods
|
| English 9-12 |
| 3 |
| Family & Consumer Sciences K-12 |
| 3 |
| Foreign (World) Languages K-12 |
| 3 in the specific language (Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Russian or Spanish) |
| General Business 9-12 |
| 3 with: computer/information technology (2 courses); accounting (2 courses); and 1 other competency area |
| General Science 9-12 |
| All 4 |
| Health K-12 |
| 3 |
| History 9-12 |
| 3 |
| Industrial Arts/Technology Education K-12 |
| 3 |
| Mathematics 9-12 |
| 3 |
| Music K-12 |
| 3 |
| Nursery/Kindergarten |
| 3 early childhood curriculum/methods courses and 2 other competency areas |
| Physical Education K-12 |
| 4 physical education topics and 1 other competency area |
| Physics 7-12 |
| 3 |
| Reading Teacher K-12 |
| 2 |
| Social Studies 9-12 |
| 4 |
| Special Education (Speech Correction) K-12 |
| 4 |
| Special Education (Visually Impaired) K-12 |
| 4 |
| Special Education (Hearing Impaired) K-12 |
| 4 |
| Special Education (Learning Disabled, Mentally Retarded, Physically Handicapped, Socially/Emotionally Disturbed) K-12 |
| 4 |
A temporary private academic certification can be requested by a licensed private academic school in the event an applicant does not meet the requirements, but has the minimum of 6 of the content area credits. See questions 6 through 9 of Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Applications for Private Academic School teaching certificates must be submitted through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS)
- Only one certification area may be selected per application.
- After completing the payment selection and successfully SUBMITTING your application in TIMS, you will be provided a link to the application cover sheet. Include the cover sheet with all required documents and mail to the address indicated on the cover sheet.
- Electronic payment (see Certification Fees) accepted in TIMS.
- Foreign educated applicants must submit: an original or notarized photocopy of a foreign evaluation report evaluated by a professional credential evaluation agency accredited by the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) or National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). This evaluation must show the U.S. equivalent of all foreign degrees plus a course-by-course evaluation showing semester-hour college credits.
- You must be a U.S. citizen or legally authorized to work in the U.S. A permanent resident immigrant visa holder is legally authorized to work in the U.S.
The regulations for the certification areas available can be found in the documents listed below.
Section 55.11 Teachers.
In addition to the general requirements of Sections 51.31 and 51.34 (relating to general requirements; and certification for teachers), elementary school teachers shall meet one of the following requirements:
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university with a Pennsylvania teaching certificate in elementary education to teach grades K through 6, or a Pennsylvania early childhood certificate to teach grades N through 3.
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university and shall apply for a private academic teaching certificate by submitting documentary evidence of the successful completion of a minimum of 18 semester hours in the theory of elementary education.
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university and submit documentary evidence of a minimum of 2 years of successful teaching experience in a public, nonpublic nonlicensed or accredited elementary school.
A certificate for General Business Education may be issued under Section 57.11, Regulations of the State Board of Private Academic Schools, provided the applicant:
- Has a bachelor's degree from an approved college or university.
- Has completed 18 semester hours of collegiate credit in business education distributed as follows: 6 s.h. in accounting, 3 s.h. in data processing, 3 s.h. in typing, and 6 s.h. in business education electives; and
- Has completed 6 semester hours of collegiate credit in the theory of secondary education. (Note: the requirement for 6 s.h. in secondary education may be waived based on documentation of one year of successful teaching at the secondary level.)
Section 53.21. Teachers.
In addition to the general requirements of Sections 55.31 and 55.34 (relating to general expectations; and certification for teachers), to be certificated by the board as a nursery school or kindergarten teacher, a prospective teacher shall comply with one of the following requirements:
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university with a Pennsylvania teaching certificate in early childhood education.
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university and submit documentary evidence of the successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours in the theory of child development, early childhood or elementary education.
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university and submit documentary evidence of at least 2 years successful experience as a teacher in a public, nonpublic nonlicensed or accredited nursery or kindergarten school.
Section 53.22. Assistant Teachers.
To be a certificated as an assistant teacher, a prospective teacher shall comply with one of the following requirements:
- Be a graduate of an approved 2-year college or university having specialized in child development, early childhood or elementary education.
- Be a graduate of an approved 2-year college or university and submit documentary evidence of successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours in the theory of child development, early childhood or elementary education.
- Have completed a minimum of 2 years of college or university credit, totaling 60 credits, in an approved institution and submit documentary evidence of successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours in the theory of child development, early childhood and elementary education.
- Assistant teachers may become certificated as teachers upon submitting documentary evidence of the completion of 2 years of teaching on the assistant teacher certificate in a nonpublic nonlicensed, a licensed or accredited nursery school or kindergarten, and a minimum of an additional 24 semester hours in the theory of child development, early childhood and elementary education at an approved college or university.
Section 63.11. Educational testing specialists.
An educational testing specialist administers specialized reading and psycho-educational tests and prescribes programs of remediation for school age students.
An educational testing specialist in a psycho-educational testing center shall meet one of the following requirements:
- Be a graduate of an approved college or university and hold a Pennsylvania professional school psychologist certificate.
- Meet the standards established by the Board for a school psychologist which include the following:
- A master's degree in psychology with 40 credits of graduate course work in psychology.
- A core concentration of psychology work appropriate to professional work with school age children.
- Licensure from the Pennsylvania Board of Psychologist Examiners as a Psychologist.
- An educational testing specialist in a reading center shall be one of the following:
- A graduate of an approved college or university and hold a Pennsylvania professional reading specialist certificate.
- A graduate of an approved college or university and shall submit documentary evidence of the successful completion of a minimum of 30 semester hours in reading, tests and measurements and related areas.
Section 57.11. Teachers.
In addition to the general requirements of §§51.31 and 51.34 (relating to general expectations; and certification for teachers) teachers shall meet one of the following requirements:
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university with a Pennsylvania teaching certificate in the subject in which the instruction is or will be rendered.
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university and submit documentary evidence of the successful completion of a minimum of 18 semester hours in the subject matter field in which instructional service is or will be rendered, and documentary evidence of the successful completion of a minimum of 6 semester hours in the theory of secondary education.
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university and submit documentary evidence of the successful completion of a minimum of 18 semester hours in the subject matter field in which instructional service is or will be rendered, and documentary evidence of a minimum of 1 year of successful teaching experience in a public, nonpublic nonlicensed or accredited secondary school.
Section 59.11. Teachers.
In addition to the general requirements of Sections 51.31 and 51.34 (relating to general expectations; and certification for teachers), special education teachers shall meet one of the following requirements:
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university with a Pennsylvania teaching certificate in the exceptionalities in which the instruction is or will be rendered.
- Be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university and submit documentary evidence of successful completion of 24 semester hours in the theory of special education. Theory courses shall be selected those listed in the certification requirements for special education teachers with the following distribution:
- Six semester hours of basic courses.
- Six semester hours of courses directly applicable to the exceptionality in which the instruction is or will be rendered.
- Twelve semester hours of elective courses.
- Six semester hours of basic courses.
Special education certificates will be issued in the following exceptionalities:
- Mentally Retarded.
- Physically Handicapped.
- Socially and Emotionally Disturbed.
- Speech Correction.
- Visually Impaired.
- Hearing Impaired.
- Learning Disabled.
Teachers holding the Pennsylvania professional comprehensive mentally and/or physically handicapped certificate may teach classes for the mentally retarded, socially and emotionally disturbed, physically handicapped, learning disabled and brain damaged.
When instruction provided at the secondary level in the specific subjects of English, mathematics, science and social studies is departmentalized, the teacher may hold valid certification in the subject area taught.
Special education self-contained classes at the pre-school, elementary and secondary level shall be taught by certified special education teachers in the exceptionality.