Welcome to the Office of Post Baccalaureate Initial Certification
Post Baccalaureate Coordinator
E-mail: edcertPBIC@sfasu.edu
Phone: 936-468-2901 or 936-468-1740
Alternative Certification Information
Admission Requirements:
- 2.5 overall undergraduate GPA - or - 2.8 in your last 60 hours undergraduate GPA;
- Passing PACT score in the content area you wish to teach; and
- Application to Grad School.
(Special Education MAY require the GRE. See Dr. Paige Mask in Special Education for more details.)
There are three components to getting certified to teach:
- Two tests - Preadmission Content Test (PACT) taken before you enter the program and Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities TExES taken prior to program completion.
- Coursework (15 hours in secondary education/30-33 hours in elementary education); and,
- Field Experience - either one semester of student teaching -or- a one year internship as the teacher of record in a classroom on a probationary teaching certificate.
After you are admitted with the PACT complete you will receive a letter from Dr. Mize stating you are highly qualified under the terms of No Child Left Behind. With this letter you may apply for jobs.
State requirements prior to teaching include 30 observation hours and 80 hours of course work. This means you will take two online classes prior to being in a classroom. In addition if you are completing the internship you will take an online internship class, and will be supervised and mentored until you have been recommended for your standard certificate - minimum 180 days. If you have not been accepted into our program or hired for a teaching position until after June 15 of a calendar year, you will qualify as a "late hire". In this case you may complete your 30 observation hours within 90 school days of the teaching assignment. (For more information see Texas Administrative Code 228.35)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is all coursework online?
- Yes all coursework is online; however, you will have 30 observation hours mandated by the Texas Administrative Code that you will do in a classroom near you. Additionally, you may come to SFA for two reasons. If you do student teaching you will come to SFA for Student Teaching Orientation. You may also have to come to campus to take your PPR mastery examination prior to your TExES 160 PPR.
Is there financial aid for this program?
- Yes - check with your financial aid advisor about the following
- TEACH Grant: http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/teach
- For all loan forgiveness possibilities please visit: www.tea.state.tx.us/loan.aspx - Note the funding for loan forgiveness has become very tight as of March 2013.
- To stay up to date with loan forgiveness updates sign up for this email list: http://miller.tea.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED2=name&A=1&L=loanforgive&b.x+50&b.y=23
How do I start?
- Sign up and take the PACT. If you are EC-6 you will take the TExES 191. If you are 4-8 you will take the TExES 111. For all-level and secondary education students you will take the TExES content test that you wish to teach. FYI - For special education students to be "highly qualified" you will also need an additional content test in a teaching area. Here is the link to the PACT - www.texes.ets.org. (Register at top of page, click on new user at bottom of page, to right of TEA ID click on "no TEA ID", then on bottom of page click on "pre-admission content tests (PACT).
- Apply to the Graduate School (http://www.sfasu.edu/graduate/101.asp)
- Make sure the Graduate School has all of your undergraduate transcripts if you did not graduate from SFA!
Do I need the meningitis vaccine?
- If you are under 30, you are required by law to have this shot. If you are in a hurry to be admitted, please get the shot and provide proof to the Graduate School as soon as possible.
Links:
- Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT)
- Apply to the Graduate School - make sure you apply for a Master of Elementary Education or a Master of Secondary Education. In both cases you will answer "yes" to the question near the end of the application that asks do you plan to obtain a Standard Texas Teaching Certificate.
- Testing Preparation
- T-CERT- State approved test preparation website for students taking EC-12 PPR or pursuing science and math certification
- Tuition Calculator (make sure you choose graduate school) - In addition to tuition there will be supervision and mentoring fees of $1500 that we pay directly to your supervisor and mentor from fees you pay SFASU.
To complete the Master's Degree requirements after certification, please contact one of the the following advisors:
-
Advisor for Masters of Education in Elementary Education:
Dr. Kimberly Welsh
E-mail: welshka@sfasu.edu
Phone: 936-468-2904 -
Advisor for Masters of Art in Teaching in Secondary Education:
Dr. Heather Olson Beal
E-mail: olsonbehk@sfasu.edu
Phone:936-468-2908 -
Advisor for Masters of Education in Special Education:
Dr. Paige Mask
E-mail: maskp@sfasu.edu
Phone: 936-468-1076