Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate Programs
Below you’ll find a comprehensive listing of the Graduate Teaching Certificate programs available from schools in Pennsylvania. If you’re looking for initial teacher certification programs, check out either our list of Bachelors in Education Programs or Pennsylvania Alternative Certification Programs. Most of the programs down below are for people who are already teachers.
Pennsylvania teachers who earn an add-on certificate in an area like special education or teaching English as a second language are likely to perform well on the state’s new teacher evaluations. During the 2010-2011 school year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education was given a Gates Momentum Grant to help them create a new teacher evaluation program, which considers student achievement. This kind of evaluation can place added pressure on teachers, of special education and limited English students. In fact, a 2009 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article notes that 391 of the 501 schools in the state underfunded special education that year and that some districts delay diagnosing special education students to save on costs. An add-on certificate can help you meet the challenge of providing instruction to students in these high-need areas.
Schools Offering Teaching Certificates
At Bloomington University of Pennsylvania, already-licensed teachers can earn a Supervisory Certificate in Special Education. This certificate program not only offers classes in special education issues, which would be beneficial to any teacher, but it also allows teachers to earn an add-on license that prepares them to work as special education directors. At the California University of Pennsylvania, teachers can earn an Advanced Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders, which will allow them to work in Pennsylvania’s specialized autism classrooms or serve the nearly 19,000 students with autism that Penn Live reported were eligible for special education in 2010. Finally, Clarion University’s Intervention Specialist program allows teachers to earn reading specialist certifications and mathematics endorsements as they simultaneously earn bachelor and master’s degrees in special education. Specifically tailored for Pennsylvania’s schools, this program is designed to help teachers serve students in need of special education services.
