Franklin & Marshall College

Franklin & Marshall students are able to obtain Pennsylvania Instructional I Teacher Certification in areas of secondary education (grades 7-12) through a cooperative program with Millersville University's Department of Educational Foundations.  This certification grants permission to teach in public schools in the state of Pennsylvania.

Students may be certified in:

• Foreign Language (French, German, or Spanish)
• Mathematics
• English
• Citizenship (Social Studies)
• Sciences (Chemistry, Physics, Biological Sciences, or Earth Sciences)

NOTE: Because of changes in Pennsylvania Certification Requirements anticipated in January 2011, this program will be altered for students beginning in fall 2009.  Be sure to contact the Franklin & Marshall and Millersville advisers to be sure that you have current information with respect to requirements.  Read more about teaching in Pennsylvania at http://www.teaching.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pennsylvania_department_of_education/7237

Accomplishment of this program demands a high level of organization and planning.  It is important that you are aware of and complete all requirements in a timely manner.

Steps to Completing the Program

1. Meet with the Franklin & Marshall liaison for teacher education: , Associate Dean and Ware College House Prefect

2. Complete the following paperwork:

• • Franklin & Marshall Release of Official Transcript form
  • Franklin & Marshall Declaration of Intent to pursue teacher certification
  • Agreement for Exchange of Students form (return in person to Millersville Registrar's Office when initially registering for courses)
  • Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance
  • Request for Criminal Record Check
  • FBI Fingerprint Card (non-PA residents only)

Information on background checks can be found at http://www.millersville.edu/academics/educ/cert/backgroundchecks.php

3. Register for Foundation Block courses at Millersville University:

EDFN 211 Foundations of Modern Education

EDFN 241 Psychological Foundations of Teaching

Go to MU Department of Educational Foundations for full course schedules and registration numbers.

4. Complete the following in preparation for the Advanced Professional Studies portion of the certification:

• • Millersville University Admission to Advanced Professional Studies Information Sheet
  • Two college-level English courses (one must be in literature) and one college-level mathematics course
  • Praxis Tests
    •  See http://www.ets.org/praxis/ for test registration information and PA requirements
    • The Praxis Test has two parts: Basic Skills and Subject Area.  Students must take the Basic Skills test before registering for Professional Block courses.  The Subject Area test must be taken separately, and before student teaching.
    • Official Scores must be reported to Millersville University

5. Register for Professional Block courses at Millersville University:

EDSE 321 Issues in Teaching Secondary Education

EDFN 330 Instructional Technology, Design & Assessment

Methods Courses (specific to area of certification)

There are additional courses being added to the spate of courses already required. You need to be sure you are discussing with Dr. John Ward, of MU, to get the exact requirements for your grad year. Go to MU Department of Educational Foundations for full course schedules and registration numbers.

It is important to schedule these classes the semester before student teaching, and to take all three classes during the same semester.

6. Apply for student teaching (EDSE 461) at least one year in advance.  

Student teaching is the equivalent of three Franklin & Marshall course credits, and you will commit to a full-time teaching schedule (during the day) during the semester.  See http://www.millersville.edu/~stutch/ for more information.

Policies

Students pursuing teacher certification through Millersville University must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA at Franklin & Marshall.

Completion of this program may be counted as general elective course credit.  It does not constitute a major or minor at Franklin & Marshall College.

Students who complete the entire certification program earn a total of eight Franklin & Marshall course credits for the three components of the program. Note: This is subject to change or increase with the Department of Education's changes anticipated in January. 

Grades earned at Millersville University will be calculated into the Franklin & Marshall cumulative grade point average.

To accomplish the teacher certification in its entirety, Franklin & Marshall students are required to complete all Franklin & Marshall requirements for graduation.

Courses may be taken during the academic year or during summer sessions, if available.

Millersville University offers students an opportunity to do their student teaching through the University of Northern Iowa in an international setting.  To be considered for this placement, students must have international student teaching approval from Millersville.  Forms may be obtained at the Student Teaching Office.

Contact

Franklin & Marshall College liaison: , Associate Dean and Ware College House Prefect (717.358.6021)

Millersville University adviser: , Director, Millersville University Education (717.872.3835)