Teacher Preparation and Certification Programs

Live Chat with an Advisor!

Contact Us

College of Graduate Studies
forgrad@plymouth.edu
Tel: (800) FOR-GRAD or
(603) 535-2636
Fax: (603) 535-2572
Plymouth State University
MSC 11
17 High Street
Plymouth, NH 03264-1595

Teacher Preparation and Certification Programs

Course Descriptions Faculty

Teacher Preparation and Certification Programs

Teacher Certification Handbook
Road to Teacher Certification
Teacher Certification
Teacher Certification Policies
Teacher and Specialist Certification Options
Forms for Clinical Faculty, Mentor Teachers, and Interns

Plymouth State University has a long tradition of teacher preparation. Its teacher education programs are renowned in the state of New Hampshire and throughout New England, and Plymouth graduates are highly recruited for teaching positions. Beginning as early as the first year of the program, teacher education students at PSU have many opportunities to teach and learn in public elementary, middle and high school classrooms. This experience culminates in an intensive internship with a mentor teacher during a full term under the supervision of a clinical faculty member. This placement must be approved by the Certification Coordinator.

Graduates of any of the teacher education programs at PSU will be eligible for recommendation to become a New Hampshire Department of Education certified teacher. Since New Hampshire is a member of the Interstate Certification Compact, PSU graduates are also eligible for initial certification in most states by applying to an individual state's department of education. Plymouth State University's graduate professional preparation programs are approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The University is also a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).

Teacher Certification Handbook

View the Teacher Certification Handbook (PDF 347 kb)

You must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF documents. Go to the Adobe Web site to download Acrobat Reader.

Road to Teacher Certification

Gate 1: Teacher Certification Candidacy

Timeline: First year

Gate Requirements:

Admission to Program
Official Program of Study in Student File
Required GPA of 3.0
If conversion student, Passing Praxis I Score

Gate 2: Application to Internship/Practicum

Timeline: Semester prior to internship

Gate Requirements:

Meet with Program Coordinator to initiate Intent to Complete Internship/Practicum Form (Signed by Program Coordinator and Certification Coordinator)
Resume
Professional Statement
Placement Confirmation Form Submitted to Certification Coordinator

Gate 3: Culminating Experience and Program Completion

Timeline: Upon completion of all coursework

Gate Requirements:

Midterm Evaluation - Mentor Teacher
Final Evaluation - Mentor Teacher
Midterm Evaluation - Clinical Faculty
Final Evaluation - Clinical Faculty
Completion and Presentation of E-Portfolio
Petition for Certification Completed
Approval for Certification

Gate: The term gate is commonly used by NCATE accredited colleges and universities to describe their decision points in their candidate and unit assessment systems. A gate is a level of attainment that clearly communicates how far the candidate has progressed on the road to certification.

Teacher Certification

Certification Coordinator: Irene Cucina, (603) 535-2217 , e-mail: icucina@plymouth.edu

Plymouth offers educator certification in the areas of K–8 through the Self Designed concentration and secondary certification 5–12, 7–12 and K–12 through the Educator Certification concentration. A prescribed curriculum is followed and courses may require day, evening and summer study. Students typically complete certification requirements over a two or three year period, depending on their undergraduate degree background. Students exploring teacher certification take ED 5270 Foundations of Teaching as the first course in the program. This course serves as the screening course for admission. A number of courses require students to document observation and participation in the public schools. Throughout the professional courses, students are typically required to work in various school settings to apply theory to practice. Plymouth State University's graduate professional preparation programs are approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The University is also a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).

Students desiring teaching certification are assigned advisors from the College of Graduate Studies as well as from their content area, if applicable. Students should meet with their advisors on a regular basis to review progress toward their degree requirements. Candidates will be assigned an advisor who will assist them in understanding their program of study. A contract of courses, which may consist of undergraduate as well as graduate courses, will be outlined with the student. Students with degrees in areas other than education will be required to take additional courses to meet certification competencies. Candidates must meet general education as well as professional education competencies as described by the State of New Hampshire.

Teacher Certification Policies

For candidates who do not possess a master's degree, acceptance into the Educator Certification program requires the submission of passing scores on the PRAXIS I basic skills test in reading, writing and mathematics. The State Board of Education determines passing scores. Additional testing for content area teachers, PRAXIS II, is required for New Hampshire certification unless the candidate has a master's or higher degree in the subject to be taught.

To enter into the Educator Certification program, students must file an application for admission, which includes a statement of professional goals, submit a program contract for completion of certification requirements, have a cumulative 3.0 GPA and submit faculty references. In addition, students must file an Intent to Complete Internship/Practicum form with Graduate Studies one term prior to the anticipated term of the internship. The criteria for admission and monitoring throughout the student's Educator Certification program will focus on "academic achievement and dispositions." Continual assessment of a student's specific strengths and weaknesses in these areas will be used to determine "continuation in, or removal from, the teacher certification program and the readiness to enter the profession" (see the New Hampshire Department of Education regulations, Ed 604 Admission, Retention and Evaluation Policies and Practices in Standards and Procedures for Approving Professional Preparation Programs in New Hampshire).

Students who are candidates for teacher certification are subject to New Hampshire law, which requires all persons who come into contact with pupils on a daily basis for a period of time to undergo a full disclosure criminal records check, including fingerprinting. The fee for this processing is the responsibility of the student and is paid directly to the school district. It is the responsibility of the school district to inform students of the policies at their schools.

Education Conversion program candidates must hold a bachelor's degree in order to qualify for full admission. A minimum of six credits in the content area must be taken with Plymouth faculty to ensure that the University is satisfied with the content area achievement. Students must complete their internship in residence for review by Plymouth faculty.

The internship is typically 12 weeks for a single endorsement. Under special circumstances, students may petition to "test out" of the internship by meeting with the Associate Vice President for the College of Graduate Studies and the Director of Graduate Programs. A graduate practicum is arranged and details of this contract can be obtained from the College of Graduate Studies.

Upon completion of the program, students must file a petition for certification to start the completion process. A transcript audit is then completed and a letter with certification documents forwarded to the student.

Teacher and Specialist Certification Options

Teacher Certification Options (post-bachelor's)

Specialist Certification Options (post-master's)

Note: Secondary teacher certification will require undergraduate or graduate coursework within the content area and methods. K–8 teacher certification will require undergraduate or graduate coursework in various curricula and methods.