You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page.
An Official
Pennsylvania
Government Website
Translate
PDE
Department of Education
Schools
Schools
Comprehensive Planning
Construction and Facilities
Directory and Maps
Equity and Inclusion
Food and Nutrition
Governance
Health
Safe Schools
School Services
Types of Schools
Educators
Educators
Certification
Clearances/ Background Checks
Continuing Education
Educator Effectiveness
Misconduct
Recruitment and Recognition
Instruction
Instruction
Adult Basic Education
Career & Technical Education
Early Education (OCDEL)
Elem & Secondary Education
GED/High School Equivalency
Postsecondary & Higher Ed
Special Education
Data and Reporting
Data and Reporting
Assessment and Accountability
MyPDESuite
Future Ready PA Index
PIMS
Test Scores
Policy and Funding
Policy and Funding
Basic Education Circulars
Budget/State Appropriations
Codes and Regulations
Federal Programs
Property Tax Relief
School Finances
School Grants
Search
Search
Menu
Department of Education
Menu
Schools
Schools
Comprehensive Planning
Construction and Facilities
Directory and Maps
Equity and Inclusion
Food and Nutrition
Governance
Health
Safe Schools
School Services
Types of Schools
Educators
Educators
Certification
Clearances/ Background Checks
Continuing Education
Educator Effectiveness
Misconduct
Recruitment and Recognition
Instruction
Instruction
Adult Basic Education
Career & Technical Education
Early Education (OCDEL)
Elem & Secondary Education
GED/High School Equivalency
Postsecondary & Higher Ed
Special Education
Data and Reporting
Data and Reporting
Assessment and Accountability
MyPDESuite
Future Ready PA Index
PIMS
Test Scores
Policy and Funding
Policy and Funding
Basic Education Circulars
Budget/State Appropriations
Codes and Regulations
Federal Programs
Property Tax Relief
School Finances
School Grants
COVID-19
About
Accessibility
Certification
MyPDESuite
Resources
Search
Pennsylvania Department of Education
>
Educators
>
Certification
>
Out-of-State Educators
>
Completed Approved Preparation Program Outside of Pennsylvania
Begin Main Content Area
Page Content
Completed Approved Preparation Program Outside of PA
Verify that your state is part of the National Association Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC)
Interstate Agreement
. If your state is not a party to the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, your certification program will be evaluated against
PA certification program guidelines
.
Identify the comparable Pennsylvania certificate for which you will be applying (see
Types of Certificates
). Special note: If applying for a certification in Special Education, you must already hold or qualify and apply for a Pennsylvania certificate in an appropriate content area. Refer to
CSPG 61
(Grade-Level Scope of Certificates section) for more information.
Obtain all official
transcripts
(both bachelors and beyond). If submitting transcripts electronically, do not submit your transcript request until you have submitted your application in TIMS. A bachelor’s degree from a nationally accredited college/university is a base requirement for certification. These will be used to verify:
Bachelor’s degree conferral
3.0 cumulative degree GPA
Program completion and/or required coursework for certification
Student teaching/internship/practicum or field experience
Obtain a photocopy of your current and valid state certificate comparable to the PA certificate you are seeking if available.
For School Speech and Language Pathologist certification, also submit a photocopy of your ASHA and/or PA Department of State license if applicable.
Obtain a completed
Education Preparation Program Verification Form, PDE338A
as proof of completion of an educator preparation program approved for certification in the state in which the program was completed.
Confirm that the required tests have been completed and reported to PDE
directly
from the test administrator (ETS, ACTFL or ES Pearson); basic skills assessments in reading, writing and mathematics (PAPA, CORE, SAT or ACT) ; Fundamental Subjects (for all subject areas PK-12); and the content area test(s). For test information, refer to the
Certification Test and Score Requirements spreadsheet
.
*
NOTE:
Act 136 of 2020 has been approved to provide temporary certification flexibilities until June 30, 2021.
Information has been placed on the PDE website for Further clarification.
If submitting SAT or ACT scores to meet the basic skills assessments, obtain your paper score report in a sealed envelope from the testing agency.
You must take the PA required tests and meet the PA qualifying score.
No other tests can be substituted.
The basic skills assessments are not required for post-baccalaureate program completers or for applicants who hold a conferred master’s degree. The basic skills tests will still be requested in your TIMS application as the determination to waive the basic skills requirement is not made by TIMS. It is determined by the certification specialist at the time the application is evaluated.
Complete and submit the application in
TIMS
.
All applicants for initial certification in PA must apply for a Level I credential type.
After completing the payment selection and successfully SUBMITTING your application in TIMS, you will be provided a link to the application cover sheet. First, upload all applicable documents possible. Follow
directions for submitting transcripts
. If documents cannot be uploaded or sent electronically, include the cover sheet with the documents and mail to the address indicated on the cover sheet.
All certification requirements including testing should be met for all subject areas applied for before submitting the required documentation for review.
Electronic payment (
see Application Fees
) accepted in TIMS.