Professional Development in Education: Getting Certified in Missouri

Teach for America – St. Louis, Alumni Leadership 2014

You started here.

TFA gets you here.

Temporary Provisional Certification

Initial Teacher Certification

Multiple Certifications

Student Support Certifications

Administrative Certifications

Levels of Certification

Principal, Special Education Director, Superintendent,Career Education Director

School Counselor, School Psychological Examiner, School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist

(Initial & Career Certification)

Expands your area of expertise and allows you to work across subject areas with multiple populations of varying age and ability

(Initial & Career Certification)

Routes to Additional Certifications

Certification

Praxis Tests(Easiest option:

Only for subject or content areas)

Degree Programs

Temporary Authorization

(Most complex option)

(Followed by a Praxis Test)

NOTE: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have specific requirements for certification. These criteria may or may not be different from university graduation requirements. Check with your college’s department chair to ensure you meet state certification requirements.

What you should know about Praxis II Tests Who has to take the test?

Anyone exiting TFA who plans to continue teaching in MissouriAnyone applying for an initial Missouri teaching license Anyone looking to get certified in an additional content areaMost candidates completing administrative degree/certification programs

What is on the test?The “Missouri Pre-Service Teacher Assessment” (MoPTA) has four sections:

(1) Knowledge of Students and the Learning Environment; (2) Assessment and Data Collection to Measure and Inform Student

Learning; (3) Designing Instruction for Student Learning; and,(4) Implementing and Analyzing Instruction to Promote Student Learning

The “Missouri School Leader Performance Assessment” (MoSLPA) has three sections:(1) Problem Solving in the Field;(2) Supporting Continuous Professional Development; and,(3) Creating a Collaborative Team

Where do I take the test? Educational Service Testing administers the assessments at their private

testing centers. To sign up for an exam go to the ETS website.

Available Praxis II Tests in MissouriAdmin. Principal K-8; 9-12Admin. Special Edu. Admin. K-12Admin. Vocational School Dir. K-12Admin. Superintendent K-12Agriculture 9-12Art K-9; K-12; 9-12Blind/Partially Sighted B-12Business Education 9-12Chinese (Mandarin) K-12Deaf/Hearing Impaired B-12Early Childhood B-3Early Childhood Special Edu. B-3Elementary 1-6Elementary Math Specialist 1-6English 9-12Family & Consumer Services B-12French K-9; K-12

German K-9; K-12

Health K-9; K-12; 9-12Library Media Special K-12Marketing Education 9-12Mathematics 9-12Middle School Language Arts 5-9Middle School Mathematics 5-9Middle School Social Science 5-9Mild/Mod. Cross Categorical Disabilities K-12Music Instrumental/Vocal K-12Physical Edu. K-9; K-12; 9-12School Counselor K-8; 7-12School Psychologist K-12Science-Biology 9-12Science-Chemistry 9-12Science-Earth Science 9-12

Science-Physics 9-12Science-General Science 9-12

Severely Developmentally Disabled B-12Spanish K-9; K-12Speech Language Pathology B-12Speech/Theatre 9-12Technology and EngineeringMiddle School Agriculture 5-9Middle School Business Education 5-9Middle School-Industrial Technology 5-9Middle School-Speech/Theatre 5-9Hebrew K-9; K-12Italian K-9; K-12Journalism 9-12Latin K-9; K-12Russian K-9; K-12

Fill out Add’tl

Certifications form on the

DESE website

Study with a friend!

Sign up for the correct

test

Take and pass the correct

test

Record your test

with DESE

For more info on the Praxis II Test, go to the DESE website.

Educational Degree and Certification Programs in the STL Region

Four subcategories of educators: teachers; administrators; student services; and, substitute teachers

TEACHERS: Teachers are certified in various areas of early childhood, elementary, middle, secondary, and special education. Certification is based upon completion of an approved teacher education program. Teacher certification is valid based on the level of certification you have earned; renewal requirements vary depending on level of certification. Contact DESE for additional information.

+ Career Education teachers are certified to work in Career-Technical Centers and programs such as nursing, automotive, occupational family and consumer science, and trade/industrial fields. Certification is based on occupational work experience. For more info on becoming a Career-Technical Certified Teacher go to the DESE website.

Individuals with valid Missouri teaching certificates who wish to substitute teach in a school district are no longer required by the department to apply for a substitute certificate. This includes individuals who hold an initial professional, career continuous professional, lifetime, student services, administration, provisional, and/or temporary certificate. There are restrictions on the number of hours a retired teacher may substitute teach. If, at any time, the educator allows his/her teaching certificate to expire, then a substitute certificate would be required.

ADMINISTRATORS: Principal, Special Education Director, Career Education Director, Superintendent in Missouri must be certified.

An Initial Administrator Certificate is the first certificate a new administrator receives. Completion of a master's degree or higher in educational administration from a college or university having an educational administration degree program approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is required. A superintendent certificate requires a minimum of an educational specialist degree. The applicant must have a recommendation for certification from the designated official for educational administration at the college or university where the program was completed. The applicant must also obtain Missouri's passing score on the appropriate assessments. NOTE: Missouri requires at least two years of teaching experience for the initial principal certificate, and two years of experience before granting the career admin certificate.

Complete one (1) online initial application and submit it to the Missouri institution where you completed your educational administrator program. The institution will complete their portion and then forward the application to DESE for processing. If you hold an expired teaching certificate and have not received a background clearance within the past 12 months, you will need to do so.

The application processing time is dependent on receipt of background clearance, institution recommendation, official transcripts, and current DESE workload. *Administrator certifications are valid for four years, and must be renewed thereafter.

STUDENT SERVICES: School Counselor, School Psychological Examiner, School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist

An Initial Student Services Certificate (ISS) is the first certificate a new student services provider receives. A minimum of a master's degree from a college or university having a student services program approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is required. The applicant must have a recommendation for certification from the designated official at the college or university where the program was completed. Applicants for School Counselor and School Psychologist must obtain Missouri's passing score on the appropriate assessment(s).

Also, complete one (1) online initial application and submit it to the Missouri institution where you completed your student services program. The institution will complete their portion and then forward the application to DESE for processing. If you have not received a background clearance within the past 12 months, you will need to do so. The application processing time is dependent on receipt of background clearance, institution recommendation, official transcripts, and current DESE workload. Certification is valid for four years.

If you hold a provisional license through the Missouri Board of Healing Arts, you will need to apply for the Temporary Authorization Certificate (TAC) during your clinical fellowship year. If you hold a full professional license through the Missouri Board of Healing Arts, you will need to complete one (1) online Speech Language Pathologist application and submit it to the Department. Maintaining licensure through the Missouri Board of Healing Arts is required in order to maintain certification from DESE.

Library Media Specialist

Special Education Director

Educational Specialist Principal/AP Superintendent

Gifted Psychological Examiner

School Psychologist Counselor Special

Education

• Fontbonne• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Webster•Washington

University

• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL

• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist

• UMSL•Webster

• Lindenwood•Maryville•Missouri Baptist•Webster

• Lindenwood•Maryville•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Webster

• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University•Webster• UMSL

• Lindenwood•Maryville•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Webster

• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU

•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis Univsity• UMSL•Webster

The following slides list available certification areas along with universities in the St. Louis region offering corresponding educational degree programs. For additional information on the requirements for specific certifications, please visit the DESE website.

Early Childhood Education

Elementary Education

Agricultural Education Art Business

Education

Dance English ESOL Family/Consumer Sciences

Physical Education

• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist• UMSL

• Fontbonne•MIZZOU

• Fontbonne• Harris-Stowe• Lindenwood•Maryville•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Webster•Washington

University

•MIZZOU•Webster

• Lindenwood

• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist

• Lindenwood• Harris-Stowe• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Webster

• Fontbonne• Lindenwood•Maryville•MIZZOU• UMSL•Webster

• Fontbonne• Harris-Stowe• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Webster

•MIZZOU

Foreign Language-French

Foreign Language-German

Foreign Language- Japanese

Foreign Language- Latin

Foreign Language- Russian

Foreign Language- Spanish Health Industrial

Technology Journalism Speech/Theatre

•MIZZOU•Webster

• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist• UMSL

• Lindenwood• Lindenwood•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Webster•Washington

University

•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Webster•Washington

University

•MIZZOU•Washington

University

• Lindenwood•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Webster•Washington

University

•Washington University

•Washington University

• Fontbonne• Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist• UMSL

Marketing Mathematics Music Science- Biology

Science- Chemistry

Science- Earth Science Science- Physics Science-

General Science Social Science Science: Middle School

• Fontbonne• Lindenwood•Maryville•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Washington

University•Webster

• Fontbonne• Lindenwood•Maryville•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Washington

University•Webster

•Maryville•MIZZOU• UMSL•Washington

University

•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU•Washington

University

• Fontbonne• Lindenwood•Maryville•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• St. Louis University• UMSL•Washington

University•Webster

•MIZZOU•Washington

University

• Lindenwood • Lindenwood•Missouri Baptist•MIZZOU• UMSL•Washington

University•Webster

•Washington University

ReferencesCertification. Retrieved July 29, 2014, from http://dese.mo.gov/educator-quality/certification

For more information on certification in Missouri please contact the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Educator CertificationP.O. Box 480Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480Phone573-751-0051certification@dese.mo.gov