ESU Provides Alternate Route to Teacher Certification

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has granted approval to East Stroudsburg University’s College of Education to offer course alternatives to showcase the mandated Basic Skills requirement for all students pursuing a degree in teaching.

Since 2014, PDE has required teacher candidates to demonstrate basic skills knowledge in three areas – math, reading, and writing – or provide evidence through an advanced SAT or ACT score, as part of the state’s teacher certification process. “These are three standardized tests that students must pay to take in addition to their grade level and content certification tests,” explained Brooke Langan, Ed.D., acting dean of the College of Education. “As the career market for teachers increases, it is important for our university to understand the needs of our students and that putting out more money to demonstrate a skill that naturally happens during college courses can create an obstacle that deters students from pursuing teaching as a career. We are now approved by our accrediting body (PDE) to allow students to take particular classes in each of these areas in lieu of taking the test.” In order to use any one of these courses as an alternative measure to the Basic Skills test(s), students will need to take the course at ESU and earn a grade of B or better in each.

“Allowing students to take these courses during their time at ESU gives us the opportunity to better support our teacher candidates academically,” Dr. Langan said. “It also relieves a huge financial burden for these future teachers as they prepare for life after college.”

ESU is the only school in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education approved by PDE to allow course grades to exempt students from the Basic Skills testing in all three areas.

To learn more about the College of Education at ESU, contact Dr. Langan by calling 570-422-3377 or email blangan1@esu.edu, or visit esu.edu/college_education.

Search

Recent Posts