Teacher and Administrator Certification
Michigan professional certificate requirements
Requirements
Requirements to go from Provisional to Professional prior to Sept 1, 2013:
- 3 years of teaching experience, after the issuance of your Provisional Certificate, in the grade-level/subject area of your Provisional
- Completion of 18 credit hours in an approved planned program, that are obtained after the issuance of your Provisional Certificate; or a Masters Degree at any time
- Completion of an approved reading diagnostic course, which is Literacy Studies (LS) 5160 Professional Symposium in Reading here at WMU
Beginning September 1, 2013 a Professional Certificate requires:
- 3 years of teaching experience, after the issuance of your Provisional Certificate, in the grade-level/subject area of your Provisional
At least 1 of the following:
- 6 credit hours at an approved teacher preparation institution or approved college or university.
- 180 clock hours of state continuing education in approved professional development appropriate to the grade level and content endorsement (s) of the certificate.
- Annual district provided professional development completed through professional development programs that are appropriate to the grade level and content endorsement (s) of the certificate.
- Note: A combination of semester credit hours may be used
(30 clock hours of annual district professional development = 1 semester credit hour = 30 clock hours of state continuing education)
And it requires:
* Satisfactory completion of 3 semester credit hours in an approved course of study in the diagnosis and remediation of reading disabilities and differentiated instruction, which includes a field experience.
Here at WMU the course Literacy Studies (LS) 5160 Professional Symposium in Reading will satisfy this requirement.
Planned Program Routes:
An individual with a Provisional Certificate must complete eighteen semester hours after the issuance of their Provisional certificate in an approved planned program. However, if the person has an "approved" master's or higher degree, regardless of when earned, is not required to complete the eighteen semester hour program.
Planned program routes:
- Master's degree programs: A candidate admitted to and pursuing an appropriate master's degree program may use credits within a master’s degree towards certification. "Appropriate" master's degree programs are those in the field of education or in the subject areas taught in the elementary or secondary school. An "approved" master's degree or higher is an earned degree conferred by an approved teacher education institution accredited by a recognized regional or national accrediting agency. The candidate will plan the master's degree program with his/her assigned faculty advisor, not the Certification Office.
- Subject endorsements: Elementary or Secondary: A candidate may earn an additional endorsement in a new major or minor appropriate to the grade level of their original certificate. The candidate must make arrangements through the Certification Office, prior to pursing the endorsement, as signed major or minor slip must be request on the student’s behalf. State of Michigan subject area testing will apply to the addition of endorsement(s).
- Grade-Level
endorsements: A candidate may complete credit hours towards a grade-level endorsement, such as Early Childhood, Elementary, or Secondary. State of Michigan subject area testing will apply to the addition of endorsement(s).
- Professional
development option:A candidate may pursue an individual planned program in consultation with the Certification Officer. The candidate initiates the selection of course work and submits requests to the Certification Officer for approval in advance of registration. Courses selected should add to the candidate's knowledge of subject matter fields, teaching competency and total professional growth.
Restrictions:
- A satisfactory grade of "C" or higher must be earned in the credits counted
- All coursework must be completed at a four-year teacher preparation institution. It may not be completed by correspondence; at two-year institutions; or non-accredited institutions
- All coursework must be completed after the issuance of the Provisional Certificate
- ONLY six credits of transfer credit may be used in the 18-Hr Professional Development Option. This requires an official transcript provided to the Certification Office, in which they will review
Teaching Experience Requirement:
The candidate must have taught successfully for the equivalent of three years, following the issuance of their Provisional Certificate and within the validity of their grade-level and subject area. The success of the teaching experience is determined by the State Board of Education upon recommendation of the University and of the local school district(s) in which the candidate taught.
Experience can be accumulated through part-time, including substitute teaching, under the following prorating formula: one half or more of a teaching day (2 and l/2 or more clock hours) is the equivalent to one day, and 150 accumulated days is the equivalent of one year. However, but not more than 1 year of employment can be earned during a calendar year and only one day of employment can be earned during a calendar day. There is no requirement that such experience be under contract, in consecutive years, or be completed in Michigan.
The teaching experience does not have to be completed before expiration of the Provisional certificate as it remains cumulative toward the Professional Certificate. It is not lost when the initial Provisional Certificate expires but rather like credit, it remains “in the bank” until you have the requirements necessary to go from Provisional to Professional.
Types of teaching experience that may be accepted:
- All public, private, or parochial school teaching at grade levels and in subjects endorsed on certificate
- Guidance and Counseling, but only if certified
- Most administrative positions in schools such as Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Principal, Curriculum Directors or Coordinators
- Community School Director if MA or appropriate coursework in this area
- Community Ed. or Adult Ed. teaching if teaching high school completion courses and in some cases General or Basic Education courses. Most of these cases are determined on their individual merits
- Peace Corps, but only if it is a teaching position for areas in which one is certified to teach
- Nursery and Pre-School teaching only if the school is licensed by the State Department of Social Services or part of a public institution’s program
- Federal title programs but only if the position is definitely a teaching position.
Types of teaching experience that are not acceptable:
- Any experience not listed above
- Community college, junior college or college teaching
- Private tutoring
- Any position designated as a TEACHER AIDE by the school system regardless of the duties performed
- School Social Worker unless the employer requires a teaching certificate for the position
- Paraprofessional Experience.
If any experience is in question our office will request an official job description from the Human Resources department of the employing school district or agency.
Reading Laws:
There are two reading laws that must be fulfilled – the reading methods and the reading diagnostic. The1983 reading methods law requires Elementary teachers to complete six credit hours of reading methods course work; Secondary teachers must complete three credit hours, appropriate to their certification grade levels. This is included in a teacher's undergraduate education program if they completed their teacher education program within Michigan after 1983. Teachers who completed their initial teacher education programs in Michigan before 1983 or those who completed their teacher education programs at an out-of-state institution need to provide verification that they have completed the 1983 reading methods requirement. This can be done by providing the Certification Office with official transcripts from the teacher’s educator program.
Please be aware that the new reading diagnostic law is in addition to the 1983 reading methods requirement.
Effective Jun. 29, 2009, any teacher who does not yet have a Professional certificate is required to complete a three credit hour course of study, with appropriate field experiences, in diagnosis, remediation of reading disabilities and differentiated instruction in order to qualify for a Professional certificate. The reading diagnostic course, LS 5160 Professional Symposium in Reading at WMU will cover this requirement. Teachers who already have a Professional Certificate or Continuing Certificate are exempt from this requirement.
A list of acceptable reading courses may be obtained from the Certification Office.
