Field Experience and Student Teaching

All education majors who wish to pursue teaching certification must obtain Teacher Candidacy before they are eligible to enroll in professional preparation coursework.

When applying for Teacher Candidacy, please consider:

• Teacher Candidacy applications must be submitted as a packet, which includes photocopies of all requirements listed on the application.
• It is strongly suggested that education majors apply for Teacher Candidacy by the end of their first semester sophomore year or as soon as requirements are met.
• Professional Preparation courses require many field experience hours; therefore, the earlier students can enroll in these courses, the better their scheduling and workload will be distributed.

York College of Pennsylvania is a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) approved program. YCP students who successfully complete all courses in their education program (including student teaching) may apply for teaching certification in Pennsylvania if they possess a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher upon graduation. Students must wait until the month of their graduation to apply for certification through PDE, utilizing the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS) certification system. 

Visit the PDE's Certification webpage for all information about certification, including the certification tests and scores required for each major and the TIMS certification application 

Certification Testing Score Requirements

We recommend that students register for their certification exams the semester prior to student teaching. The exact tests needed for each major are outlined on the PDE's Certification Testing webpage (click on Certification Testing and Score Requirements to download the PDE's spreadsheet; refer to the tab labeled Instructional). Note that you can achieve a "Passing Score" or "GPA Qualifying Score." If you do not achieve the passing score for your major, you may be eligible for certification depending on your GPA (see the Qualifying Score column for your graduating GPA).

Instructional Add-Ons

Certain certification areas can be "added-on" to your original certification. You must first possess certification in the area in which you majored at YCP before adding on certification in another area. Additionally, you cannot use the GPA qualifying option to add on another certification area; the GPA qualifying option is only for certification in the area of your college major. 

Only certain areas are eligible for add-on. More information on instructional add-ons can be found on the PDE's Instructional Add-Ons webpage.

Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate Testing Companies

• ES Pearson — PECT Exams (required for certification in Early Elementary PK-4)
• ETS — PRAXIS II Exams (required for certification in Middle Level Education 4-8, Secondary Education 7-12, and Special Education PK-12)

For more information about acquiring and keeping your Pennsylvania teaching certificate, please refer to PDE's Certificate Status Circular for Educators.

Note: It is imperative that you review all resources — including links, manuals, and videos — prior to initiating your online certification application.

Pennsylvania Careers and Job Postings

Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has created a database of vacancies in PA school districts. This is a great place to start when searching for a Pennsylvania teaching position within your certification area. 

It is also recommended that you visit school district websites directly to review vacancies, as there may be more up-to-date positions posted by school districts on their Human Resources webpages.

York College Career Development Center is also a valuable resource for students and recent graduates. Professionals in the Center can assist with job searching and interviewing skills. Résumé reviews and career coaching are also available.

Out-of-State Careers and Teacher Requirements

York College of Pennsylvania's Education program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). Students who successfully complete all courses in their education program — including student teaching — may apply for teaching certification in Pennsylvania if they possess a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher upon graduation. 

Because York College of Pennsylvania is a Pennsylvania-approved program, students wishing to apply for out-of-state certification must work directly with the Department of Education in each respective state. We recommend all students apply for and acquire certification through Pennsylvania prior to applying for out-of-state teaching certification. Many states will convert a candidate's Pennsylvania certification to their own state's certification upon application. 

It is the student's responsibility to work with the out-of-state licensing agency.

Students are assigned to a student teaching placement within a 55-mile radius of the York College campus. Students' home addresses are also taken into account when securing placements. 

Placements are usually hosted in York County school districts. However, student teachers are occasionally placed in schools located in Adams, Cumberland, or Lancaster Counties.

Transportation for Student Teaching is the responsibility of the student.

Students are not permitted to request specific grade levels, schools, or cooperating teachers per York College's agreement with local school districts. 

Check out the Field Experience Handbook and Student Teaching Handbook for details about these learning experiences.