Teacher Education and Certification Information

Teacher Education Programs in the School of Education

The School of Education offers specializations in early childhood education and elementary education, secondary education, special education, and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).

  • The early childhood specialization provides the knowledge and field-based experience for students who wish to work with young children in child care, nursery, kindergarten and primary schools, Head Start, or in non-school settings (ages 3-8).
  • The elementary education specialization features a comprehensive core of knowledge and field experiences for students who wish to work with elementary school students (grades 1-6).
  • The secondary education specialization is offered in the fields of English and social studies. It provides a comprehensive core of knowledge and field experiences for students to teach in a specific academic content area in grades 7-12. Students must meet with an advisor to assess requirements in the chosen academic area. The courses listed below are required in addition to general education and professional education requirements.
    • English: Thirty-six (36) semester hours is required in course work from the following: writing process, American literature, English literature, linguistics, oral communication, world literature or comparative literature, multicultural literature, drama, journalism, adolescent literature, and mythology.
    • Social Studies: Thirty-three (33) semester hours is required in course work from the following: history, world history, United States history, the history and government of the District of Columbia, physical or cultural geography, economics, political science, and at least one course in international relations, global studies, law, philosophy, psychology, sociology, social science, or anthropology
  • The special education specialization provides a comprehensive core of knowledge and field experiences for students wishing to work with children and youth with special needs in a variety of special education settings. The course work is designed to prepare students for non-categorical certification, kindergarten through 12.
  • The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) specialization provides a comprehensive core of knowledge and field experiences for students desiring to work with students for whom English is not their primary language. The course work is designed to prepare prospective teachers to work with students in kindergarten through 12.

Accelerated Certification Program

Trinity’s Accelerated Certification Program (A.C.P.), which consists of 20 credits at the graduate level, is a collaborative initiative between Trinity’s School of Education and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). The goal of the program is to recruit and prepare new teachers to meet the requirements for certification through an alternative route to teach elementary grades, secondary English, or secondary social studies. Participants in this program must be teaching in D.C. schools (public, private, charter or parochial) and must qualify for and obtain a Provisional Teaching Certificate from the District of Columbia. The program curriculum is grounded in the core propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and is customized to meet local certification and performance assessment requirements for teachers. The program prepares teachers in elementary education and in secondary education in English or social studies.

Participants in the Accelerated Certification Program are supported by a network of Trinity faculty and mentors composed of experienced school and teaching professionals who are dedicated to assuring each student's success. All program participants complete a final Teaching Portfolio that reflects the knowledge, skills, and competencies leading to initial licensure. The assignments in course work completed throughout the program comprise components of the portfolio.

For additional information, please see the Accelerated Certification Program page in this catalog.

Program Policies

Advanced Placement: Credits earned through Advanced Placement Examinations may fulfill general education requirements for certification in cases where the student has earned a 4 or 5 on the examination and the credits have been reviewed by education faculty members.

Student Assessment System: The School of Education has a Unit Assessment System aligned with its goals to ensure that all candidates have the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to be successful in their respective fields. In conjunction with the Unit Assessment System the Teacher Preparation Programs (B.A., M.A.T. and A.C.P.) have assessments designed to ensure that its teacher candidates meet the standards of their professional associations. To accomplish this key assessments have been designed to measure a candidate’s progress through the program. Most of these assessments are embedded in course work with the exception of the Comprehensive Exam required prior to student teaching. The Comprehensive Exam is scheduled each semester and is required prior to student teaching. For A.C.P. only, the Comprehensive Exam is embedded in the final courses of the program. All candidates must successfully complete all key assessments in order to fulfill the requirements of their program. The student’s advisor explains the assessment system after acceptance into the School of Education.

CLEP Policy: Credits earned through CLEP Examinations may fulfill general education for certification courses in cases where the student has earned a score that confers credit following the guidelines of the A.C.E. and the credits have been reviewed by education faculty members.

Experiential Credit Policy: Credits earned through professional experience may count toward general education courses required for certification, pending review and approval by education faculty and the faculty of the appropriate academic program. In general, experiential credits may not substitute for education courses counted toward the major, minor, or undergraduate portion of the B.A./M.A.T. Program.

Grades in Undergraduate Education Courses: Students are required to earn a minimum GPA of 2.5 in all Education core courses and a GPA of 3.0 in Education methods courses to fulfill requirements for the major, the minor, and/or the undergraduate portion of the B.A./M.A.T. Program.

Pass/No Pass: Courses fulfilling the major, minor, or undergraduate portion of the B.A./M.A.T. Program -- including general education courses required for certification -- may not be taken Pass/No Pass.

Praxis I Examination
The Praxis I examination is a prerequisite for admission into the M.A.T. and the A.C.P. Programs at Trinity. Students must present official copies of passing scores based on the requirements of the District of Columbia. The test is administered by the Educational Testing Service and measures reading, writing, and computational skills vital to all teacher candidates. Further information about the test, testing dates and locations can be obtained at http://www.ets.org or from ETS, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. Trinity's school code is RA5796. Note: Assistance with Praxis I preparation is offered through the Continuing Education Program at Trinity. Information regarding these classes can be viewed online on the Continuing Education web site. Praxis preparation courses in Reading/Writing and in Math are offered each semester.

Any student currently enrolled in the M.A.T. program who has not successfully completed PRAXIS I will not be eligible to receive their degree until official passing Praxis I scores are submitted to Trinity and recorded.

Students pursuing a B.A. in Education, an undergraduate minor in education, or the B.A./M.A.T. Program must pass Praxis I prior to registering for education courses at the 300-level or above.

Praxis II Examination
The Praxis II examinations are also administered by the Educational Testing Service. They measure prospective teachers' knowledge of the subjects they will teach as well as how much they know about teaching that subject. Further information about these tests, testing dates and locations can be obtained at http://www.ets.org or from ETS, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. The University recommends that M.A.T. candidates and B.A. in Education candidates register and take the Praxis II in their content area prior to or during student teaching. While passing the Praxis II is not a graduation requirement from Trinity, it is a certification requirement in the District of Columbia and surrounding jurisdictions. The University will not be able to process the paperwork for certification now required by the District of Columbia without official notification of passing scores on Praxis II.

Study Abroad: Courses taken through a study abroad program approved by Trinity may count toward general education courses required for certification, pending review and approval by education faculty and the faculty of the appropriate academic program. In general, education courses taken abroad will not count toward the major, minor, or undergraduate portion of the B.A./M.A.T. Program.

Transfer Credits: Transfer credits may be awarded only after appropriate program review. Courses at the 400-level and above must be completed at Trinity.

Teacher Certification Requirements through B.A. in Education

The School of Education offers a course of study that qualifies a student for a Standard Teaching License in the District of Columbia and a Bachelors of Arts in education degree (B.A.). Students must meet the following general requirements to qualify for teacher certification and the M.A.T.:

  • Complete their bachelor's degree from Trinity. Course work must include:
    • 43 to 50 credits in education course work
    • 48 credits of general education (liberal arts)
    • 33-36 credits in field of specialization for secondary teachers
    • Earn passing scores on the Praxis I and Praxis II examinations

Teacher Certification Requirements through M.A.T.

The School of Education offers a course of study that qualifies a student for a Standard Teaching License in the District of Columbia and a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree (M.A.T.) Students must meet the following general requirements to qualify for teacher certification and the M.A.T.:

  • Hold a bachelor's degree from an appropriately accredited institution of higher learning. Course work must include:
    • 33-36 credits in field of specialization for secondary teachers
    • 48 credits of general education (liberal arts)
  • Earn passing scores on the Praxis I and Praxis II examinations
  • Complete 36-42 credits of graduate course work in education

Bachelor's Degree and General Education Requirements

In order to receive state certification, individuals must hold a baccalaureate degree (B.A., B.S., or equivalent) from an appropriately accredited institution of higher learning. Additionally, individuals must have completed at least 33-36 semester hours in their subject of specialization (e.g., English or social studies) and 48 semester hours of general education (GEN.ED.) distributed among the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, and health and physical education. All GEN.ED. courses must be completed with a "C" or Better. The required general education course distribution is as follows:

  • Humanities (at least one course in each area) 12 semester hours minimum
    • English grammar and composition (including vocabulary development and reading comprehension)
    • Literature, art, music, philosophy
    • Foreign language
  • Social Sciences (at least one course in each area) 12 semester hours minimum
    • American history
    • History, anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, geography, psychology, world studies, or contemporary world cultures
  • Natural Sciences and Mathematics (at least one course in each area) 12 semester hours minimum
    • Laboratory science
    • Mathematics
  • Health and Physical Education 4 semester hours minimum
    • Credits must include coursework in substance abuse education
  • An additional 8 semester hours in Humanities, Social Sciences, and/or Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Graduate Course Work in Education

A student must complete 36-42 credits of courses in graduate education including 3 credits in student teaching. These credits must fulfill the minimum requirements of the student's specialization. Specific requirements for each specialization are listed in the respective sections of this catalog.

Praxis I and Praxis II Examinations

The Praxis examinations, administered by the Educational Testing Service, are used by D.C. Public Schools as part of their teacher certification process. The Praxis I examination measures reading, writing, and computational skills vital to all teacher candidates. The Praxis II examinations measure prospective teachers' knowledge of the subjects they will teach, as well as how much they know about teaching that subject and is usually taken in the last semester of course work. Students are responsible for arranging to take these tests and have their scores reported to Trinity as well as appropriate certification agencies. Further information is available from ETS, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 or online at http://www.ets.org. Trinity's school code is RA5796. See Trinity's policy about Praxis Examinations.

Accelerated Certification Program (A.C.P.) Requirements

Candidates for the Accelerated Certification Program:

  • must hold a baccalaureate degree having maintained an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.8.
  • must be employed by the District of Columbia as a teacher (or teach in a DC private, charter or parochial school).
  • must have taken Praxis I and obtained a passing score according to DC standards.

Standard Certificate

Students in the Accelerated Certification Program (A.C.P.) who complete the following program requirements can apply for a Standard Certificate:

  • Be employed in the District of Columbia as a teacher in a public, private, charter or parochial school.
  • Earn passing scores on the Praxis I examination, a pre-professional skills test in reading, writing, and mathematics and the Praxis II Content area and Pedagogy (in their specialization ) administered by ETS
  • Complete the 20 credits of sequenced graduate study in the Alternative Certification Program with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
  • Receive successful mid-term and final course and teaching assessments from Trinity faculty and the local school system.
  • Complete a Teaching Portfolio documenting the knowledge, skills, and competencies required for initial licensure in the school district in which the student is teaching.

A review of undergraduate course work in content and subject areas is also necessary to ensure that the general education requirements that pertain to teacher certification eligibility have been met. These requirements involve 48 credit hours in a range of disciplines that help ensure that future teachers are well-equipped to meet rigorous content standards. All GEN.ED. requirements must be met prior to the A.C.P. participant's application for standard teacher certification.

Certification Application Process

  1. Complete the certification processing form obtained from the School of Education Office
  2. Complete the application form for the license you wish to obtain. (Most forms can be obtained from the School of Education Office.)
  3. Supply your official Trinity transcript in a sealed envelope. Transcript requests are made at the Enrollment Services Office. There is a charge for transcripts, which are processed within 3-5 business days of written receipt of the request for the transcript.
  4. Supply a copy of your official tests scores that apply to the credential you are seeking (Praxis I, Praxis II, or SLLA).
  5. A $30.00 money order made out to the "District of Columbia Public Schools" must to be included.
  6. All information is left with the administrative assistant in the School of Education Office. Generally, it takes 2 to 4 weeks to process the forms and send them to the District of Columbia.

Trinity reserves the right to change, without prior notice, any policy or procedure, tuition or fee, curricular requirements, or any other information found on this web site or in its printed materials.

Questions may be directed to Virginia Broaddus, Ph.D., Provost at BroaddusV@trinitydc.edu