Traditional TOP Procedures

Student will:

• Complete all application materials and interview. Student provisionally or officially accepted.
• Enroll in courses prescribed. As coursework is completed, student applies for placement in a traditional student teaching classroom.
• Take and pass required state certification test(s).
• Apply for Instructional I Certificate, after successfully completing all coursework, student teaching and testing.

Intern TOP Procedures (excluding most foreign languages)

Student will:

• Complete all application materials and interview. The student is provisionally or officially accepted and may enroll in coursework.
• Take and pass required state certification test(s).
• When a student has or obtains a teaching position or a firm offer in a PDE approved school/classroom specific to the desired area of certification, the student may then apply for the Intern Certificate. The duration of the position will be at least one year (9 months). A student cannot apply for an Intern Certificate without having/securing a position and confirming with Director that placement is acceptable.
• Apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to receive the Intern Certificate. This certificate is valid for three years and cannot be renewed. The three-year effective span of this certificate begins upon the date issued by PDE.
• Take the remaining coursework prescribed by TIP/TOP simultaneous to the employed-instructional setting. The student is clinically supervised (Practicum) for the minimum required period of at least one supervisory visit per month (9 visits per school year).
• If the student decides not to accept employment nor use the Intern Certificate, the student will follow the traditional route in TIP/TOP and student teach.
• Apply for Instructional I Certificate, after successfully completing all required coursework and testing.

FLIP Procedures for Foreign Languages only

Student will:

• Hold a PK-12 teaching position (at least 9 months in duration) in one of the following languages: American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish
• Passed the required state language testing.
• Complete all TIP application materials and interview. The student is officially accepted.
• Apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to receive the Intern Certificate. This certificate is valid for three years and cannot be renewed. The three-year effective span of this certificate begins upon the date issued by PDE.
• Take the coursework prescribed by FLIP simultaneous to the employed-instructional setting. The student is clinically supervised (Practicum) for the minimum required period of at least one supervisory visit per month (9 visits per school year).
• Apply for Instructional I Certificate, after successfully completing all required coursework.