Teacher Certification

For Undergraduate & Post-Baccalaureate Students (the initial certification)

Information session Wednesday, September 30 & Thursday, October 1 (4:00-5:00 Room 110 Hyer Hall)

So You Want to Be a Teacher

The credential required to teach any grade from Pre-K through grade 12 in a Texas public school is a teaching certificate. The certificate identifies both the grade range and (at the middle school and high school levels) the subject/content area the teacher is certified to teach. There are three grade ranges: Early Childhood - Grade 6 (elementary school), Grade 4 - Grade 8 (with grades 4 and 5 typically housed in elementary schools and grades 6 - 8 housed in middle or junior-high schools) and Grade 8 - Grade 12 (housed in both middle/junior-high schools and high schools). This classification of the grade ranges is fairly recent; although the grade alignments may be different from those with which you’re familiar, they are the official certificate ranges specified by the State Board for Educator Certification in Texas (SBEC).

As noted above, teachers are certified by subject/content area within a grade range. An individual who wants to become a teacher must first choose the grade range s/he wants to teach and then, if the choice is middle school or high school, what subject will be taught. For further information contact the Department of Teaching and Learning by email or telephone.

No Texas college or university that offers teacher education actually certifies students to teach. Individuals are certified by SBEC by earning a baccalaureate degree and passing two examinations, one in content and one that covers instruction and professional responsibilities (Pedagogy and Professional Responsibility exams, or PPR exams). Together, the content and PPR exams are called the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES). They are given periodically throughout the year by the state through its contractor, Education Testing Service. At the EC-6 level, the content examination is a generalist test covering all areas of the curriculum. EC-6 teachers ordinarily teach all subject areas. At the Grades 4 - 8 and Grades 8 - 12 levels, the examinations are content specific, such as history, mathematics, etc. The PPR examinations are grade-range specific. The passing score on the PPR examinations is set by SBEC and is a scaled score rather than a percentage.

Thus, teacher education programs provide courses that both integrate the educator standards specified by SBEC and prepare teacher candidates for the various TExES examinations. Prospective Texas teachers who "prepare" through SMU's teacher education program have an excellent record of achievement on the TExES examinations. Once an individual has earned a degree and passed the appropriate examinations, s/he submits fingerprints, passes a criminal background check, and is awarded a standard teaching certificate by SBEC. A teaching certificate is a requirement for employment in all Texas public schools as well as in many private schools.

The particular subject areas by grade range for which SMU offers teacher certification preparation are:

• All-level Music
• Early Childhood - Grade 6: Generalist
• Grade 4 – Grade 8: English Language Arts & Reading/Social Studies, Mathematics, English Language Arts & Reading, Foreign Language (Spanish, French, German), Mathematics & Science, Science, Social Studies, Theatre Arts
• Grade 8 – Grade 12: English Language Arts and Reading, Science, Mathematics, Mathematics/Physics, Theatre Arts, Social Studies, Life Sciences, History, Physical Sciences, Foreign Language (Spanish, French, German), Dance, Business, Chemistry, Secondary Art, Computer Science, Secondary Journalism
• Additional subject areas for post baccalaureate students: American Sign Language, Health, Health Science Technology Education, Marketing Education, Physical Education, Latin, Speech, Technology Applications, Technology Education

What You Need to do at SMU to Pursue Teacher Certification

As early as possible in your college career and as soon as you know that you might like to be a teacher, let your adviser know. SMU advisers are knowledgeable about how to prepare to be a teacher. You may want to schedule an appointment with one of the Teacher Education Advisers in Clements Hall, suite 417, telephone 214.768.2780. In the state of Texas, students cannot major in education.  They can, however, earn a minor in education at SMU by completing the 24 credit hours of education course work for teacher certification.  As a result, students have the advantage of pursuing a program of work which includes an academic major as well as preparing to teach.  This allows students to have two career options.  There are many distribution courses which are particularly helpful for prospective teachers; the Dedman advisers can recommend these courses. After these requirements have been met, students may begin their work in education; this is usually in the junior year, although a few students are able to begin their work as second-semester sophomores. Students must take EDU 2350, "Educational Psychology," as a prerequisite for 5000-level education courses. Teacher education consist of 21 hours in the classroom plus 9 hours of field work, for a total of 30 semester hours. At SMU, education courses are taken in addition to regular requirements, including a major. When a student is ready to enter the program, s/he completes a formal admission process that includes an interview, an essay, a Personal Character and Professional Fitness Statement, a letter of recommendation, a current Degree Progress Report, and SAT, ACT or THEA test scores. After an individual is admitted, s/he is assigned an adviser who guides the program of study thereafter. Complete details about admission are available in the SMU catalog or through the Department of Teaching and Learning. Another excellent source for general information is the State Board for Educator Certification website (www.sbec.state.tx.us), where full information on teacher certification is available.

If You Already Have a Bachelor's Degree and Want to Return to School to Become Certified

Call 214-768-2780 or e-mail teacher@smu.edu.

An individual who has already earned a bachelor's degree and wishes to return to college in order to become a certified teacher must observe most of the same procedures and curricular requirements that the undergraduates observe; the exceptions are noted on the Entrance Requirements link. The advisers in the Teacher Education Office are happy to talk with anyone about his/her particular circumstances and needs; please call 214-768-2346 or e-mail teacher@smu.edu.

Other Opportunities

The Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification office is part of SMU's Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development, which also offers a number of graduate endorsements, certifications, and degrees as well as credit and noncredit professional development opportunities for educators.

Contact a Staff Member

We want to hear what you have to say about SMU's teacher certification program. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to e-mail any of our faculty members or staff member Ann Dilday at adilday@smu.edu.