State Guidelines

Graduates of Grove City College's teacher certification programs meet requirements for a PA Instructional I (or Level I) certificate. The Education Department assists seniors with an initial application for PA state certification. (Graduates planning to teach outside of PA are also strongly encouraged to make initial application for a PA state teaching certificate.) Students considering teaching in states other than Pennsylvania should explore the state certification guidelines for the state(s) in which they are planning to teach. Beginning this process early is key to a smooth transition.

Does state certification reciprocity exist?

True reciprocity of teaching certificates between states or among a band of states does not exist. However, state certification offices have procedures to facilitate the process of accepting (and "translating") a teaching certificate from other states.

According to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education Certification (NASDTEC):  “The interstate agreement … is a collection of over 50 individual agreements by states and Canadian provinces. Each individual "agreement" is a statement by that state or jurisdiction outlining which other states' educator certificates will be accepted by that state. Such an "acceptance" agreement means that the "receiving" state will issue some form of authorization allowing the inbound certificate holder to legally teach or provide service in the receiving state, provided the license issued by the "sending" state is acceptable under the agreement. This authorization may be limited in time by the receiving state, and the receiving state may impose additional requirements which need to be accomplished before the educator can teach or practice after the end of the time limit.”

Because the guidelines for certification typically vary from state-to-state, it is essential that future teachers review the specific certification guidelines for the state(s) they are considering.  Grove City College graduates would seek certification information under the out-of-state prepared categories for states other than Pennsylvania.