Teacher Education Programs – Certification Information
Teacher Education Programs
Trinity’s teacher education programs are nationally accredited and state approved and meet certification requirements of the District of Columbia. The Education Programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation Educator Preparation (CAEP).
At the graduate level, the School of Education offer specializations in early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education, and special education.
The School of Professional Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences also offer an undergraduate major in education that prepares students for certification in early childhood education and elementary education.
Teacher Certification
Teacher certification (licensure) is granted by the state education authority and may be recognized through reciprocity by other jurisdictions. Successful completion of all program components and awarding of the degree, plus qualifying scores on state-determined teacher licensure examinations lead to eligibility for state teacher certification by the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). This certification is accepted by numerous other jurisdictions, sometimes with conditions or other requirements. It is the responsibility of the candidate to obtain up-to-date information on certification requirements in the states he or she wishes to teach.
State Required 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 CORE 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 are 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 at www.ets.org. Trinity’s school code is RA5796. See Trinity’s Policy on State Required Examinations.
Students seeking teacher certification must pass the examinations required by the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and a nationally-based background check. For details concerning the Praxis II/Principles of Learning and Teaching Examinations and other licensure requirements, see the OSSE website.
Certification Application Process
The School of Education assists graduates in obtaining the initial standard license. For specific instructions, contact the Education Programs at 202-884-9389 or EDU@trinitydc.edu.