Teacher Certification Information
The Study of Education
The study of education at New England College contains two undergraduate options:
1.Educational Communities
2.Teacher Certification.
Upon entering the Education Program all students are considered to be Education majors. Students choose either the Educational Communities path or the Teacher Certification path. In order to apply to the Teacher Certification path students use the process described below. Students who decide that they want to work in educational settings in roles other than state certified teachers (e.g. teaching assistants, educators in the public sector - a museum, a not‐for profit organization, educators in private schools, etc.) may choose the Educational Communities path for their program.
New England College’s teacher education programs are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the certification programs are approved by the New Hampshire State Board of Education. The teacher certification major is designed for students interested in elementary education, secondary education (Social Studies, English, Life Science), general special education, principal (graduate only) or superintendent (graduate only) and who seek certification in New Hampshire and other states. The Educational Communities and certification majors are experience‐based programs in which students understand and apply theories of teaching and learning in classrooms and beyond.
Students in the New England College Education program will:
- Learn to become an educator by working in schools, classrooms, and educational organizations through all 4 years of their program.
- Learn how to meet the individual needs of all learners, particularly those with special needs and those who are gifted.
- Create exciting, meaningful, and effective educational experiences that engage learners.
- Work collaboratively with others to identify and take thoughtful and effective action to solve community‐based problems.
Learning Outcomes
The teacher certification major is designed for students interested in certification in elementary education, secondary education (Social Studies, English, Life Science) general special education K-12, physical education K-12, theatre education K-12, principal (graduate), or superintendent (graduate). New England College recommends students for certification in New Hampshire upon successful completion of all degree requirements. Students seeking certification in states other than New Hampshire are guided by the reciprocity agreements between New Hampshire and those states.
Those students who want to experience an educationally related career but who do not wish to become certified teachers may choose to major in Educational Communities. The non‐certification program is designed to prepare students who wish to pursue a wide variety of careers in community‐based education.
In the New England College program, students:
- gain a strong liberal arts background in English, mathematics, science, civics and government, economics, art, history, and geography;
- demonstrate proficiency in basic skills (reading, writing, viewing, performing mathematical operations, listening, speaking, and use of technology) and thinking skills (creative thinking, decision making, problem finding and solving, visualizing, reasoning, and knowing how to learn);
- develop their personal qualities of responsibility, self‐esteem, sociability, self‐management, integrity, and honesty;
- plan, implement, and assess teaching and learning in light of local, state, and national standards;
- gather and analyze information sources;
- work and communicate effectively with others to understand, negotiate, and influence complex systems;
- create and manage caring learning environments where they are active and responsible citizens;
- become agents of change who can effectively identify and meet the needs of diverse learners and communities;
- develop an understanding of and responsibility to the global community;
- assess and apply knowledge and processes to new situations and problems that they encounter; and
- reflect on their practice and commit themselves to life‐long learning.
Criminal Record Check
All students engaging in field practical must meet the requirements of the State of New Hampshire criminal record check. See the Administrative Assistant or Associate Dean of Education for details.
What is Teacher Certification?
In New Hampshire, as in most states, graduating from college with a degree in Education is not sufficient to become a teacher in the public schools of the state. One must also be certified to teach. Certification is obtained by meeting various state requirements covering general education (writing, mathematics, and the NEC General Education program) meeting the requirements of a major, meeting the requirements of an accredited Education Department (such as the one at New England College), and meeting specific state requirements in the particular area of certification (elementary, secondary, special education, etc.) that a student wishes to pursue. These requirements are described below, along with a step‐by‐step process for being accepted into the Teacher Certification Program. The process may seem complicated, but each Education major at the College is assigned an advisor who will help him/her through the process.
To meet state certification requirements, in addition to meeting the education department’s requirements, all Education majors must also complete a content major. To meet state certification requirements, all secondary education majors select from the following list:
- English 5‐12
- Social Studies 5‐12
- Life Science 7-12
General Special Education certification majors must also major in one of the secondary certification areas or elementary education.
Elementary education majors complete all requirements for elementary education and a minimum of 24 credits in social studies, English Language Arts, science, or mathematics (Content Concentration). The K‐8 teacher certification candidate should work closely with his/her advisor to identify appropriate courses to meet Certification and graduation requirements.
Beginning with the first year, students may obtain practical experience in teaching and working with students; field‐based experiences and service‐learning are incorporated throughout the professional sequence. The teacher certification major at New England College includes a broad general education background in the liberal arts, integrated with a sequence of professional courses in education. All elementary and secondary education majors are required to take and receive passing scores on the Core Academic Skills Test prior to being eligible to apply to the major and they must take and receive passing scores on Praxis II in order to be eligible for certification. Elementary Education majors must take and pass the FOR test to be eligible for Certification.
State of New Hampshire General Education Requirements for Teacher Certification
To comply with New Hampshire general education requirements for teachers, students must successfully complete course work dealing with each of the following areas as stated in the requirements outlined by the New Hampshire State Department of Education: The General Education program shall include these core competencies:
Content competencies in the following areas necessary for college and workforce success:
- Language arts;
- Reasoning;
- Information literacy;
- Mathematics;
- Sciences;
- Social sciences; and
- The arts;
Creative competencies in the following areas:
- Creative expression;
- Critical thinking;
- Innovative and collaborative problem-solving; and
- Resourcefulness;
- Communication competencies in the following areas:
- Languages;
- Digital media;
- Networking; and
- Content creation technologies; and
- Cultural competencies in the following areas:
- Cultural understanding;
- Taking responsibility for self and others;
- Adaptability and resilience;
- Ability to engage in productive teamwork; and
- Social and civic engagement.
The General Education requirements are fulfilled through the General Education program at NEC: WR 1010 - Composition, College Math, and LAS 1 through LAS 7, and an LAS of choice.
Requirements for Acceptance to the Teacher Certificate Programs
STEP ONE
Register for and pass the CORE Academic Skills Test within the first year. For information about this test and how to register for it go to http://www.ets.org/praxis/nh/
STEP TWO
Enroll in ED 1010 - Teaching Portfolio I. Once successfully completed, enroll in ED 2050 - Teaching Portfolio II. At the conclusion of this class, and providing the minimum requirements for acceptance into the major have been met, the student will submit a completed e‐portfolio to the Director of Teacher Certification and Placement. If all requirements are met, see below, an interview will be scheduled.
Minimum requirements for acceptance are:
- grades of C or better in WR 1010 , or, if the student is a conversion student, grades of C or better in at least one College Writing course;
- a grade of B- or better in ED 1000 Issues in Professional Practice and School Law (undergraduate) or ED 6410 ‐ Dynamics of Educational Reform and Systems Change (graduate);
- completion of MT 1015 Number Sense (required of elementary education, secondary education (English, or social studies), general special education K-12, and theatre K-12 majors), MT 1510 Pre-calculus (required of secondary education life sciences), Math 1000 or above (required of physical education K-12) with a grade of C or better or, if the student is a conversion student, a grade of C or better in a college level math course;
- passing scores on the CORE Academic Skills Test;
- a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 for acceptance into and retention in the teacher certification major (undergraduate); a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for acceptance into and retention in the Masters of Education and teacher certification program;
- sophomore status (undergraduate) or completion of ED 6410 (graduate);
- have grades of B or better in at least three education courses; and
- permission of the Associate Dean of Education.
Students will present their e‐portfolio which will contain at a minimum:
- a copy of the student’s transcript(s),
- a letter introducing the faculty to the portfolio, what is in it, why the student selected what he/she chose, and points of interest,
- a table of contents (which is generated by e‐Folio),
- the Intent to Major in Education form,
- A typed essay sharing the student’s reasons for wanting to major in teacher certification and any personal experiences that have led the student to pursue a career in teaching (undergraduates). Graduate students may submit the essay that they included in their application to the Master of Education program,
- at least one letter of recommendation from a faculty member who is not in the Education Department. If the student is a graduate student, he/she may use the letters of recommendation submitted at the time of application to the Master’s of Education program,
- a writing sample (each participant will be given one question to which he/she must respond in writing) ‐ this sample must be scanned to be placed e‐Folio;
- copies of performance evaluations from Practicum experiences and/or dispositions rubrics;
- at least two writing samples, one should be from a course other than education ‐ graduate students may submit both samples from courses in education; and
- other materials the applicant believes attest to his/her qualifications and ability to major in education such as sample lesson plans, photos, videos of the student teaching a lesson, etc.
The faculty in the Education Department will review the applicant’s portfolio and the Director of Teacher Certification and Placement will notify the applicant of his/her status. Those who are eligible to continue the application process will be invited to make an appointment for an interview. Those who are ineligible to continue or who need to make revisions to their portfolios will be asked to meet with their academic advisor to discuss alternatives.
STEP THREE
The applicant will be interviewed by at least two faculty members. Students will be evaluated for acceptance/retention into the teacher certification program and for recommendation for state certification using the basic criteria as set forth by the State of New Hampshire, which include:
- quality of scholarship;
- leadership potential;
- physical and mental health appropriate to the tasks to be performed;
- acceptable voice and speech characteristics;
- competency in oral and written English;
- competency in mathematics;
- participation in extracurricular activities;
- competency in the major area of study;
- competency in the professional sequence of study;
- successful performance in professional experiences; and
- personal characteristics.
Please Note: In order to be admitted and retained to all phases of the teacher certification program, and finally to the profession, candidates must demonstrate the competencies implicit in the general criteria as stated above.
The applicant will be notified in writing of his/her status after the interview. If accepted, the student must keep the following in mind:
- to be retained in the major the student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (undergraduate) and 3.0 (graduate);
- students are responsible for knowing the requirements that must be fulfilled to be eligible for certification;
- the student must have an academic advisor in education; and
- all students must clearly identify their content major - secondary education majors may select English, social studies, life sciences; K‐8 certification candidates must complete at least 24 credits in social studies, English Language Arts, the sciences, or mathematics; general special education majors must also select elementary education or secondary education and fulfill all requirements associated with that area of certification. Physical Education K-12 and Theatre Education K-12 must complete all requirements associated with those majors.
Student Teaching
This is a field experience during which the student works as a full-time supervised teacher in a school within a 30 mile radius of the College. Students must be accepted to the major and obtain the permission of the Associate Dean of Education to enroll in student teaching and they must have taken Praxis II (not required to pass Praxis II to enroll in student teaching) for their area of certification prior to being placed for student teaching.
Obtaining Certification
The State of New Hampshire has reciprocity with other states therefore when you receive your New Hampshire certification you can apply for certification in a different state. Please be aware that you may need to take additional tests so it is important to review the requirements for certification for each state in which you want certification.
In New Hampshire all certification candidates must pass the CORE Academic Skills Test and have their scores sent to New England College and the NH State Department of Education. Each certification area has specific testing requirements, which are subject to change at any time. They are as follows:
Elementary Education -
- Core Academic Skills Test,
- Praxis II in Middle School based on your concentration area of social studies, mathematics, sciences, or English Language Arts,
- Praxis II for elementary education, and
- Foundations of Reading Test.
- https://www.ets.org/praxis/nh/
Secondary Education (English, life sciences, social studies. NOTE: Certification in Mathematics is only available for graduate teacher conversion students) -
- Core Academic Skills Test and
- Praxis II based on your area of certification, English, life sciences, social studies. (NOTE: Certification in Mathematics is only available for graduate teacher conversion students).
- https://www.ets.org/praxis/nh/
Theatre Education K-12 -
Physical Education K-12 -
Special Education K-12 (must have certification in Elementary Education or Secondary Education Secondary Education (English, life sciences, social studies. NOTE: Certification in Mathematics is only available for graduate teacher conversion students) -
- Core Academic Skills Test
- Praxis II based on your area of certification, English, life sciences, social studies. (NOTE: Certification in Mathematics is only available for graduate teacher conversion students)
- https://www.ets.org/praxis/nh/
Post‐Baccalaureate Conversion
New England College also offers a post-baccalaureate conversion program to prepare individuals for New Hampshire State Teacher Certification in elementary, secondary (English, Life Science, Social Studies, Mathematics), general special education K-12, physical education K-12, and theatre education K-12. The program is designed specifically for people who have completed a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and seek additional courses and student teaching to fulfill state certification requirements. Recognizing the unique educational backgrounds of each participant, New England College’s conversion program develops an academic plan that satisfies all of the required education courses for the student’s area of certification, as well as any additional courses in general education and/or content‐related disciplines. In this program, it is also possible simultaneously to achieve certification and earn a Master’s degree in education. Individuals interested in this program should contact the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies for more information.
Experiential Learning Component of the Education Program
The Education program has woven throughout it many opportunities for students to see theories learned in the college classroom applied in area schools and agencies. Every four credit education core course has an applied, experiential element woven into it. For example:
In the ED 1000 Issues in Professional Practice and School Law course students work to fill a need in an area school or agency. Students spend a minimum of 30 hours in their placement assisting educators in a variety of capacities.
In ED 1030 Introduction to Special Education: Disabilities, Issues, and Laws students interview a range of professionals who work with students with disabilities becoming familiar with their roles and how they can help an educator working with students with disabilities while becoming familiar with different placement options.
In ED 2010 Curriculum Design, Planning, Instruction, and Assessment Across the Curriculum students visit a range of schools and classrooms to see how the curriculum is organized and taught from kindergarten through high school.
In ED 2030 Meeting the Needs of All Learners students become familiar with case management and develop a resource notebook that they can use when they enter teaching.
In ED 3000 Literacy and Language Arts students develop tools to assist readers at all grades kindergarten through high school and share these tools with other aspiring educators.
In ED 3010 Teaching Math students develop math interventions and bring these tools to students in area schools to enhance their skills in math.
ED 4010 Methods Practicum happens right before student teaching and requires the student to spend a minimum of 15 hours a week in a school setting. In this Practicum students develop and are observed teaching four lessons and assist the cooperating teacher in a variety of ways.
The final experience is student teaching. This is a full-time teaching experience in a school within 30 miles of campus. The student teacher assumes the role of the teacher in a tiered, cohesive, extended model. Those seeking general education student teaching will participate in their placement from mid-August up to the December holiday break, or from right after the New Year until the public school’s April vacation. Those seeking dual certification will participate in their general education student teaching experience from mid-August through the end of October and then transition to their special education placement from November up to the public school’s February vacation, or from right after the New Year to the end of March in the general education setting and then from the end of March to the end of the public school academic year in a special education placement. To be eligible for dual certification the student must be recommended as a result of their performance in all classes particularly the Methods Practicum and general education Student Teaching. Participating in Special Education Student Teaching is based on performance and faculty recommendation. Students must have a score of 2 or better in all areas of the NHTCAP, all indicators on Danielson must be developing, proficient, or distinguished, and a grade of A- or better in General Education Student Teaching in order to participate in Special Education Student Teaching.NOTE: Dual certification is not available to those seeking PE K-12 or Theatre K-12 certification.
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