Elementary Certification

Program Description

Students planning to receive Elementary Teacher Certification must select one of the Elementary Education K-8 majors that lead to certification, in addition to completing the Residency Teacher Certification Program.

Admission to the School of Education

When you enroll in the Education Foundations courses, you are considered a tentative candidate for admission to the School of Education. You will be required to prepare a formal application for full admission to the School of Education in the year prior to Professional year. Upon the fulfillment of all required prerequisites and full admission to the School of Education, you may take the primary sequence of courses leading to certification.

Admission to the School of Education requires the following:

Complete the all Education Foundation courses, achieving an average with no grade lower than a 2.0 (“C”). Your prerequisite coursework must be no more than five years old.
- Post-baccalaureate students only: Passing scores on the Washington state basic skills test (WEST-B), Washington state educators’ endorsement test (WEST-E/NES), and transcript evaluation by the School of Education must be completed prior to registering for Education Foundation courses
Receive two favorable recommendations from SPU faculty and staff. You will receive directions on this from the Certification Office prior to Professional year.
Complete a Interview with School of Education faculty.
Pass the SPU writing requirement of ENG 3301 Advanced Expository Writing, or both WRI 1000 Academic Inquiry and Writing Seminar and WRI 1100 Disciplinary Research and Writing Seminar, with a grade of 2.0 (“C”) or better.
Achieve a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA or a 3.3 GPA in the last 45 credits of college or university work.
Documentation of meeting the SOE preferred scores on the basic skills tests (reading, writing and math); official Washington Educator Skills Test - Basic (WEST-B) SAT, or ACT scores are required.
Accepted into a major.
Take the appropriate Washington Educator Skills Test – Endorsement (WEST-E/NES) for each endorsement being earned. Taking the exams will allow you to register for Professional year; however, tests must be passed with official scores to SPU prior to September 1 of Professional year.
Complete fingerprint and pre-residency clearance through OSPI.
Complete a formal application for admission to the School of Education.
Senior standing (135 credits).
Completion of 15 upper-division credits in student’s major.
Maintaining a 3.0 cumulative GPA or 3.3 in the last 45 credits throughout the program.

Registration

Students will need School of Education permission to register for most classes in the certification program. Before registering, contact the School of Education to confirm that you have passed the appropriate prerequisites.

Internship Quarters

Students must compete all Admission requirements before beginning their student teaching internship. Students are required to maintain minimum 3.0 GPA (“B”) in all internship courses in order to receive certification.

The School of Education arranges all internships/student teaching placements. Students may suggest potential sites but are not allowed to set up their own placements.

Specific information can be found in the Residency Certification Handbook on the Teacher Education Canvas site.

Internship Professional Expectations

As a student, you are responsible for keeping the School of Education informed regarding any changes that will impact your certification program. You are also responsible for responding to queries from the placement and the certification offices. Failing to respond when requested may jeopardize your placement in the P–12 schools.

Specific expectations regarding professional behavior can be found in the Residency Certification Handbook.