Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Questions and Answers

Who can apply?
Any person with a bachelor?s degree from an accredited university who wishes to teach elementary school (grades 1- 8) and middle school (6,7,8) may apply.

When is the deadline to apply?
The application process begins in November and the deadline to apply is March 1, 2008 for the 2008 - 2009 cohort. Thirty students are accepted each year. 

When do classes begin?
The STEP immersion program requires one summer session and two full semesters to complete the 46 credits required for teacher certification. The STEP program for 2008-2009 begins June 9th, 2008 and ends May 15th, 2009.

What time commitment is required?
The STEP post-baccalaureate teacher certification program is a field-based immersion program that requires students to participate two full days per week, Mondays and Tuesdays.   During the summer institute, from June 9th through August 5th.  The hours are 4:00 - 9:30 PM on Mondays and Tuesdays. During the school year, beginning in August 11, students spend the day at field-based schools  working side-by-side with teachers in the classrooms (usually 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM), and attend classes at SCC from 4:00 - 8:30 PM. During the ten weeks of student teaching at the end of the program, students spend full time at the school with no classes at SCC. Homework and class preparation are in addition to these hours.

Who are the teachers?
Master teachers have been selected at each of the partner schools to provide the highest quality field experiences. The instructors for the methods courses include master teachers, professional development trainers, school principals and college professors.

What are the requirements for teacher certification in Arizona?
The Arizona Department of Education requires the following for Elementary Teacher Certification (K-8).
[Adapted from the Elem-R2.doc Word document available on the Arizona Department of Education Web site.)
1. Possession of a bachelor?s degree from an accredited institution.
2. Valid Fingerprint Clearance Card issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety
3. 45 semester hours of education courses from an accredited institution, including at least eight semester hours of practicum in grades K-8.
4. Passing score on the elementary professional knowledge portion of the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment.
5. Passing score on the elementary education subject knowledge portion of the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment.

What are the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments (AEPA)?
To obtain a teaching certificate in Arizona in Arizona, teachers must take and pass the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments (AEPA) in professional knowledge and subject knowledge. Specific information about the educator testing is available on the Arizona State Department of Education http://www.aepa.nesinc.com/

What are the courses?
Courses for the STEP post-baccalaureate teacher certification program are listed on our course page.

Note: The Arizona Department of Education requires all teacher certification applicants to complete Arizona and U.S. Constitution (POS 221 and POS 222) within three years of applying for their teaching certificate.

What is the cost of the program?
The tuition at Scottsdale Community College (2008-2009) is $65.00 per credit hour. The program is 46 credits. The tuition is approximately $3000.00 plus course fees and books. Students may be eligible for Pell grants and Americorps grants.

Is the STEP program at SCC accredited?
The STEP post-baccalaureate teacher certification program is accredited by the Arizona State Board of Education.