Pathways

Today's teachers need not only knowledge of their content but also specific strategies to teach that content; understanding of how children and adolescents develop and how that relates to learning; knowledge of professional ethics, laws, and policies; appreciation of diversity of students, families, and communities; and consideration of school, family, and community context and how this relates to student learning. 

Maryland has three major routes to becoming certified to teach:

Maryland Approved Programs (MAPs) at institutions of higher education

These programs are state-approved programs.  Prospective candidates may enter either a master’s degree program (e.g., Master of Arts in Teaching or Master of Education) or a post-baccalaureate program awarding credits for certification only.  Candidates who enter a graduate degree program complete graduate-level courses to attain their teacher certification.  Some are full-time programs while others are part-time programs.  All contain the coursework as well as the experiential component (student teaching or internships) necessary for teacher certification.  Program directors shape programs to fit the needs of both the school systems and the candidates, many of whom may still be working full-time prior to their internships.  Many institutions connect classroom experiences to courses before an internship and then provide an internship with a mentor teacher.  In most graduate degree programs, candidates in certification-only programs have the option of meeting additional requirements should they choose to seek a graduate degree.  In addition, some four-year institutions may offer a certification program through undergraduate certification courses; candidates can access this information by contacting the specific institutions.

For a list of approved programs, see the Maryland Approved Teacher Education Programs

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Maryland Approved Alternative Preparation Programs (MAAPP)

Candidates in Maryland’s alternative programs are issued the Resident Teacher Certificate while the individual is employed as the teacher of record and still being educated in the preparation and mentorship program.  Entry requirements include the following: a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a concentration in a discipline appropriate to an assignment and a 2.75 GPA in the major coursework OR a 30-hour core area of study, depending on the certification area, with a minimum of 2.75 GPA in the identified 30 hours OR a passing score on a state-approved content test in the discipline appropriate to the assignment and an overall 2.75 GPA; a qualifying score on a State Department-approved test in basic skills or a comparable state-approved test in basic skills; a qualifying score on a State Department-approved content area test or a comparable state-approved content test; and official documentation from the school system offering the program that all candidates fulfill the requirement for a minimum of 90 clock hours of study in specified areas prior to placement in the classroom as the teacher of record.

Typically, the prospective teachers complete a minimum of 90 hours of coursework and a summer internship lasting between four and eight weeks, depending on previous teaching experience.  The prospective teachers then enter the classroom with ongoing support and mentoring throughout the academic year.  .  The Resident Teacher Certificate is issued for two school years and is nonrenewable because the candidate is expected to have completed all requirements for the standard professional teaching certificate by that time.   

Many of the participants in these programs, including Teach for America and The New Teacher Projects, complete coursework at Maryland two- and four-year institutions as part of their programs as partners with the local school systems.

For information on specific MAAPP programs see the MAAPP Directory.  Applications for this program are usually submitted in early spring.

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Conditional Teacher Certification; Emergency Route; Transcript Analysis

As a third path for teacher certification in Maryland, a career changer may begin teaching with a Conditional Teacher Certificate and complete coursework while teaching.  Conditionally certified teachers, unlike alternatively prepared teachers in Maryland, are not accorded “highly qualified teacher” status as required by the No Child Left Behind Act.  Currently, school systems may hire candidates who are not teacher certified but hold a bachelor’s or higher degree in the subject (or closely related subject) they will teach.  The school system certification specialist then analyzes the candidate’s transcript and creates a plan of the needed coursework for the candidate to acquire the standard professional teaching certificate.  The candidate is then placed as the teacher of record in the classroom.  The school system’s superintendent hires a teacher with the Conditional Teacher Certificate only if unable to fill a position with a person who holds a professional or Resident Teacher Certificate.  Candidates then complete the coursework at any institutions offering the needed coursework, though they must complete at least half of it at the same institution.  Other states do not recognize teaching certification through this process. 

For more information on all routes for career changers, visit the Maryland State Department of Educations site for Transition to Teaching.

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