Requirements
Teaching certification in Maryland requires that one fulfill four components:
Coursework in the Subject(s) to be Taught
Coursework in Teacher Education
Testing
An Experiential Component
Coursework in the Subject(s) to be Taught
Maryland has a number of different certifications dependent on what level and what subject the candidate would like to teach.
- Teaching Pre-K through grade three requires early childhood certification.
- Teaching grades one through six requires elementary education certification.
- Teaching grades four through nine requires middle school certification
- Teaching grades seven through 12 required secondary certification.
Additional certification areas permit teaching nursery through grade 12, for example, art, music, and physical education. Certification in special education permits teaching at various ages and in various areas depending on the specific certification acquired.
Without a degree in the preferred field, prospective teachers will probably need some content courses along with education courses to become certified. If the prospective teachers choose a secondary subject or an area that certifies them to teach grades nursery through 12, they need to have 36 credits in the discipline (24 specifically in the content area of certification and 12 related); for early childhood education and elementary education, they need to have 12 credits each of math and science, and 9 credits each in English and social studies (geography, history, economics and/or political science). The state department has issued different requirements if the prospective teachers are accepted into a Resident Teacher Certificate Program; these requirements can be found under the heading MD Pathways in this tab. Special education has different requirements depending on the teaching level.
Check this Maryland State Department of Education Certification Areas Site.
Coursework in Teacher Education
Prospective teachers are required to learn about the profession of teaching through teacher education courses. The state has determined minimum requirements in this area, but the actual names and number of courses needed will vary depending on the certification area chosen, the pathway taken, and the institution attended. The minimum coursework required includes teaching methods, assessment of students, teaching of reading (for all teachers, not just those teaching reading in the younger grades), the psychology of learning, child or adolescent development, and special education.
Testing
Testing of basic skills should be the first step in the certification process. Prospective candidates will need to demonstrate basic skills competencies through the Praxis I, SAT, GRE, or ACT. These tests measure competency in mathematics, reading, and writing.
The second part of the testing component is taking Praxis II, composed of a content test and a pedagogy test. For individuals preparing to teach foreign languages, an alternative to the requirement to pass the Praxis II content assessment is the option to pass the American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages test. The pedagogy test measures knowledge of the teaching and learning process in the subject(s) to be taught.
For more information about these assessments and to view the passing scores, go to the Maryland State Department of Education link on Testing Information.
The Experiential Component
Maryland requires that all providers of teacher education programs incorporate an experiential component into the program. Typically called student teaching or an internship, it requires application of knowledge gained in teacher education courses.
Prospective teachers who enter a MAP program most often complete graduate-level courses to attain their teacher certification. Some are full-time programs, which require an internship of a minimum of 100 days in two consecutive semesters. Others are part-time programs, which the state does not hold to the same length of internship requirements. This preserves flexibility and allows directors to shape programs to fit the individual needs of school systems and prospective teachers, many of whom may still be working full-time prior to their internships.
Prospective teachers in the alternative certification programs (MAAPPs) complete an internship lasting between four and eight weeks, depending on previous teaching experience, and then enter the classroom with ongoing support and mentoring throughout the residency.
Prospective teachers with conditional teaching certificates enter their first teaching experience without an internship. These prospective teachers receive mentoring assistance during their probationary year, which fulfills the experiential component so long as a satisfactory evaluation is received.