Checklist & Instructions for the Recommendation of your
PROVISIONAL Teaching Certificate
Please be sure to read this information completely and to keep it in a safe place for future reference. Making sure that you have completed all your degree and certification requirements is your responsibility! This list will help you with what is needed near the end of your educational journey to your provisional teaching certificate. Information is also included for advancing to your Professional Education Certificate later in your career.
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· MTTC subject* area test(s) must be passed before applying on the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) for your provisional teaching certificate.
1. *NOTE: Elementary education candidates must have a passing score on the Elementary Education MTTC exam #103. Other subject area tests are required only if elementary certificate holders want to teach grades 6-8 in their major/minor areas. This is highly recommended for marketability reasons. You have 5 years from your date of graduation to apply to have your major/minor endorsement(s) added to your certificate (after passing the MTTC subject-area exams).
2. *NOTE: Secondary* education candidates must pass the MTTC test in their major and minor. Candidates can waive certification in their minor area if they have attempted but not passed the MTTC subject area exam for their minor at least one time. If your minor is waived, you have 5 years from your date of graduation to re-take and pass the subject-area exam for your minor and to apply to have the minor endorsement added to your certificate. The “Minor Waiver” form is available from the UM-F Education Department.
· FIRST AID and ADULT/CHILD CPR active certification cards issued by one of the Michigan Department of Education-approved agencies only: American Heart Association, American Red Cross, American Safety and Health Institute, Emergency Care and Safety Institute, Medic First Aid or National Safety Council. No online courses are accepted. Copies of your certificates must be submitted to the Education Office before applying for your teaching certificate. Remember to sign your card and to make a copy of both the front and the back of the card to turn into the office.
Report HONESTLY all felony and misdemeanor convictions (regardless of how long ago) when applying on the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS). If you have a conviction of any kind, you are required to provide a Judgment of Sentence and Register of Action for each offense from the court to the UM-F Education Department. New information must be reported within 10 days of the offence.
· Bachelor’s degree must be officially awarded by the Registrar’s Office. Awarding of your degree normally occurs 5-30 days after the end of the semester. A Post-bachelor candidate (previous degree, earning certification only) must complete all program requirements.
· When the above items are complete, apply using MOECS. See the last page for instructions on setting up your MOECS account. The UM-F Teacher Certification Officer will be notified that you have applied and will contact you if additional information or documentation is needed to approve your application.
· Please NOTE that the initial Provisional Teaching Certificate is valid for 5 years. To progress to the next level certificate – the Professional Teaching Certificate – candidates must:
1. Successfully teach for three years under the validity of their Provisional certificate.
2. One of the following: (a) Six (6) semester credit hours in a planned program at an approved teacher preparation institution OR (b) 180 clock hours of state continuing education in approved professional development activities appropriate to the grade level and content endorsement(s) of the certificate OR (c) Annual district provided professional development programs that are appropriate to the grade level and content endorsement(s) of the certificate OR (d) A combination of semester credit hours, state continuing education hours, or district provided annual professional development. See Michigan Department of Education website for details regarding the above (www.michigan.gov/teachercert).
3. Satisfactory completion of 3 semester credit hours in an approved course of study in the diagnosis and remediation of reading disabilities and differentiated instruction (including field experience) per PA451. The University of Michigan-Flint courses which are approved by the State of Michigan to fulfill this requirement are:
· EDR-540, Assessment-Based Literacy Instruction in Elementary Classrooms
· EDR-541, Assessment-Based Literacy Instruction in Secondary Classrooms
· EDR 645, Literacy Instruction for Students Identified with Special Needs (for teachers admitted to our special education or literacy graduate programs)
Questions regarding certification should be directed to:
Debbie Seyerle
Certification Officer
The University of Michigan-Flint
School of Education & Human Services
Education Department
430 French Hall
Flint, MI 48502
Email:
Phone: 810-766-6825
Fax#: 810-762-3102
CERTIFICATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR TEACHER CANDIDATES GRADUATING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-FLINT IN DECEMBER 2011
**PLEASE FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY**
If you are a candidate for teacher certification, you will need to initiate the certification recommendation process by self-registering with the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS) as soon as degrees are posted by UM-F (approximately one month from the date of graduation). Your application will be submitted to UM-F as your recommending university. Once your application has been approved by UM-F the recommendation for certification will be submitted to the Michigan Department of Education and you will receive an e-mail notification to pay your certification fee online. Your certificate will be processed and mailed to you as soon as the payment is received.
TO REGISTER WITH MOECS, PLEASE FOLLOW THESE STEPS:
Step 1: Create a Michigan Education Information System (MEIS) Account: Visit https://cepi.state.mi.us/MEISPublic/ and follow the links on the screen to create a Michigan Education Information System (MEIS) account. When you complete the MEIS registration process, you will see a screen with your account ID, login, and temporary password. Follow the link listed on the bottom of the screen to set your MEIS password. Be sure to print out or keep documentation of your MEIS account information for future reference.
Step 2: Register with MOECS: Once you have established a MEIS ID, please visit http://www.michigan.gov/moecs and on the login screen sign in with your MEIS user ID and password and follow the steps to self-register with MOECS. On the registration page, you will be asked to provide your MEIS account number, which is included in the email that you received from MEIS.
Step 3: Apply for Certificate in MOECS: Once you have signed in with MOECS successfully, you will be asked to complete the demographic information and once it is saved, you will see the links on the left navigation panel. Choose the link that is appropriate for you and follow the steps to complete your application.
Step 4: University/College review/approval: After you have applied for your certificate, your application will be submitted to the institution that you identified in the application process via MOECS for review and approval.
Step 5: Online Fee payment: Once your application is approved by the institution in MOECS, you will receive an email with a link for you to pay the fee online using credit/debit card or you can do so by logging into MOECS using your user ID and password, and clicking on the “pending payment” hyperlink on the home page.
Step 6: Issuance of Certificate: Once the fee is paid, your application will be approved by the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Professional Preparation Services (OPPS) and your will receive a PDF version of your provisional teaching certificate via the MOECS system (MDE does not mail a copy). If you are having any difficulties with the registration process, please contact the Office of Professional Preparation Services at 517-373-3310.