Send Transcript(S) of All College Courses ( Unofficial Copy Is OK) to ARTC (See Info Below)

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ARTC CHECKLIST- Steps on the Road to Standard Certification

 Send transcript(s) of all college courses (“unofficial” copy is OK) to ARTC (see info below).

 Send passing Praxis I scores to both Delaware Dept. of Education (DE DOE) and ARTC Coordinator.

 Once ARTC notifies you that you are eligible, apply for teaching positions.

 Register on State “DEEDS” website

 Once employed, your employer will notify ARTC to enroll you; you should notify ARTC as well.

 ARTC sends you a welcome letter and tentative schedule for required seminars & courses.

 Call ARTC office to register for ARTC Seminars (first course requirements for certification).

 State DOE issues your initial license and “emergency certificate.”

 Register for 4 other ARTC courses, one each semester, with Office of Professional and Continuing Studies (see contact information below).

 Successfully complete the Praxis II (or ACTFL) in your assigned subject, and send scores to DE DOE (deadline: June 30 of year two).

 Check in with ARTC each semester to monitor your progress.

 Each year, ARTC provides a status update to you, your HR office, and DE DOE.

 When you have finished all required courses, ARTC sends a letter of completion to you, your HR office and the state.

 You request an official final transcript from UD registrar’s office and submit it to your HR office and DE DOE.

 Your HR office sends the state a letter recommending you for a “standard certificate.”

 The DE DOE issues you a “standard certificate.”

For more details, see accompanying notes or visit www.artc.udel.edu.

ARTC CHECKLIST – NOTES

1. Transcript to Enroll

Send a legible copy of transcript(s) from every college or university where you earned credit. You must have either a degree or 30 credits in a “critical needs” subject to participate in ARTC.
Each transcript must contain:

• your name,
• the name of the college/university,
• the date, type and subject of your degree(s), and a title, grade,

and credit value for each course (only grades of A, B or C qualify).

2. Praxis Exams
You must schedule Praxis Core & Praxis II tests administered by Educational Testing Service
(See www.artc/udel.edul for link to ETS) (or ACTFL tests in world languages not tested by Praxis II).
Praxis Core - you can take all three sections: Reading (#5712), Writing (#5722) and Math (#5732) individually, or in a combined format (#5751). Passing scores for Delaware are:

• Reading - 156
• Writing - 162
• Math - 150

If your score is a point or two below the minimum on a given test, you can “borrow” points from another test where your score surpasses the cut off (called a “composite” score).

Note: if you have sufficiently high SAT or GRE scores, you can waive the Reading and/or Math—BUT NOT Writing. Visit ets.org for more information about those cutoff scores.
Praxis II (or ACTFL) – select the exam that best suits your academic/professional background. If you are subsequently hired to teach a subject other than what you have passed Praxis II in; you will have until the end of your second year of teaching to pass that additional exam to earn a standard certificate in that subject.

Study materials are available at most university libraries, online, through ETS, or in bookstores. We recommend completing these tests early in your process. While the state doesn’t require passing scores on Praxis II until the end of your second year of teaching; having passed them will make you a stronger candidate.

You should choose DE Dept. of Ed. as a recipient of your scores when you register; you can copy ARTC on the electronic score report ETS emails you upon passing.

3. Employment
Visit www.artc.udel.edu for tips on how to find employment.
Send your resume and brief cover letter to each district and charter school within your target area that offers a program in your field of teaching. Highlight any experience coaching or tutoring youngsters, training of others you may have done in your career, and other relevant skills or expertise (e.g., organizing theatrical events, coaching a sport, experience writing or editing, or organizing community events).

Timing is crucial. We suggest you do not wait until a position is posted to apply. Be prepared to receive “not hiring” replies. Human resource officers or personnel managers are listed on each school’s or district’s website, available here -

Once you are hired, ask your employer if they will notify ARTC of your employment. They may prefer that you make that contact.

Register on the Delaware Educator Data System (DEEDS)

If you have difficulty registering on DEEDS, call 302-857-3388 for assistance.

5. Registering for Classes

We will send you a tentative schedule for your required seminars and courses. The schedule is flexible and subject to change. ARTC offers every class in Newark and in either Georgetown or Kent County, as long as large enough groups of students need them at each site.

Courses include:

• ARTC Seminars #1, 2 & 3 – Effective Teaching Strategies
• EDUC658 – Discipline and Classroom Management
• EDUC614 – Teaching the Exceptional Adolescent
• EDUC749 – Teaching Methods for the Secondary Classroom
• EDUC622 – The Role of Literacy in the Content Areas

Call the ARTC office (302-831-1100) to register for the ARTC Seminars #1, 2 and 3. A check made payable to University of Delaware is required to begin each seminar. (See ARTC website for seminar costs.)

If you have already earned credits for one of these courses or its equivalent, ARTC will inform you of the remaining courses you need to take. ARTC may request a syllabus from another university to confirm that our requirements are being met.

For all remaining courses, register through the ACCESS Center of the Office of Continuing and Professional Studies (302-831-2743). If you have never taken courses at UD before, you may have to visit the office in Newark on Library Ave. (Debbie Farris), or the office in Georgetown at the Carter Partnership Center (Steve Schwartz). Once “in” the UD system, you will be able to register for future courses online.

6. Payment and Financial Aid

You will need to provide payment for each course. For Fall and Spring semesters, you can request a payment schedule; but summer courses must be paid for in full at the time of registration. Contact the ARTC office and the ACCESS Center to inquire about any financial aid opportunities.

Teachers are eligible for a substantial “scholarship” discount of about 62%.

Fall and Spring courses are also subject to reimbursement through the state’s “Critical Needs Scholarship” program, administered through each district and charter school. Ask your HR officer in advance; funds are limited, so you may not get fully reimbursed. This scholarship is not available for Summer or Winter courses.

7. Certification

The state will email you your license and emergency certificate, the latter of which is valid for one year at a time. Save them. Your employer will request a renewal for the second year IF you are making satisfactory progress toward meeting your requirements for certification (i.e., ARTC courses, Praxis II, satisfactory evaluations, completion of Mentorship Cycles). Your initial license is good for three years and will be replaced by a “continuing license” after you have completed your third year and met all other requirements.

ARTC will contact you at least once a year to update you on your status. Read those letters carefully and make sure they match your own records. If you note a discrepancy, contact ARTC to have it corrected as soon as possible.

Schedule the Praxis II (or ACTFL) exam in your appropriate subject area. Some subjects have multiple exams, so verify with your HR office or ARTC which exam you need to qualify for your standard certificate. Taking the wrong exam can prevent or delay your final certification and employment. On your Praxis or ACTFL registration form, ask that the DE State Department of Education be notified of the results. When you receive your scores, contact ARTC to ensure we receive a copy as well.

Once you have completed your classes and submitted your UD transcript, ARTC will notify you, your HR officer and DE DOE that you have qualified for a standard certificate.

Your HR office will gather the necessary data, including evaluations from DPAS, Mentoring Cycle completion information, Praxis scores and transcript (YOU must provide them with a final transcript,) and submit a recommendation to the state for a standard certificate in your subject area.

This process may take a few weeks to complete. Because you may not receive your letter from the state until close to the expiration date of your emergency certificate, you are strongly advised to check in with ARTC and/or your HR office to track its progress.

8. The state of Delaware issues you a standard certificate. Congratulations!