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Prerequisite Coursework in Arizona
All states require teachers to have at least a Bachelor’s degree. Furthermore, Arizona has some specific coursework requirements based on the level of teaching at which you want to be certified:
- Early Childhood Education: Early childhood education courses, including courses in 10 areas, such as child growth and development, early language and literacy development, developmentally appropriate instructional methods, and teaching students with exceptionalities.
- Elementary Education: 45 semester hours of education courses.
- Middle Grades Education: Education courses in a variety of areas including early adolescent psychology, developmentally appropriate instruction delivery, and more.
- Secondary Education: Education courses in a variety of areas including early adolescent psychology, developmentally appropriate instruction delivery, and more.
- Special Education: Requirements vary by grade level.
All levels of teaching require practicum/student teaching
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Arizona Teacher Certification Programs
Getting a teaching certificate usually involves the completion of an accredited certification course with both pedagogical theory and classroom practice components. These courses can be completed either on-site or online. More information about teacher certification, including available certificates and accredited teacher preparation programs in Arizona can be found on the Arizona Department of Education website.
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Required Tests for Arizona
Applicants for teacher certification must pass both a test of subject knowledge and a test of professional knowledge. This can be accomplished by either taking the the AEPA (Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessment) Exams or the National Evaluation Series (NES®) assessments for Arizona-appropriate to Elementary or Secondary education.
Read more about teacher certification tests on Teach.com.
You can learn more about the Praxis exams by visiting Teach.com’s Ultimate Guide to the Praxis Exams and read more about teacher certification tests on Teach.com.
Initial Teaching Certifications
To become certified as a teacher in Arizona, you will need to earn a bachelor’s degree, complete or be enrolled in a teacher preparation program, and pass the required standardized tests. If you have a teaching credential from another state, you may be able to use an interstate reciprocity program to become certified in Arizona. Learn more about Arizona’s certification requirements through the Arizona Department of Education & Early Development.
Earning a teaching credential requires the completion of a certain amount of undergraduate coursework, an accredited teacher preparation program, and a battery of standardized tests. If you’ve already earned your teaching credential in another state, you may be eligible for an Arizona credential through interstate reciprocity. Learn more about getting your teaching credential at the Arizona Department of Education Educator Certification page.
Learn more about getting your teaching credential on Teach.com.
