The Arizona Center for Teacher Preparation offers candidates its comprehensive AZ TeacherPrep program – a route to become a teacher in Arizona. The program is comprised of two components: the Classroom Qualifier, a self-paced program; and the Employed Internship, a year-long position that allows you to select a mentor for your first year of paid work as a teacher.
Bundled Package
Classroom Qualifier
Employed Internship
Until March 31, 2014, you can take advantage of a special introductory offer reducing the price to $2,800! If you’ve ever wanted to become a teacher in Arizona, now is the time.
Successful completion of both components is required for the Arizona Center to recommend the candidate for certification to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE).
| WHO WE ARE |
On March 18, 2013 the Arizona State School Board voted in unanimous consent to approve The American Board as an official route to Arizona teacher certification. A proven non-profit since 2001, The American Board has a proud history of helping career changers, returning military, busy educators, and other members of the community to become teachers. Since its founding, The American Board has consistently provided support to local schools and districts in their struggle to recruit and train quality teachers.
| HOW WE HELP |
Who serves Arizona’s students better than teachers with traditional Arizona values? The Arizona Center for Teacher Preparation helps identify, train, and support leaders from Arizona’s communities who have a desire to teach locally.
There is a severe teacher shortage in Arizona. According to the U.S. Department of Education, every one of Arizona’s 14 counties reported a shortage of qualified teachers for the 2012-13 school year. Among the core subjects that primarily lack qualified teachers are the math and science areas, which will enable Arizona’s students to compete for college scholarships, higher wages and successful careers after graduation. At the Arizona Center for Teacher Preparation, we believe that the quality teachers to fill these openings can be found within the community that a school serves. We believe that there is no need to recruit teachers from out-of-state to fill these openings (as many other programs do).
The Arizona Center works with local communities and school districts to identify potentially great teachers – those who pursued college majors outside of the education field, but possess valuable content knowledge and field experience. Our program helps experts from other occupations, such as engineers and business leaders, to learn the practice of teaching so they can effectively apply their skills in the classroom as certified Arizona teachers.
| HOW IT WORKS |
How to get certified using the Arizona Center for Teacher Preparation
1. Enroll in the AZTeacherPrep Classroom Qualifier
- Learn the essentials of teaching through the AZTeacherPrep Classroom Qualifier. The online, self-paced program covers:
- Classroom Management
- Instructional Design
- Instructional Delivery
- Assessment
- Demonstrate mastery in these four areas at a PearsonVUE center through the Professional Teaching Knowledge (PTK) exam, created by The American Board, before continuing to the Employed Internship portion of the program.
2. Complete the AZ TeacherPrep Employed Internship
- Obtain 1-year Intern Certificate (renewable twice) from ADE
- Obtain a teaching position at an Arizona school
- Identify and acquire principal approval for a mentor in your school
- Complete internship (1-year), obtain principal sign-off, and submit classroom observation forms for field experience, diversity, and capstone
- Demonstrate subject matter expertise with the appropriate AEPA/NES exam
- Complete the first part (45 hours) of Structured English immersion (SEI)
- Submit IVP fingerprint card, transcripts, application, and fee
- Submit letter from the Arizona Center indicating enrollment in the program and passage of the PTK
3. Obtain Provisional 3-year Certificate† from ADE by fulfilling the following requirements
- Pass the NES Professional Knowledge final exam
- Complete the second part of SEI (45 hours)
- Complete the Arizona and US Constitution Requirements
- Submit the Institutional Recommendation (IR) and proofs of completion to the Arizona Center
- The Arizona Center submits the IR to ADE
4. Obtain the Standard 5-year license (renewable)
- Teach full-time for two consecutive years
Watch our informative Orientation program for our enrolled candidates for even more information.
