The Department has implemented a procedure for teachers holding the Passport to Teaching credential issued by the
American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) so that they may be eligible for a Pennsylvania Instructional I certificate in the subject areas of
elementary, secondary English, secondary mathematics, secondary general sciences, secondary physics, secondary chemistry and secondary biology.
After candidates earn the ABCTE Passport certificate by passing the ABCTE tests in pedagogy and the subject area, they may apply to the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality for a Pennsylvania Temporary Teaching Permit (TTP), valid for one calendar year. This TTP allows them to serve in the public schools of the Commonwealth under a "mentoring" program supervised by a teacher education institution (Point Park University). Mentoring requires a full-time placement in the candidate's certification area.
During that initial year of teaching, a candidate is responsible for completing the following through Point Park University:
- Mentoring visits
- 2 continuing education seminars/workshops
- 2 graduate level education pedagogy courses
It is the candidate's responsibility to contact Point Park University regarding additional information on completing the above requirements. Candidates should note that there will be additional costs incurred for this portion of the program. Information regarding costs should be confirmed with Point Park University.
The TTP is valid for only one calendar year, and therefore, we encourage the candidate to first seek employment before applying for the permit. Employment is the responsibility of the candidate and is not provided by the University. Candidates should be aware that it is your responsibility to seek employment in order to enter into the mentoring portion of the program. You must be employed as a teacher in order to complete this requirement. Candidates should also be aware that the state of Pennsylvania graduates thousands of fully certified elementary teachers every year, and employment in this certification area may be difficult to find.
In order to apply for the TTP, a candidate must supply the following to PDE:
- PDE 338 G form with "ABCTE TTP Candidate" written across the bottom
- $100 money order made payable to "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania"
- copy of your passport to teaching
- copy of your ABCTE test scores
- copy of the PDE application addendum (pdf)
- all official college-sealed transcripts
Upon completion of the remainder of the program through Point Park University, the applicant must contact the University for assistance in applying for their Level I certification.
Candidates holding the TTP in the subject area to which they are assigned are considered "highly qualified" in the No Child Left Behind report and for the State Report Card.
Further information on the Passport for Teaching for Pennsylvania is available on the American Board website.
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