Lorraine Brandenburger Certification Officer brandenlarcadia edu Processing your

Lorraine Brandenburger, Certification Officer brandenl@arcadia. edu Processing your Pennsylvania Certification Application: TIMS Instructional I, Supervisory, Administrative, Program Specialist, Letter of Eligibility and Endorsements

Step One Submit Arcadia Form and Application Material Undergraduate Programs • Notification of Certification Completion Form can be found on Arcadia Education Teacher Certification page. • Copy of your Test Scores Certification Tests and Score Requirements • Unofficial Transcript • Evidence of passing Basic Skills Assessment – Reading, Writing and Math (PAPA, Praxis, SAT, ACT, and mixed methods option).

Step One Submit Arcadia Application Material Graduate Programs • • • Notification of Certification Completion Form can be found on Arcadia Education Teacher Certification page. Certification Analysis Sheet Copy of your Test Scores (see link for required tests) Certification Tests and Score Requirements Unofficial Transcript Evidence of passing Basic Skills Assessment – required ONLY for graduate students in a post-bacc program with an undergrad degree in education or a related field. Graduate Students earning an advanced degree are exempt from Basic Skills

Step Two Create Log-In for TIMS Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) application portal TIMS Teacher Information Management System.

Tips to Create TIMS Log-In • Use Firefox or Internet Explorer as your browser • One-time account registration process • Use a personal email address, not one issued by employer or university • Create an easy security question • After you create an account, wait for registration confirmation email; this could take up to 24 hours • Make note of your PPID# when received

Steps to Create TIMS account 1. Go to www. education. pa. gov 2. Hover the mouse over “EDUCATORS” 3. Click “Certification” from the drop down menu

4. Click “TIMS Log In" on the right

5. If this is your first time using TIMS, click “Register. ” (After registration process is completed, go to step 6. )

6. Enter Username and Password and click “Log In. ”

7. The first time you log in with your username and password, you will need to establish your TIMS profile

Part Three Submitting an Application through TIMS GO TO Pennsylvania Department of Education application portal TIMS Teacher Information Management System

Submitting an Application through TIMS FEES INFORMATION

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION 1. After successfully logging in, you are ready to submit an application from your TIMS dashboard! Click on the button “New Credential Application. ”

Steps 2 -4

2. Select the credential type to apply • Instructional I Grades Pre. K-4, Secondary content areas, Art K 12, Reading Specialist K 12, SPED PK-8 and SPED 7 -12 (Type code 61) • Administrative: Principal (Type code 75) • Supervisory: Supervisor C&I, Supervisor SPED, Pupil Personnel Services PK-12 (Type code 76) • Letter of Eligibility: Superintendent PK-12 (Type code 90) • Program Specialist: ESL (Type code 86) • Endorsement: Autism, STEM (Type code 58)

3. Select the subject area you are applying for For Dual Certification select both areas (PK-4/Spec Ed PK-8) Note: passing scores required for dual program OR stand-alone Pre. K-4. Special Ed certification requires an initial certification or a dual program. Special Ed is NOT a stand-alone certification area at this time. If you are adding on Grades 5 -6 through testing you will need to make a new application. NOTIFICATION OF CERTIFICATION COMPLETION

Acceptable Testing Add on Instructional Areas Agriculture PK-12 Art Education PK-12 Biology 7 -12 Business, Computer and Information Technology PK-12 Chemistry 7 -12 Citizenship Education 7 -12 Communications 7 -12 Earth and Space Science 7 -12 English 7 -12 Environmental Education PK-12 Family and Consumer Science PK-12 Foreign/World Languages PK-12 (all specific languages) General Science 7 -12 Grades 4 -8 English Language Arts Grades 4 -8 Mathematics Grades 4 -8 Science Grades 4 -8 Social Studies Grades 5 -6 (can be added to Grades PK-4 subject area only) Grades PK-4 Health Education PK-12 Library Science P K-12 Marketing (Distributive) Education PK-12 Mathematics 7 -12 Music Education PK-12 Physics 7 -12 Safety/Driver Education 7 -12 Social Studies 7 -12 Technology Education PK-12

4. Answer the following questions appropriately if they are listed for the credential type you are requesting. • • • Is this area being added to an existing PA instructional certificate due to testing alone? Will a Pennsylvania institution verify that you meet certification requirements for the certificate you are applying for? HINT-In most cases, if your program was completed in the state of Pennsylvania, your answer will be “yes. ” If your program was completed outside the state of Pennsylvania, your answer is “no. ” Are you a veteran or the spouse of an active duty/veteran?

5. Answer the good moral character questions. 6. Enter your education information under the education tab by clicking Add New. If your certification program was not completed at the bachelor’s degree level, make sure you also include the information regarding your bachelor’s degree.

7. Enter relevant education work experience if applicable to your requirements for certification by clicking “Add New. ” • Update any information that has prepopulated into your application. 8. The Summary Page will list documents that you have to gather and send to our office AFTER you pay and submit the online portion of your application. TIMS is unable to auto-evaluate the application to determine if previously submitted documents pertain to the current application you are submitting. In those cases, there may still be documents you are required to submit that are not listed on your application cover sheet. 9. All required tests for the subject area applied for will be listed in the application. TIMS cannot determine exemptions. The official consideration and review of testing will be made by the certification evaluator at the time of application review. You can view the receipt of the tests currently on file on your TIMS homepage under the “View My Tests On File” button. 10. Choose your payment option (credit card or money order). TIMS does not accept American Express. If you receive an error message before submitting your payment information, wait three hours and try again. 11. Submit your application. Application is not complete until payment is made.

12. After you submit your application in TIMS, you will be given the option of printing your cover sheet. Print the cover sheet. Submit all required documents along with the cover sheet to the address provided on the cover sheet. The cover sheet is always available on your TIMS dashboard for future mailings. 13. TIMS may give you the option to upload certain documents directly into your application. If an upload button is not available for a required document, it must be sent through the mail along with a copy of the cover sheet. DO NOT UPLOAD DOCUMENTS UNDER INCORRECT HEADINGS.

After the Submission • Once you submit the electronic application through TIMS, the Certification Officer from Arcadia can access the application and recommend the candidate to PDE – pending final grades and passing scores on all required tests. • This process could take up to 4 - 6 weeks before PDE approves the application and the candidate can print the certificate (credential) right from the TIMS application. PDE will email you when the application is approved. • After you have been recommended by Arcadia University, check the status of your application every few weeks. When approved you will be able to print your Certificate.

TIMS FAQ

Pennsylvania Teaching Shortage Areas and Federal Loan Forgiveness Programs The Loan Forgiveness Program for Teachers is a federal program that may provide eligible teachers forgiveness on a portion of their student loans. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) provides an annual list of Pennsylvania schools which meet the federal designated low-income school requirements, (both public, and private) to the U. S. Department of Education. Loan Forgiveness applications are submitted to your loan holder; therefore, PDE cannot assist in the application process. However, for your convenience a compilation of Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) is provided.