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Interstate Certification Agreements and Reciprocity

Individuals completing one or more of Penn State's certification programs frequently ask whether their professional credentials will be valid outside of Pennsylvania.

Many states belonging to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) have signed general interstate "agreements" with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, but some states still evaluate the records of individual candidates to determine eligibility for specific areas of certification.

Although the standards for the preparation of professionals in education are not exactly the same everywhere in the United States, Penn State’s graduates typically file copies of their credentials with the appropriate out-of-state certification office, which then issues the initial or provisional credentials valid in that state. (In some cases, additional standardized tests or coursework may be required.)

To initiate the application process, candidates should:
 

  1. Contact the appropriate State Department of Education: (http://www.ed.gov) or (http://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html)
  2. Request an application form necessary to secure a professional certificate in that state.


Many states require that upon completion of the application form, the applicant must forward it to the institution where the certification program was completed to request an endorsement from the Dean of the College of Education. Some states also may require an official transcript.

Out-of-state applications for professional credentials requiring only the endorsement of the Dean of Penn State's College of Education should be addressed to:
Advising and Certification Center
228 Chambers Building
University Park, PA 16802

Out-of-state applications for professional credentials requiring an official Penn State transcript should be sent to:
Penn State University
Transcript Office
112 Shields Building
University Park, PA 16802

If an endorsement by the Dean of the College of Education also is required, then the Registrar's Office will forward the form and transcript to the Advising & Certification Center.