| Important Deadlines for School Library Media Students
Deadlines for Applications for Candidates Applying for Initial Certification
Candidates applying for initial certification must submit applications for certification to the Office of Student Affairs in the College of Education no later than December 1 of the preceding year for a fall internship placement and no later than April 15 of the preceding year for a spring internship. For example: December 1, 2008 is the deadline for a fall 2009 internship and April 15, 2009 is the deadline for a spring 2010 internship. Applications for initial certification include fingerprinting and background checks.. For more information, contact:
Office of Student Affairs
Attention: Certification Office
College of Education
Wardlaw 113
Columbia , SC 29208
Telephone: (803) 777-6732
To apply for INITIAL Certification, you must:
A. Complete and submit online (found at http://www.scteachers.org/) to the SCDE:
Online Application for Educator Certification
Online Verification of Teaching Experience form (if applicable, to report any paid teaching experience)
$75 non-refundable application fee payable via credit/debit card (effective September 1, 2008)
NOTE: Make a copy of paid receipt to be submitted to USC (see D2 below).
B. Contact Integrated Biometric Technology (IBT) to be fingerprinted (called live scan).
Register online with IBT at http://www.ibtfingerprint.com/ or call 866-254-2366 to schedule an appointment for electronic fingerprinting. $29.25 fee paid directly to IBT
NOTE: Make a copy of paid receipt to be submitted to USC (see D4 below).
C. Submit online Request for Transcript (http://registrar.sc.edu/html/transcripts/default.stm) and fee to USC Registrar.
Be sure to indicate “SC State Department of Education, Columbia, S.C.” as Recipient and “Mail After Degree is Posted” for the Print prompt.
NOTE: If you received a graduate or undergraduate degree from an institution other than USC-Columbia, you must submit a separate Request for Transcript form to the Registrar’s office at that/those institution(s) to have your official transcripts sent to the SCDE. The SCDE will not accept unofficial transcripts.
D. Complete and submit hard copies of the following documents to USC College of Education Office of Student Affairs (Wardlaw 113):
1. Recommendation (Verification of College Preparation Recommendation for Teacher Certificate) form – top portion only, completed
2. Photocopy of paid receipt for application for certification from SCDE (see A above)
3. Photocopy of paid receipt for electronic fingerprinting from IBT (see B above)
NOTE: If you graduate more than 18 months after the fingerprint and background check process, you may be required to be fingerprinted again and assessed an additional fee(s) by the SCDE and/or IBT.
For more information, contact:
Emma M. May
Certification Officer
USC College of Education
Wardlaw 113d
Columbia, SC 29201
Email Address: may-emma@sc.edu
Telephone: 803-777-6732
Fax: 803-777-3068
To be recommended for INITIAL certification in School Library Media, the USC College of Education Certification Administrator must check and/or have the following documents/information:
- Graduation with MLIS degree posted
- Passing scores on the Praxis II Area Examination (Test Code 0310) submitted to BOTH the College of Education Office of Student Affairs and the SCDE. You must use the codes listed below when registering for all required Praxis II exams to ensure a copy of each exam score is submitted to BOTH USC and the SCDE:
Office of Student Affairs Division of Teacher Quality
USC College of Education SC Department of Education
Wardlaw 113 3700 Forest Drive, Suite 500
Columbia, SC 29208 Columbia, SC 29204
(Praxis School CODE 5818) (Praxis School CODE 8108)
C. Documentation from the School of Library and Information Science that all coursework requirements of the NCATE accredited program leading to certification in school library media have been met, including school library media internships and education courses.
When your degree has posted, the Registrar’s office will forward to the SCDE a copy of your transcripts.
After you have successfully:
1. completed all of the required course work, including the internship experience and education courses;
2. your degree has posted;
3. you’ve submitted passing scores from the Praxis II in school library media (Test Code 0310);
4. the School of Library and Information Science has recommended you for certification after you've completed all requirements of the NCATE accredited program leading to certification in school library media,
the College of Education will forward the Recommendation (Verification of College Preparation Recommendation for Teacher Certificate) form to the SCDE. Please allow at least four weeks from the time this information leaves USC for the SCDE to issue a Letter of Eligibility. Then, allow an additional eight to 10 weeks to receive your certificate. Follow the progress of your application and recommendation for certification online at http://www.scteachers.org/ “View Certification Status”.
Helpful Contact Information
SC Department of Education (SCDE) Integrated Biometric Technology (IBT)
Division of Teacher Quality http://www.ibtfingerprint.com/
3700 Forest Drive, Suite 500 866.254.2366
Columbia, SC 29204
SCDE online application & to check certification status Praxis II
http://www.scteachers.org/ http://www.ets.org/
USC Office of the University Registrar
http://registrar.sc.edu/html/transcripts/default.stm
Deadlines for Applications for Candidates Applying for Additional Certification
Candidates who currently hold a valid and current classroom teaching license need to submit the completed Advanced Certification Application Packet to the Office of Student Affairs at the beginning of their internship semester. A $65.00 fee will be billed to your university account during the semester of your internship . You should pay this through VIP or at Petigru just as you do your tuition fees.
Deadlines for Applications for Internships in School Library Media
Applications for internships in school library media must be submitted to the SLIS Student Services Office no later than the first week of October for spring semester placements and no later than the first week of March for fall semester placements. Applications for internships are available from the SLIS Student Services Office.
National Exams
Praxis II in School Media (Test Code 0310) is required for certification and should be taken after completion of SLIS classes, especially SLIS 720. The minimum passing score for certification in SC is currently 590. As of July 2006, the minimum passing score is 620.
Candidates seeking licensure in school library media in states outside South Carolina should
1. Be responsible for independently contacting the Department of Education in the state where they are seeking certification at the beginning of their program of study.
2. Learn the specific requirements for licensure in the state where seeking certification.
3. Be responsible for independently fulfilling these specific requirements, including additional course work, paperwork, and fees.
4. Work closely with the Office of Student Affairs at USC to help facilitate certification outside South Carolina . |
