Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens To qualify, you must meet the education requirements described below: State or Territory Certification/License. A valid fully professional state teaching license in content areas or the state's equivalent (as DoWEA determines comparable to DoWEA's teacher categories) will be accepted as fulfilling all qualifications for professional teaching education and certification in content areas. To receive full reciprocity the license must be unencumbered, which means a license that is not revoked, suspended, or made probationary or conditional by the state licensing board of education. The Praxis I and II or seven years of teaching at the Prek-12 level can be substituted in lieu of an unencumbered license and will require all minimum education requirements, a student teaching/internship and full qualification standards must all be met. Applicant's claiming military spouse preference under the MSLRA will receive consideration for an encumbered license. Minimum Academic Preparation and Requirements. A baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association is required. Academic preparation of at least 40 semester hours (SH) in general education course work distributed over such fields as English, history, social studies, mathematics, fine arts, languages, science, philosophy, and psychology is required. In addition, a minimum of 18 SH of professional teacher education course work in such areas as learning process, tests and measurement, educational philosophy, psychology, social foundations, methods of teaching and curriculum applicable to the type and level of the position for which applying is required. (Note: Speech Language Pathologists, Social Workers, School Nurses, School Psychologists, JROTC Instructors, and non-certified Training Instructors are excluded from the minimum academic preparation requirement.) Student Teaching or an Internship. Student teaching or an internship as part of an approved teacher education program in an accredited U.S. institution is required. In the absence of an approved student teaching or internship program, applicants may be given credit for one year of successful full-time employment as an educator. Since that one year of employment substitutes for a course, no credit may be given for pay purposes. (Note: Speech Language Pathologists, Social Workers, School Nurses, Guidance Counselors, School Psychologists, JROTC Instructors and non-certified Training Instructors are excluded from the student teaching requirement.) 0440 - Teacher, Gifted Education (6-12)- Certifiable in any DoWEA Middle School or Secondary Education (6-12) and a minimum of 12 semester hours in gifted education. Coursework should include content such as nature and needs of gifted students, identification, differentiation of instruction, curriculum design, and models and strategies for teaching gifted students. An unencumbered professional teaching license in content areas above or its state equivalent will be considered to have fulfilled these requirements.