Exit Criteria - Praxis Exams When the Instructional Technology Specialist certification will be your very first Pennsylvania Department of Education issued Level One certificate, PDE requires that you complete a series of PRAXIS exams and meet the required cut off scores before Penn State can recommend you to PDE for certification. If you already hold a previously issued PDE Level One certificate in any area, you are NOT required to complete the PRAXIS exams requirement. When the Specialist in Instructional Technology will be your first PDE credential, PDE requires the PPST Math, Reading and Writing tests. However, you will not need the Fundamental Subjects test. For more information about the PRAXIS exams, please click here. You can be admitted into the ITSC program before you complete the required PRAXIS exams. However, we strongly recommend that you complete the PRAXIS exams as soon as possible and before investing much time and money in Penn State's ITSC program. Should you put off completing the PRAXIS exams, you could end up completing the ITSC program and still not be able to earn our recommendation to PDE for issuance of the Level One: Specialist in Instructional Technology certificate until you have been successful in fulfilling this PDE requirement. It is worth noting that you will be required to identify within your ITSC admissions application checklist your plan to complete the PRAXIS exams. While we received the following notice on 9/10/04 related to Level One Teaching certificates, it is logical to assume that this will apply to and include Specialist certifications: The House Education Committee held an informational meeting on September 8 to discuss exams used for college admission and teacher certification. Representatives of the Educational Testing Service and the PA Department of Education discussed how the exam currently used for teacher certification (PRAXIS) is developed and whether an alternative assessment is needed. The PRAXIS is developed by ETS, however passing scores are developed by an independent state panel of teachers. According to PDE, approximately 70% of students pass the PRAXIS exams on their first try. Representatives Richard Grucela and Dan Surra think an alternative is needed for individuals who cannot pass the PRAXIS but would make good teachers. Grucela has introduced legislation that would require PDE to develop an alternative certification exam and an alternative certification method for candidates who cannot pass the exam. Surra has introduced legislation to provide for a probationar teaching certificate for candidates who pass all but one PRAXIS exam and have a job offer from a school district. Links to both bills are available on EPLC's Education Policy Information Clearinghouse and may be viewed by clicking here.