Certification of Teachers in Educational Technology

The initial licensing and credentialing of classroom teachers’ skills in technology integration is not standardized and is a complicated interaction between [Page 96]teacher preparation institutions and state departments of education. In the United States, teacher credentialing rules vary by state. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is a national accreditation board for colleges of teacher education. The Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) is a national consortium of educational and government entities that develops standards for teacher preparation. NCATE and InTASC standards integrate technology into their models rather than parsing out educational technology as a separate standard or benchmark. NCATE and InTASC standards are often adopted or adapted by states. This entry discusses certification standards in the United States and abroad for classroom teachers’ technology integration skills.

In 1998, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) released their first National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Students, now known as the ISTE Standards for Students (ISTE Standards·S). In 2000, the first NETS for Teachers (NETS·T) was released; these are now known as the ISTE Standards for Teachers (ISTE Standards·T). These standards serve as a benchmark guide for local, state, national, and international PK–12 educational institutions. They are frequently refreshed and are widely recognized as the standard resource for technology integration and proficiency benchmarks. NCATE works closely with ISTE and other associations (e.g., the Association for Educational Communications and Technology and the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction) to integrate the standards into the NCATE framework. NCATE embeds educational technology across initial teacher licensure program standards along with offering additional standards for technology facilitator and leadership roles. In the most recent (2008) refresh of the ISTE Standards for Teachers standards, the benchmarks moved away from specific technologies to a focus on habits of mind and practice that facilitate digital age teaching.

An analysis of U.S. Department of Education teacher licensing requirements reveals that the evaluation and credentialing of teachers use of educational technology falls broadly into two categories: (1) educational technology skills are embedded across teaching standards, or (2) educational technology skills are evaluated as separate standards. Of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., 19 states offer an additional or separate certification or endorsement in educational technology. Among the 19 that offer separate certification, the credential requirements and definitions vary. Some states offer a credential for educational technology coach or specialist. This often indicates that persons who received this credential have advanced knowledge in using technology for curricular integration not only in their own classrooms but also have the skills to help others. Other states require post-baccalaureate or master’s level course work in educational or instructional technology to receive a credential that certifies a teacher as proficient in technology integration. In some states, an educational technology credential is bundled with a certification that allows teachers to teach keyboarding or a basic computer-skills course (becoming less common as these skills are introduced to most children at the elementary level).

All states require some form of testing to achieve teacher certification. Generally states require a basic skills test that evaluates reading, writing, and mathematics skills. Once teacher candidates complete and pass a basic skills examination, they then complete specific testing and evaluation in their content areas. The content area exams have a focus on content area expertise and knowledge, not educational technology integration. Several states use the common Praxis II exam for subject area knowledge administered by the Educational Testing Service. There is a Praxis II exam titled “Technology Education” that does have some focus on the integration and use of technology for teaching. However, it also focuses on design and manufacturing technologies and thus does not fully assess the teachers’ proficiency in the use of technology in teaching. Other states evaluate the college transcript for evidence of coursework in educational technology. There are inherent tensions and debates for both performance-based and test-based methods of certification. Furthermore, there is debate on the lifespan of certifications, especially in educational technology, as the field is in a constant state of evolution.

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