Certifications
The Virgin Islands Board of Education facilitates the certification of teachers and other education professionals in the Virgin Islands of the United States. There are three types of certifications.
The class 1 certificate applies to applicants with bachelor degrees.
The class 2 certificate applies to applicants with master degrees.
The substitute teacher pool certificate applies to eligible individuals who would like to be available as a substitute teacher.
General Certification Requirements
For initial certification in the Virgin Islands, all candidates must:
- Have a bachelor's degree from an accredited or approved institution
- Submit a Professional Staff Certification application
- Submit official transcripts from all accredited institutions
- Demonstrate proof of U.S. citizenship, permanent residency or other approved work status
- Complete a course in Virgin Islands history within the first year of employment *
- Pass the Praxis® tests for their certification area **
*Applies only to school-based professionals appointed to the Virgin Islands public school system AFTER the 1991-1992 school year
**Applies only to secondary school and elementary content area teachers
Any person who would like to teach in the Virgin Islands must also complete the general course requirements consisting of the areas outlined below. Elementary school teachers need 36 education semester credits and secondary school teachers need 26 education semester credits consisting of the area below.
- Foundations of Education: Areas such as Philosophy of Education, School Effectiveness, History of Education, and Comparative Education
- Educational Psychology: Areas such as growth and development of children from birth through life span, Psychology of Learning, Child Adolescent Psychology and Mental Hygiene
- Curriculum and Methods: A minimum of 18 semester credit hours in teaching Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, Fine Arts, Science, Social Studies plus effective teaching skills, classroom management, measurement and evaluation
- Educational Technology or comparable computer course
- Special Education
- Student Teaching which includes supervised observation, participation and full-time responsible teaching in an elementary school, totaling at least 6 but not more than 12 semester credit hours
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