In order to begin teaching in Atlanta, corps members must obtain provisional certification by passing required state tests called the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators, or the GACE. These criterion-referenced, objective-based assessments are aligned to the Georgia state curriculum standards, and the tests can only be taken in the state of Georgia.
All Atlanta corps members, elementary and secondary, must successfully pass the GACE Basic Skills Assessment, which includes reading, writing, and math components. Corps members may be exempt from the Basic Skills Assessment with qualifying SAT, ACT, or GRE scores. To be granted this exemption, corps members must have copies of score reports or transcripts with their qualifying exemption scores with a combined verbal and math score of 1000 on the SAT, a score of 43 on the English and math sections of the ACT, or a combined math and verbal score on the GRE of 1030.
Elementary corps members must also pass the Early Childhood GACE Content Assessment in order to be qualified to teach in the state of Georgia and to receive a five-year non-renewable certificate. Secondary corps members must take GACE Content Assessments within their assigned content area. Secondary corps members who pass the required content tests will earn a five-year non-renewable certificate; secondary corps members who do not pass will earn a two-year intern certificate and must also enroll with our university partner in certification coursework. The one exception to this rule is with secondary reading; the GACE reading test must be passed in order to teach reading in the state of Georgia. For further details about the GACE exams, please refer to: www.gace.nesinc.com.
| Costs to Begin Teaching |
|---|
| Testing: $110-245 |
| Travel for Testing: $0-$400 (dependent upon corps members' distance from testing site) |
| Processing: $25 |
| Up-front Certification Program Cost: Up-front Certification Program Cost: $25 (for all corps members enrolling at Mercer) |
The GACE tests are only offered in Georgia on January 12, 2008, March 29, 2008, and June 14, 2008. To complete all required tests many corps members will need to travel to Georgia to test on these dates. All applicants assigned to Atlanta will receive more information about these exams once they are accepted.
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