The Department of Spanish at IUP offers an Instructional I certification program in Spanish Education, K-12, for students who desire to become certified Spanish teachers in the state of Pennsylvania . Students, who complete the program, receive a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/Spanish. Forty students are currently enrolled in the program. Over 90% of our education majors are traditional undergraduates from across the state of Pennsylvania . In recent years, the demographics of our student population have changed, since close to half of our students now come from the eastern part of the state (especially from York and Lancaster counties), with the other half coming from counties in the western section of the state (Allegheny, Cambria, Westmoreland, Indiana/Armstrong, and Fayette counties). Prior to 1998, the majority of students were from Southwestern Pennsylvania . In addition, the program is accepting an increasing number of post-baccalaureates and non-traditional students who have a B.A. in Spanish and desire a teaching credential.

At our last review of approved programs in 2003, the Spanish Education program was found to be in full compliance with all regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Our program has received special commendation for its Foreign Language and International Studies for Elementary Teaching (FLISET) Program.

The Spanish Education program at IUP has earned a national reputation for preparing teachers of the highest caliber. We have been a leader in preparing teacher candidates who are familiar with the latest research in second language acquisition, who demonstrate a high level of proficiency in Spanish as a condition for student teaching, who exhibit an effective approach to instruction and assessment, and who have positive dispositions for teaching and for assuming an active role in the profession. We have received unsolicited letters from school districts who have worked with and employed our student teachers and who laud our program for its effectiveness in producing highly effective Spanish teachers.

It should be noted that in addition to the K-12 certification program in Spanish, the department also offers an academic specialty in “Foreign Language and International Studies for Elementary Teaching” (FLISET), which prepares elementary education majors to teach in elementary school programs in which content teaching in Spanish is the objective. At least half of the FLISET majors also complete the K-12 Spanish certification program.