All teacher preparation programs are carefully monitored by external stakeholders, including the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), and the U.S. Government‘s Title II (Sections 205 through 208) of the Higher Education Act.

Penn State Harrisburg is proud of its distinctions as an approved provider authorized by PDE to recommend program completers for state certification in the following subject areas:

  • PreKindergarten- Grade 4 (all subjects)
  • Grades 4-8 English/Language Arts
  • Grades 4-8 Mathematics
  • Grades 4-8 Social Studies
  • Grades 7-12 English
  • Grades 7-12 Mathematics
  • Grades 7-12 Social Studies
  • Grades 7-12 Integrated Science
  • Program Specialist – English as a Second Language PK-12
  • Special Education Grades PK-12 

We stand out as the only Harrisburg area provider of educator preparation to be nationally accredited by AAQEP. Our teacher certification candidates are among the best prepared in the region, and many go on to find employment locally, as well as across the U.S., due in part to the high quality of our faculty and programs.

Pass Rates

The report of pass rates is one of five annual reporting measures AAQEP requires us to share publicly. Shown in the table below are the most recent Pass Rates as calculated by Title II.


Important Notes:

  1.  A student is labeled a “pass” if he/she has passed all tests required for a Pennsylvania teaching certification.
  2. Federal Title II pass rate calculations ignore our state (PDE) policy that applies a sliding scale for certification tests based on grade point average (GPA) permitting candidates to qualify for certification based on a combination of GPA and test score: the higher the GPA, the lower their qualifying test score may be.
  3. When acknowledging PDE’s qualifying score adjustments, Penn State Harrisburg pass rates are much higher than Federal Title II pass rate.

Penn State Harrisburg Pass Rates when PDE Qualifying Scores are Counted


Individual test pass rates are not calculated by Title II for any test with fewer than 10 takers. Penn State Harrisburg is proud to furnish passing data on the individual tests required by PDE for certification.