At the completion of the Relay Washington, DC Certificate in Special Education program, candidates will be eligible to apply for the Special Education: Non-Categorical (P-12) Standard Credential with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in Washington, DC (OSSE).
In addition to completing Relay's program in good academic standing, a certification candidate must….
- Pass the Praxis I Core exam, or an exempting OSSE-approved basic skills exam. These exams include the Praxis Core, Praxis PPST, ACT, SAT, or GRE. Required exam scores are listed on page 2 here.
- Pass the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) for your applicable grade band.*
- Pass the Praxis Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications exam.
- Obtain required documents listed under Option 1 at this link. These documents include official undergraduate transcripts, graduate transcripts (if applicable), and a background check.
Please refer to the table below for more information on each certification milestone. You can find study resources for each Praxis exam at this link.
| Certification Milestone | Praxis Exam Name & Code | Exam Cost | Deadline |
|
1) Submit passing Praxis Core (or exempting exam) score sheet to Relay. Praxis Core must be passed for admission into this program. |
Praxis Core requirement must be met for admission into this program. | n/a | August 3, 2020 |
|
2) Pass the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam for the applicable grade band.* |
Please see below. |
$146 |
November 1, 2020 |
|
3) Pass Praxis Content exam: “Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications” |
Special Education Content exam (5354) |
$120 |
February 1, 2021 |
|
4) Apply for the Standard Credential with OSSE. |
n/a | $50 | August 2021 |
*Which Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam should a candidate register for?
Certification candidates should take the Praxis PLT exam that matches the grade band that they teach. The three Praxis PLT exams are listed below.
1. Principles of Learning & Teaching: Grades K-6 (exam code 5622)
--Note: PreK teachers should take this PLT Grades K-6 exam, not the PLT: Grades PreK-3 exam.
2. Principles of Learning & Teaching: Grades 5-9 (exam code 5623)
3. Principles of Learning & Teaching: Grades 7-12 (exam code 5624)
Please note that if you have previously taken and passed the appropriate Praxis PLT exam, you do not need to re-take it. Most candidates who hold a Washington, DC Standard Credential will already have passing scores on this exam.