We are no longer accepting applications for the 2010 cohort of Inspired Teaching Fellows. Please check back this fall for the 2011 application.

Application Process

Candidates are selected through a rigorous multi-step selection process designed to give applicants multiple ways to demonstrate what they would contribute as a classroom teacher.

For more information check these links:
Important Dates and Deadlines
Preparing for the Interview Day
Required Tests

Step 1. Online application.
The application includes basic information and a resume.

In addition, applicants will respond to three prompts in essays of 250-500 words each.

2010 Essay questions:

• Less than half of the students in DC public schools are performing on grade level. Why do you think that is? What will you do about it as a teacher? Why is tackling this challenge attractive to you?
  
  
• Define perseverance in your own words. Describe a time in your life that required you to persevere.
  
  
• There are many "sayings" about teachers. Cite one that speaks to you. Explain the message and clarify its importance to you as a future teacher.
  

Complete the online application here.
 

Step 2. Telephone interview.
Applicants who move to the next round will be invited, within 10 business days from the submission of the application, to participate in a 30-minute phone interview conducted by an Inspired Teaching staff member.

Step 3. Interview Day.
After the phone interview, Inspired Teaching will contact selected applicants for an Interview Day that lasts approximately 5 hours.
More information on preparing for the Interview Day is here.

Step. 4. Admission.
If you have been selected to become an Inspired Teaching Fellow-in-Residence, Inspired Teaching will contact your references and notify you of the selection decision. Inspired Teaching will employ a waitlist for candidates to whom we cannot offer immediate admission.

Once selected by Inspired Teaching, applicants will have the opportunity to spend the day in a classroom of a 2009 Inspired Teaching Fellow. Applicants are highly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to preview a DC classroom and speak with a current Inspired Teaching Fellow to better inform their decision of accepting admission into the Inspired Teacher Certification Program. Applicants who are not in the DC Metro area are encouraged to visit an urban classroom in a nearby city.

Step. 5. Enrollment.
After you have chosen to enroll in our program, Inspired Teaching will send you a handbook that explains the details necessary for candidates. We also will host a program orientation to answer any questions you may have.

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Important Dates and Deadlines#

Inspired Teaching Fellows

March 25, 2010: General registration deadline for April 24 Praxis II test. Additional fees are required for late registration and emergency registration.
***NOTE: The April 24 test is the last test date that will have scores available in time for submission. Candidates are encouraged to take the test at an earlier date, if possible. Please visit www.ets.org for test dates, locations, and registration.

May 1, 2010: Deadline for submitting passing Praxis I scores to Inspired Teaching
Please note that the deadline for Praxis I scores is now May 1 - not June 1, as previously announced.
We apologize for the inconvenience.

June 1, 2010: Deadline for submitting passing Praxis II scores and TB test results to Inspired Teaching

June 21, 2010: Summer Experience Begins
Participants in the program are required to attend daily training from 8:30 to 6:30, Monday through Friday, from June 21 to August 6.
(The Independence Day holiday will be NOT observed on July 5.)

Inspired Teaching Fellows-in-Residence at Capital City Public Charter School

April 21, 2010: Deadline for application to Fellow-in-Residence program at Capital City PCS.

May 6, 2010: Interview Day
All applicants who are invited to a personal interview will participate in a day-long group interview event at CCPCS.
Please save the date - this is the only interview date available.

June 1, 2010: Deadline for submitting passing Praxis I scores and TB test results to Inspired Teaching

June 21, 2010: Summer Experience Begins
Participants in the program are required to attend daily training from 8:30 to 6:30, Monday through Friday, from June 21 to August 6.
(The Independence Day holiday will be NOT observed on July 5.)

July 16, 2010: Deadline for submitting passing Praxis II scores to Inspired Teaching

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Required Tests#

There are three standardized tests required by the state education agency to become a certified teacher in DC:

• Praxis I: Pre-professional Skills Test
• Praxis II: Content Area Knowledge Test (specific to your area of certification); and
• Praxis II: Content Area Pedagogy Test (specific to your area of certification).

All accepted applicants are responsible for passing the Praxis Series administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Candidates assume responsibility for all testing fees. Successful completion of all three individual portions of the Praxis I: Pre-professional Skills Test and the appropriate Praxis II: Content Area Knowledge Test is required in order to begin teaching in a DC traditional or charter public school in fall 2010. If you are admitted to the program but do not pass these tests, you will not be able to be placed in a teaching position. At the end of the program, Fellows must pass the Praxis II: Content Area Pedagogy Test appropriate for their certification area in order to receive their full DC teacher's license.


Praxis I: Pre-Professional Skills Test
The Praxis I exam is a computer-based test and can be taken weekly at any Praxis center. Paper-based exams can also be taken with limited availability, and must be registered for at least one month in advance. The fee for a combined, computer-based Praxis I test is $130. We require that all Inspired Teaching Fellows have official Praxis I and II test score reports on file no later than May 28, 2010.

Testing Area

Praxis II: Content Knowledge
The Praxis II: Subject Assessment tests measure knowledge of specific subjects that K-12 educators will teach, as well as general and subject-specific teaching skills and knowledge. Praxis II tests are offered only as paper-based assessments, and must be registered for approximately one month in advance. The fee for these tests is $80.

If you are invited to attend an Interview Day and are then accepted into the Inspired Teacher Certification Program, you will be expected to register for and take the Praxis II for the subject area you will be teaching.

Praxis II: Pedagogy
In order to complete the program and receive full licensure to teach in the District of Columbia, candidates must pass a specialty area test. Inspired Teaching Fellows will typically take these tests near the end of the program, in the summer following the first year of teaching.

Early Childhood Education (PK-3): Education of Young Children; Test Code: 10021 Minimum Score: 174
Elementary Education (1-6): Content Area Exercises; Test Code: 20012 Minimum Score: 148
Secondary English (7-12): Pedagogy; Test Code: 30043; Minimum Score: 150

Upcoming Testing Dates for 2009

Praxis II Test Date	Registration Deadline	Late Registration Deadline	Emergency Registration Deadline	Scores Available by Phone	Scores Available Online
11.14.09	10.15.09	10.22.09	11.6.09	12.11.09	12.25.09
1.9.10	12.10.09	12.17.09	1.1.10	2.5.10	2.9.10
3.13.10	2.11.10	2.18.10	3.5.10	4.9.10	4.13.10
4.24.10	3.25.10	4.1.10	4.16.10	5.21.10	5.25.10

Please visit www.ets.org to register online for a test and for more information about the Praxis exam.

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Preparing for the Interview Day#

Phone Interview Preparation
Applicants invited to participate in a phone interview will be asked to read an article for discussion.

If you are applying to be an Inspired Teaching Fellow, CLICK HERE to view the chapter "Separate but Equal" from the book "The Children in Room E4: American Education on Trial" by Susan Eaton.

If you are applying to be an Inspired Teaching Fellow-In-Residence at Capital City PCS, CLICK HERE to view the article, "It's Not What We Teach; It's What They Learn" by Alfie Kohn.
 
Selection Day Preparation
The selection day will include a personal interview, a problem-solving activity, a small-group activity, a written reflection, and an interactive whole-group activity.

Dress is business casual—something you might wear to teach in a K-12 public school. You may be asked to engage in mild physical activity, sit on the floor, or do other activities that would be slightly uncomfortable in formal interview attire.

If invited to a final interview, you will be required to:

1. Bring one copy of your resume and a college transcript.
   You must bring to your interview a transcript from the school that will award or has awarded your bachelor’s degree. If you took courses at another institution, this coursework (course name, credits, and grade) should be reflected on your degree-granting institution’s transcript. If it is not, you must provide a transcript from the school where you took the coursework. You will need to bring your transcript(s) to your interview, or your application will be considered incomplete and may not be processed further. We strongly prefer an official transcript, and will need one to make an offer of admission, but an unofficial transcript will suffice if time does not permit you to obtain an official copy. Also, bring a formatted copy of your resume for review by the selection committee.
   
2. Bring originals and photocopies of documentation that proves your citizenship status.
   Due to the hiring restrictions of many schools, the Inspired Teacher Certification Program can only accept U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents for admission. If you are invited to a final interview, you must provide legal documentation that proves you are a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident of the United States. Bring originals for inspection and photocopies for us to keep.
   
3. Bring a clear photograph of yourself.
   To help the selection team members connect names with faces, we request that you bring a photograph of yourself to the interview day. The picture can be a casual shot--no professional photos are needed. All pictures become the property of Inspired Teaching. We regret that pictures cannot be returned.