Teaching art in today’s Pennsylvania schools can be exciting and challenging. Budgets have increasingly gotten tighter while demands on art teachers across the state to perform at a higher standard have grown with each passing year.
Despite these hurdles you will be preparing yourself to take on a career that will be rewarding as you watch the development of your students and help shape the futures of our next generation. Take these steps below to get started on a new career as an art teacher in Pennsylvania.
 | Participate in a Degree Program |
 | Pass the Competency Exams |
 | Send in For Your Certification |
 | Renew Your Certification |
Step 1. Participate in a Degree Program
When you are ready to enroll in your educational program, keep in mind the state educational requisites that will lead to your certification. In Pennsylvania you will need to meet the following minimum requirements:
- Earn at least a Bachelor’s Degree. A bachelor’s degree is awarded to you either before you are admitted into a teacher preparation program or as part of the program.
- Complete a supervised teaching experience that will include both observational work as well as instructional work.
- Have a 3.0 GPA noted on your transcript for your Bachelor’s degree (or master’s degree if you choose that option).
Your art instructional program will have courses that prepare you to have a broad education, develop your skills and knowledge in art, and give you the tools you will need to become an effective teacher. During the first part of your educational plan many of your classes are spent on general education courses. Once you start your junior year, you will then enter into your core classes. By your senior year you will be working on your teacher preparation and then on to your student teaching.
Student teaching is usually broken into two phases. The first phase will allow you sit in a classroom and watch a veteran teacher as they instruct. The next phase of your internship will require you to become the teacher. You will have someone observing and evaluating your performance, making notes and helping you along the way.
Alternate Degree Opportunity
If you have already earned a degree at some point in your life and now wish to teach, you may qualify for the teacher intern program. These programs are offered in over thirty colleges and universities across the state. They will allow you to take the coursework necessary to prepare you to become an effective teacher in the classroom. Once you have successfully completed the program you should be recommended as a candidate for an Instructional I certificate.
Step 2. Pass the Competency Exams
Most candidates for a teaching certificate must pass the state exams. There are two tests you will be required to take in order to apply for your teaching license.
- Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA)
- Art Content Assessment Test
Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA)
The PAPA exam will be taken at a Pearson Education center. The test is meant to assess your knowledge in reading, writing, and math. All teachers in Pennsylvania must show their basic proficiency in these three subject areas. The test is broken into the three sub-areas. You can take each part by itself, or you can take them all together on the same day.
- The reading test is an 85-minute test made of 56 questions.
- The math test is made up of 56 selected-response style questions and numeric entry questions. The test is 85 minutes in length. You will be provided with an on-screen calculator for the math test.
- The writing test is 100 minutes long and is divided into a 40-minute selected-response section and two half- hour essays.
Art Test
Art teachers in Pennsylvania grades K-12 must also take a core assessment test. The art test shows that you are an expert in your field.
- The art test is two hours long and has 100 questions. The questions are Selected-response questions covering the subjects of art theory, art making, and the foundations of art.
You have the option of registering by phone, mail, or online for your exams. You will need to pay an individual fee for each test you take. If you must take the exam again, there is a retake fee. When you register, you will be issued a paper ticket that you will need to print and bring with you on the day of the exam along with your government issued ID.
Step 3. Send in For Your Certification
Once you have completed your degree program, finished your teacher’s preparation, and passed your exams, you are ready for the final step; it is time to apply for your state certification. Pennsylvania has two levels of certification. The initial certificate, Level I, is valid for a maximum of six years.
You must complete all the requirements. The level one certificate isn’t renewable. When you complete those requirements, your Level I can be changed to a Level II certificate. If you don’t go through this process your the Level I certificate lapses and you will not be allowed teach in Pennsylvania public schools.
To apply for your Instructional Level I certificate you must use the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS). There is a fee of $125 for your certification.
If you have any questions you can contact:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17126
Division of Certification Services (717) 728-3224.
Step 4. Renew Certification and Continue Your Education
When you are ready to recertify and receive your Level II certificate, you will need to have completed 180 hours of professional development in courses that are related to your art. You will also have to align your courses with any plan that has been designed by your employing school.
You can meet the 180-hour requirement by completing six college units, six units of continuing professional education courses, 180-hours of some type of professional development classes, or other programs, or types of activities and learning experiences that add up to 180 hours. One unit or credit is the same as 30 hours of continuing professional education. It is important to keep in mind that you need to take specific courses. Check with your school to be sure that the units will qualify for credit.
There are some activities that qualify for professional development and some that don’t. Typically the ones that don’t are those that further your own career. The activities that are acceptable are those that will benefit the student and the classroom. Here are a few examples:
Examples of Professional Development Activities:
- Creating sustained literacy programs in content area.
- Building your knowledge of art as well as in other areas.
- Development of curriculum that is aligned with Pennsylvania standards
- Data analysis training.
- Anything that advances high-quality classroom instruction.
- Designing and creating shared lessons.
- Developing personalized student-learning experiences.
Pennsylvania Art Teacher Salaries
According to the National Education Association, the average starting salary for teachers in Pennsylvania (as of the 2012-2013 school year) is $41,901, somewhat higher than the national average of $36,141.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide data on art teacher salaries as a separate unit, but tracks salaries for elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers as larger categories. The department reports the following annual mean wages and employment numbers as of May 2013:
| Occupation Title | Employment | Annual Mean Salary |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 56,250 | 60,000 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 23,450 | 58,950 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | 480 | 61,150 |
However, teacher salaries can vary significantly by location. A sample of the median salaries and employment figures as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for some major cities appears below:
| Occupation Title | Employment | Annual Mean Salary |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 4,880 | 62,090 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 2,130 | 61,350 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | ** | 69,550 |
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| Erie, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,140 | 56,180 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,410 | 55,230 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | ** | 50,040 |
|
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| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2,870 | 57,440 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,000 | 59,950 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | ** | 58,390 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,810 | 57,810 |
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| Johnstown, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 590 | 47,350 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 370 | 57,630 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 500 | 57,130 |
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| Lancaster, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,450 | 58,200 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 820 | 57,460 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | 40 | 64,570 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,740 | 59,890 |
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| Lebanon, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 540 | 60,670 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 230 | 64,740 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 570 | 59,070 |
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| Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 16,490 | 63,320 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 6,630 | 60,940 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | 130 | 62,320 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 18,570 | 65,710 |
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| Pittsburgh, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 10,820 | 58,020 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 5,020 | 58,440 |
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School | 60 | 51,620 |
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| Reading, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,610 | 59,330 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,040 | 64,110 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 2,470 | 62,860 |
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| Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2,390 | 58,780 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 800 | 56,600 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 2,710 | 59,400 |
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| State College, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 430 | 55,880 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 120 | 61,770 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 360 | 55,360 |
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| Williamsport, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 660 | 62,630 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 430 | 60,430 |
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School | 100 | 62,370 |
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| York-Hanover, PA | ||
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,900 | 65,420 |
| Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 600 | 65,820 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 1,640 | 66,780 |
Salary schedules vary by school district and are developed after negotiations with the union. A database of public school salaries is available here. The salary schedule for Philadelphia public schools may be found below:
Information on postsecondary art, music, and drama teacher salaries in various areas of the state can be found in the following table provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics: