Yes, the SIPPS Educator Certification Course is a required prerequisite for the SIPPS Trainer Certification Course—even for educators who have extensive experience. While prior experience provides a solid foundation, the Educator Certification Course is designed to provide more comprehensive SIPPS professional learning and a higher degree of accountability.
The course ensures participants demonstrate:
- Mastery of Fifth Edition instructional and correction routines
- Consistent, data-informed instructional decision-making
- Proficiency in teaching all SIPPS levels (Beginning, Extension, Challenge, and SIPPS Plus)
- Fluency with the SIPPS, Fifth Edition professional learning resources, which are a key prerequisite to a trainer’s role in delivering professional learning and supporting implementation
For experienced educators, the SIPPS Educator Certification Course is not a review, but rather an opportunity to deepen expertise, develop fluency with SIPPS Fifth Edition-specific materials, and build the confidence and consistency needed to successfully pursue the SIPPS Trainer Certification. Because the Educator Course is asynchronous and self-paced, experienced SIPPS educators may complete the required coursework more quickly, depending on their familiarity with the content and availability.