DATE: 01 July 2001
PLEASE NOTE:
1. The information included in this memorandum is correct and in effect on this date. All information is subject to change at any time. The website for each individual state normally has the most current information.
2. Since certification requirements vary from state to state, it is the responsibility of candidates to ascertain the requirements of any state in which they plan to teach. Please consult the Teacher Certification Officer and the particular state website early in your college career if you are planning to be certified in another state.
"Across the United States today there are many interstate certification agreements between respective states but virtually no true reciprocity system in teacher certification. (Reciprocity means the automatic issuance of a state's comparable certificate based upon the candidate's holding a similar certification of another state--without any additional requirements). Interstate certification agreements are a set of negotiated conditions upon which a certificate in one state may simplify the issuance of the comparable certificate by another state. A broad array of factors is addressed. These may include: recency of preparation, recency of certified service, whether preparation was completed through an approved preparation/certification program in the other state, the standards of preparation, whether the preparation consisted of an academic major concentration, date of graduation, certification tests, and others." [Quote from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Education Notice,H-142(7/96)]
The INTERSTATE AGREEMENT ON QUALIFICATION OF EDUCATIONAL PERSONNEL" provides for the initial/conditional exchange of instructional certificates between thirty nine (39) states who have signed the contract. Please see the Teacher Certification Officer, for a list of the thirty nine (39) states.
Each state establishes its own certification requirements and may use tests other than those required for certification in Pennsylvania. Therefore, if you are planning to move to another state, please check the Praxis Bulletin for the test requirements listed for that state. States using the Praxis Examinations are listed on pages 8-17 of the Praxis Bulletin.
Please be aware that several states do not use the PRAXIS II Examinations. For example New York does not accept the Praxis II exams, effective 9-1-99, but instead uses different tests. Many other states have different exams/tests and testing procedures. Certification in Ohio, New Jersey, New York etc. will be somewhat different, so feel free to find out what other states require. If you have questions about this information or wish to learn more about the certification process, please visit that state's website for the most current information.
Alabama
Certification Officer
State Department of Education
Montgomery, AL 36130
205-242-9977
Alaska
Certification Analyst
Department of Education
P.O. Box F
801 West Jefferson
Juneau, AK 99801-1894
907-465-2810 or 2831
Arizona
Teacher Certification Unit-016
P.O. box 25609
Phoenix, AZ 85002
602-542-4368
Arkansas
Teacher Education & Licensure
State Dept. Of Education
4 State Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AR 72201-1071
501-682-4342
California
Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Box 944270
Sacramento, CA 9942447000
916-445-7254
Colorado
Teacher Certification
State Dept. Of Education
201 E. Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80203
303-866-6628
Connecticut
Bureau of Certification and Professional Development State Dept. of Education
Box 2219
Hartford, CT 06145-2219
203-566-5201
Delaware
Teacher Certification
Dept. Of Public Instruction
P.O. Box 1402
Dover, DE 19903
302-739-4688
District of Columbia
Division of State Services
Teacher Education and Certification Branch
415 12th Street, N.W.
Room 1013
Washington, DC 20004
202-724-4246
Florida
Bureau of Teacher Certification
Florida Education Center
325 W. Gaines, Rm 201
Tallahassee, FL 32399
904-488-2317
Georgia
Professional Standards Commission
Certification Section
1452 Twin Towers East
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-657-9000
Hawaii
State of Hawaii
Department of Education
Office of Personnel Services
P.O. Box 2360
Honolulu, HI 96804
208-334-3475
Illinois
Certification & Placement Section
100 N. First Street
Springfield, IL 62777
217-782-4321
Indiana
Indiana Professional Standards Board
Teacher Licensing
251 East Ohio Street, Suite 201
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2133
317-232-9010
Iowa
Board of Educational Examiners
Grimes State Office Building
Des Moines, IA 50219-0147
515-281-3245
Kansas
Certification Specialist
Kansas State Dept. Of Education
Kansas State Education Building
120 East 10th Street
Topeka, KS 66612
913-296-2288
Kentucky
Division of Certification
State Department of Education
Capital Plaza Tower
500 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
502-564-4606
Louisiana
Louisiana Dept. Of Education
P.O. Box 94064
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9064
504-631-3490
Maine
Division of Certification and Placement
Department of Education
State House Station 23
Augusta, ME 04333
207-287-5944
Maryland
Dept. Of Certification 18100
State Dept. Of Education
200 West Baltimore St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
301-333-2142
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Dept. Of Education
Office of Teacher Certification and Credentialing
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148
617-770-7517
Michigan
Teacher Preparation & Certification
Michigan Dept. Of Education
P.O. Box 30008
Lansing, MI 48909
517-373-3310
Minnesota
Teacher Licensing
State Dept. Of Education
616 Capitol Square Building
St. Paul, MN 55101
612-296-2046
Mississippi
Mississippi Department of Education
Office of Educator Licensure
PO Box 771
Jackson, MS 39205-0771
601-359-3483
Missouri
Teacher Certification
Dept. Of Elementary and Secondary Education
P.O. Box 480
Jefferson City, MO 65102
314-751-0051
Montana
Teacher Certification
Office of Public Instruction
P.O. Box 202501
Helena, MT 59620-2501
406-444-3150
Nebraska
Teacher Certification
State Dept. of Education
301 Centennial Mall South
Box 94987
Lincoln, NE 68509-4987
800-371-4642
Nevada
Nevada Dept. Of Education
State Mail Room
1850 E. Sahara, Ste. 200
Las Vegas, NV 89158
702-386-5401
New Hampshire
Bureau of Teacher Education and Professional Standards
State Department of Education
101 Pleasant St.
Concord, NH 03301
603-292-2070
New Jersey
Office of Licensing and Academic Credentials
CN 503
Trenton, NJ 08625-0503
609-292-2070
New Mexico
Director
Professional Licensure Unit
Education Building
300 Don Gaspar
Santa Fe, NM 87501-2786
505-827-6587
New York
Office of Teaching
University of the State of New York
State Education Department
Albany, NY 12230
Phone #
North Carolina
Licensure Section
State Dept. Of Public Instruction
Raleigh, NC 27601-2825
919-733-4125
North Dakota
Director of Certification
State Dept. Of Public Instruction
Bismarck, ND 58505-0440
701-224-2264
Ohio
Teacher Education & Certification State Dept. Of Education
65 South Front Street
Rm. 1012
Columbus, OH 43266-0308
614-466-3593
Oklahoma
Professional Standards
State Dept. Of Education
2500 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Rm. 211
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599
405-521-3337
Oregon
Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
630 Center Street, N.E.
Suite 200
Salem, OR 97310
503-378-3586
Pennsylvania
Bureau of Certification
Dept. Of Education
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
717-787-2967
Rhode Island
Office of Teacher Certification
State Dept. Of Education
22 Hayes St.
Providence, RI 02908
401-277-2675
South Carolina
Office of Educational Profession
Teacher Certification Section
1015 Rutledge Building
Columbia, SC 29201
803-774-8466
South Dakota
Teacher Education & Certification
Dept. Of Education
700 Governors Drive
Pierre, SD 57501-2291
605-773-3553
Tennessee
Office of Teacher Licensing
710 James Robertson Parkway
5th Floor, Gateway Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243-0377
615-741-1644
Texas
Texas Education Agency
1701 North Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78701-1494
512-463-8976
Utah
Certification and Personnel Development Section State Board of Education
250 East 500 South Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
801-538-7740
Vermont
Licensing Office
Dept. Of Education
120 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05602-2703
802-828-2445
Virginia
Office of Professional Licensure
Department of Education
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23216-2120
800-225-2022
Washington
Professional Education & Certification
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Old Capitol Building
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
360-753-6773
West Virginia
State Dept. of Education
Building 6, Room 337
1900 Kanawha Blvd., East
Charleston, WV 25305-0330
800-982-2378
Wisconsin
Teacher Education, Licensing and Placement
Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
608-266-1027
Wyoming
Professional Teaching Standards Board
2300 Capitol Avenue
Hathaway Building, 2nd Floor
Cheyenne, WY 82002
307-777-7291
1. NASDTEC Manual -"Manual on Certification and Preparation in the United States and Canada."
2. "Teacher Certification Requirements in All Fifty States," 14th Edition
3. "Requirements for Certification of Teachers, Counselors, Librarians,
Administrators for Elementary And Secondary Schools," 59th Edition
4. "Alternative Teacher Certification: A State-by-State Analysis 1995"