Professional Teacher Certification

To qualify for a Professional teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

• Two years of teaching experience while holding a valid teacher certificate**
• Passing scores on an approved basic competency exam (BCE)
• Passing scores on a content area exam
• Completion of a teacher preparation program as verified by on the Teacher Program Verification Form (docx)
• Official transcripts showing:
  • Three (3) semester hours of approved Alaska studies coursework
  • Three (3) semester hours of approved Alaska multicultural coursework
  • Six (6) semester hours of coursework completed in the five years prior to application (recency credit)
• Verification of current employment in an Alaska public school district in a position requiring a certificate or a fingerprint card submitted with application
• Complete application and fees (All fees are non-refundable.)

**If all of the requirements for a Professional certificate with the exception of the two year of teaching experience and the content area exam have been met, an applicant may apply for a Second Initial certificate.

The Professional certificate is valid for five (5) years and is renewable.

To renew a five-year certificate, applicants must meet the following requirements prior to the expiration date of their certificate:

• Renewal credit (Six semester hours of credit taken during the life of the f certificate being renewed. A minimum of three semester hours must be upper division or graduate credit.)
• Verification of current employment in an Alaska public school district in a position requiring a certificate. If an applicant is not employed in this capacity at the time of renewal, a fingerprint card will be required.
• Complete application and fees (All fees are non-refundable.)

For certificates issued on September 2, 2011 and beyond, the six renewal credits earned must be:

• Related to the certificated person’s employment at the time of renewal, if the employment requires a certificate;
• Related to the certificated person’s endorsements, or
• A required element of a program that will lead to an endorsement under 4 AAC 12.395 that the certificated person seeks to acquire.

Additional Requirements

Special Education

If you wish to teach special education to children with disabilities, you must, in addition to meeting other requirements for teacher certification, secure an endorsement based upon completion of an approved teacher training program in special education.

Preschool Special Education

If you wish to teach preschool children with special needs and are not eligible for an endorsement in preschool special education, you must have completed at least six (6) semester hours in early childhood special education in addition to holding a teaching certificate with a special education endorsement. (This does not constitute an endorsement in Early Childhood Special Education.)

Gifted

If you wish to teach gifted children, you must, in addition to meeting requirements for teacher certification, have completed at least six (6) semester hours in gifted education. (This does not constitute an endorsement.)

Vocational Education

If you wish to teach vocational trades, you must have an endorsement in vocational education or a Type M Limited Certificate.

RETURN TO TYPES OF CERTIFICATES

APPLICATION & FORMS