Education Requirements

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To become a licensed teacher in Hawaii, the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB)(808-586-2603) stipulates the completion of a State Approved Teacher Education Program (SATEP). The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board accepts all teacher certification programs in all states so long as those programs are recognized and approved by the respective state’s teacher certification department. A listing of SATEPs within Hawaii may be found here. Depending upon the program you choose, State Approved Teacher Education Programs may be at the bachelor’s, post-bachelor’s, or master’s level. Explore schools offering teaching certification programs in Hawaii.

If you completed your teacher education program at a non-U.S. college or university, you must have your credentials evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators and submit their report with your application for licensure.

Licensing Options
Although the Standard License is most common to new teachers in Hawaii, The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board can issue you one of three different types of licenses depending on you education, experience, current licensure in another state, and other qualifiers as defined here:

• Provisional License
• Standard License
• Advanced License

Under your license, you will have one or more of a number of different fields specific to the educational levels and content areas you’ll be teaching. Among these fields are:

• Early Childhood Education
• Elementary Education
• Middle School Education (content area specific)
• Secondary Education (content area specific)
• Special Education
• Foreign Languages

Examinations

The Praxis website provides an outline of teacher licensure exams necessary for prospective Hawaii educators.

Basic skills testing:
Regardless of the area in which you wish to become licensed to teach, you must pass the Praxis I Basic Skills test. This includes subtests in Reading (passing score is 172), Writing (passing score is 171), and Mathematics (passing score is 173).

Additionally, if you did not complete a State Approved Teacher Education Program (SATEP) from any state, you must pass the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) tests.

If you hold a current license from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) or have Meritorious New Teacher Candidate (MNTC) status on your current, valid out-of-state teaching license, you are exempt from all Praxis examinations.

Content area assessment testing:
Hawaii requires all prospective teachers to pass the Praxis II content exam corresponding to the field in which they plan to teach. Fields in which examinations are available include:

• Early Childhood Education
• Elementary Education
• Middle Level English Language Arts (Grades 5-9)
• Middle Level Mathematics (Grades 5-9)
• Middle Level Science (Grades 5-9)
• Middle Level Social Studies (Grades 5-9)
• Art (All Grades)
• Music (All Grades)
• Health (All Grades)
• Physical Education (All Grades)
• Secondary Education:
• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Biology
• Chemistry
• General Science
• Physical Science
• Physics
• Social Studies
• World Languages:
• French
• German
• Spanish
• Teaching English as a Second Language
• Career & Technical Education:
• Business
• Public and Human Services
• Industrial and Engineering Technology
• Special Education (various levels)

If you wish to become licensed to teach in any of the following areas, a Praxis II content test is not required:

• Career & Technical Education:
• Arts & Communication
• Natural Resources (Grades 7-12)
• Natural Resources Vocational (Grades 7-12)
• Drama/Theatre Arts (Grades K-6)
• Drama/Theatre Arts (Grades 7-12)
• Drama/Theatre Arts (Grades K-12)
• Hawaiian Language (Grades 7-12)
• Hawaiian Language Immersion (Grades K-6)
• Hawaiian Language Immersion (Grades 7-12)
• Hawaiian Language Immersion (Grades K-12)
• Chinese (Grades 7-12)
• Filipino (Grades 7-12)
• Japanese (Grades 7-12)
• Korean (Grades 7-12)
• Latin (Grades 7-12)
• Russian (Grades 7-12)
• Speech (Grades 7-12)

Experience Requirements

All State Approved Teacher Education Programs (SATEPs), regardless of the state in which they are located, require students to participate in a field experience in the classroom of a public or private school. The duration of this teaching experience varies depending upon your SATEP. You will be placed in a classroom specific to the grade level and/or subject level in which you wish to teach. Under the guidance and mentorship of a teacher, you will learn through hands-on experience classroom management skills, teaching skills, the usage of educational aids, and so forth. Your progress and performance in the classroom will be monitored both by your mentor and by SATEP representatives on a regular basis.

Your knowledge and mastery of teaching skills and standards will be measured during your field experience. You will be expected to know and display knowledge of the Teacher Performance Standards and the Code of Ethics required of all teachers by the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.

Document and Application Requirements

When you have completed the educational and examination prerequisites, and completing your field student teaching experience, you are ready to apply for your Standard Teaching License in Hawaii. This may be done online or by downloading and submitting the Application for Standard Hawaii Teaching License.

• Your State Approved Teacher Education Program (SATEP) will submit an institutional recommendation on your behalf. If you completed a SATEP prior to 2002, give the EPP Recommendation form to your SATEP representative, who should complete it and return it to the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board.
• Submit official score reports from Praxis I and Praxis II tests taken
• Submit the correct license fee
• Mail the completed application and the above documents to: Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, 650 Iwilei Road, Suite 201, Honolulu, HI 96871, Attention: Licensing Section

Criminal History Background Check

A criminal history background check is not necessary for Hawaii teaching licensure. However, if you answer “yes” to certain questions regarding professional fitness on the license application form, you may be required to submit to a background check or provide other documentation after your application is reviewed.

Once you are hired by a Hawaii school system, you will need to undergo a criminal history background check. Information on this process will be provided to you by the school district at the time of hire. This background check may involve fingerprinting. Instructions will be given to you on how to proceed.

Contact Information

For more information on State Approved Teacher Education Programs (SATEPs) in Hawaii, contact these officials at these Hawaii institutions.

For more information on Hawaii’s teacher licensing process, contact the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board at 808-586-2603 or via their website, www.htsb.org.