Education Requirements

Recommended Programs for Educators:

The Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (502-564-5846) requires that all certified teachers in the state possess at least a bachelor’s degree with a minimum 2.5 total GPA (or 3.0 on the last 60 semester hours of coursework), and graduate from an approved program of teacher preparation in Kentucky.

If you completed a teacher preparation program outside of Kentucky, you are still a possible candidate for Kentucky teacher certification. Because Kentucky is a member of the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, as long as your program was through a regionally accredited college or university in another state that is a NASDTEC member, the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board will accept your credits.

If you completed your educator preparation program in a foreign country, you must have a course-by-course evaluation of your academic credits performed by one of these approved credential evaluation agencies.

Certification Options
Base teaching certificates offered in Kentucky correspond to the teacher training program you completed. They include:

• Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (Birth to Primary)
• Elementary School (Primary to Grade 5)
• Middle School (Grades 5 through 9)
• Secondary School (Grades 8 through 12)
• Middle/Secondary School (Grades 5 through 12)
• Elementary/Middle/Secondary School (Primary through Grade 12)
• Exceptional Children (Primary through Grade 12)

Endorsements offered in each of these areas are listed in the Examinations section below.

Examinations

For a synopsis of the assessment requirements for teachers in Kentucky, visit the Praxis website.

Basic skills testing:
Before you are accepted into a Kentucky teacher preparation program at a college or university, you will most likely be required to pass the Praxis I Basic Skills tests in reading, writing and mathematics. Contact your school advisor for more information on this requirement.

Content area assessment testing:
To receive an endorsement on your teaching certificate designating that you are allowed to teach in a certain content area, you must pass the Praxis II exam pertaining to that area. Exams are available for the following endorsement areas:

• Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (Birth through Grade P)
• Elementary Education (Grades P-5)
• Middle School (Grades 5-9):
• English and Communications
• Mathematics
• Social Studies
• Science
• Agriculture
• Business and Marketing Education
• Engineering and Technology
• Family and Consumer Sciences
• Industrial Education
• Secondary Education (Grades 8-12):
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth Science
• English
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Social Studies
• Journalism
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Speech/Media Communications
• All Grades:
• Arabic
• Chinese
• Japanese
• Russian
• French
• German
• Latin
• Spanish
• Art
• Health
• Integrated Music
• Vocal Music
• Instrumental Music
• Physical Education
• Health and Physical Education
• Communication Disorders
• Hearing Impaired
• Hearing Impaired with Sign Proficiency
• Learning and Behavior Disorders
• Gifted
• Moderate and Severe Disabilities
• Visually Impaired
• Computer Information Systems
• Dance
• English as a Second Language
• Theater
• Literacy Specialist
• Reading

Experience Requirements

As an applicant for teacher certification in Kentucky, you must complete a verifiable student teaching internship experience. This experience must be documented on your Application for Kentucky Certification and signed by the superintendent of the school where you served your internship. Your student teaching internship must be appropriate to the grade level and/or content area in which you plan to teach, and must be full-time.

During your student teaching experience, you can expect to lead the class, prepare and implement lesson plans, and assist and observe a classroom teacher, who will also be monitoring, assessing, and offering feedback on your classroom performance. The length of your student teaching experience will vary depending upon the policies of your college or university’s teacher preparation program.

Document and Application Requirements

Upon fulfilling your educational, experiential, and examination requirements for teacher certification in Kentucky, you may formally apply. File the Application for Kentucky Certification form. Complete Section I in its entirety and sign at the bottom of the section. Have the superintendent at the school where you completed your student teaching experience complete Section II. The institution where you completed your teacher preparation program must fill out Section IV. In addition,

• Request that Educational Testing Service (ETS) forward your Praxis scores to the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board
• Attach official copies of your college transcripts
• Attach check or money order for payment of application fees, payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer

Mail all of the above to Division of Certification, Education Professional Standards Board,
100 Airport Road, 3rd Floor, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601.

Criminal History Background Check

The Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board does not require a criminal history background check for teacher certification. However, such a check is mandatory before any Kentucky school will hire you to work with children in any capacity. Most Kentucky public and private schools use the AOCFastCheck online system to conduct criminal history background checks in a more effective and faster manner. This online system is conducted through the Administrative Office of the Courts. Applications for background checks are also still accepted in-person and via mail. For more information, contact the Administrative Office of the Courts at AOC Records Unit, 100 Millcreek Park, Frankfort, KY 40601 or by phone at 800-928-6381.

Contact Information

If you’re interested in more information on Kentucky colleges and universities that house approved teacher preparation programs, contact the Division of Educator Preparation at 502-564-4606.

For more information on educator certification in Kentucky, contact the Division of Certification at 502-564-5846.