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Alternative Licensure Paths


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Alternative Special Education License

The Alternative Special Education License is available as of July 1, 2022, for applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree and who are enrolled in a post-baccalaureate approved alternative preparation program for initial special education licensure or for a special education addition to an existing license. An application for this license must be submitted through the applicant’s online LVIS account.

Applicants for this license must be employed in Indiana as a classroom teacher in the special education area of the preparation program. This license is also available to applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree, are employed in Indiana as a special education teacher, and have completed an approved special education licensure program but require additional time to pass the required licensure tests.

The new Alternative Special Education License is valid for three years and is non-renewable. Holders of this alternative license are eligible to serve as the Teacher of Record (TOR) in the area displayed on the license. Here is a link to approved special education preparation programs: https://www.in.gov/doe/educators/special-education-licensure/.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university
  • Special Education preparation program (one of the following)
    • Completed a special education program and need required licensure testing
    • Enrolled in an approved alternative special education licensure program
  • Employed in Indiana as a classroom teacher in the special education area matching the preparation program

Required Documents:

  • Official bachelor’s degree transcript
  • Verification of enrollment in an approved alternative-route SPED licensure program OR verification of completion of an approved special education licensure program (letter from program provider)
    • Acceptable documentation for “Verification of enrollment in an Approved Special Education program”
      • Official transcripts of a completed a special education program
      • Enrollment/Acceptance letter from university/college for a special education program that will result in licensure
  • Employer letter verifying employment as a special education teacher in the content area matching the preparation program
  • CPR/AED Training Certificate
  • Suicide Prevention Certificate

Licensing Fee Information: Click here.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Click here.

Advanced Degree

The Office of Educator Licensing now offers a licensing option to individuals who have an advanced degree. By statute, instructional licenses issued under the advanced degree option are available only at the secondary (middle school and high school) grade levels. See IC 20-28-5-15.

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for a license using the advanced degree option:

  • Hold a master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited postsecondary educational institution in the subject content area in which the applicant seeks to be licensed.
  • Verify at least one (1) academic year of experience teaching students in a middle school, high school or college classroom setting. Substitute teaching experiences will not count.
  • Successfully complete the content area testing corresponding to the major of the advanced degree and the secondary pedagogy test (Indiana Praxis, Principles of Learning & Teaching test #5624). Please see the Educator Testing page for more information.
  • Valid CPR certification from an IDOE approved provider. Click here for a link to resources.
  • Suicide Prevention Training Certificate. Click here for a link to resources.
  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) content areas (Agriculture, Business and Information Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health Science, Marketing, and Trade and Industrial Areas) also require documentation of 4000 hours of related non-teaching industry work experience.

Required Documents

  • Valid CPR certification from an IDOE approved provider.
  • Suicide prevention training certificate.
  • Official transcripts showing master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited postsecondary educational institution in the subject content area in which the applicant seeks to be licensed.
    • Obtain an official transcript for your own records and upload to the application.
    • The signature of the registrar must be visible.
    • Unofficial transcripts, diplomas, and grade reports are not accepted.
    • Electronic transcripts: ensure the document is not locked, expired, or password protected.
    • Paper transcripts: scan each transcript double-sided into one PDF file.
    • If the file is over 5 MB, use a PDF compression tool such as smallpdf.com
    • Please do not mail transcripts directly. If necessary, transcripts can be emailed to transcript@doe.in.gov
  • An official letter verifying secondary or post-secondary instructional experience. The letter is considered official if it is on school letterhead and signed by an administrator. The letter needs to include dates of employment, subjects and grades taught, and/or positions held, and must include both the type and status of school accreditation. It is only necessary for the school administrator from your last place of employment to verify all your experience.
  • Official score reports from Indiana’s required content and pedagogy licensure tests. Please see the Educator Testing website for more information.

Licensing Fee Information: Click here.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Click here.

Charter School Licensure

Candidates may qualify for an instructional license valid for teaching in charter schools only if they hold current CPR certification, complete suicide prevention training, and meet one of the following criteria:

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with an overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale with the major of the earned degree in the content area in which the candidate wants to teach;

OR

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and pass the appropriate licensure exam in the content area the candidate wishes to teach.

Required Documents

  • Valid CPR certification from an IDOE approved provider.
  • Suicide prevention training certificate.
  • Official transcripts showing bachelor’s degree in a content area for which secondary licenses are issued with at least a 3.0/4.0 GPA:
    • Obtain an official transcript for your own records and upload to the application.
    • The signature of the registrar must be visible.
    • Unofficial transcripts, diplomas, and grade reports are not accepted.
    • Electronic transcripts: ensure the document is not locked, expired, or password protected.
    • Paper transcripts: scan each transcript double-sided into one PDF file.
    • If the file is over 5 MB, use a PDF compression tool such as smallpdf.com
    • Please do not mail transcripts directly. If necessary, transcripts can be emailed to transcript@doe.in.gov
  • Official score report from Indiana’s required content licensure test, if required. Please see the Educator Testing website for more information.

Licensing Fee Information: Click here.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Click here.

Career Specialist Permit

The Career Specialist Permit is a renewable two-year permit that allows an individual to teach a specific content area at the secondary level as long as the person has met the requirements under one of the options noted below as authorized by 511 IAC 16-4-6 and IC 20-28-5-21:

Option 1 (available July 1, 2019)

  • A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in a secondary content area with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
  • Successful completion of the Praxis content licensure exam; and
  • 4,000 hours of verified non-teaching occupational work experience in the last five years related to the content area requested on the permit.

Option 2 (available July 1, 2019)

  • A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in a secondary content area with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; and
  • 5,000 hours of verified non-teaching occupational work experience in the last seven years related to the requested content area.

Option 3 (available July 1, 2019)

  • Successful completion of the Praxis content licensure exam in the desired secondary content area; and
  • 5,000 hours of verified non-teaching occupational work experience in the last seven years related to the content area desired on the permit.

Following issuance of the initial permit and prior to the first renewal, the permit holder must complete a pedagogy component that includes the areas of literacy, differentiation of instruction, classroom and behavioral management, curriculum development (lesson planning, assessment strategies, use of data to improve instruction), psychology of child development, competence in multicultural awareness, and use of technology in the classroom.

The required pedagogy component may be provided by a school employer, college or university coursework, professional development, or another entity. All providers must be approved by the Indiana State Board of Education following a review and recommendation by the Indiana Department of Education. The pedagogy preparation must begin by or before the first month of teaching if the permit holder is actively employed as a classroom teacher. Completion of the pedagogy component is required for the first renewal of the permit. Subsequent renewals require a Professional Growth Plan (PGP) documenting 40 hours/points of completed professional development.

Approved Pedagogy Component Programs

Required Documents

  • Valid CPR certification from an IDOE approved provider.
  • Suicide prevention training certificate.
  • For Options 1 or 2 above, official transcripts showing bachelor’s degree in a content area for which secondary licenses are issued with at least a 3.0/4.0 GPA:
    • Obtain an official transcript for your own records and upload to the application.
    • The signature of the registrar must be visible.
    • Unofficial transcripts, diplomas, and grade reports are not accepted.
    • Electronic transcripts: ensure the document is not locked, expired, or password protected.
    • Paper transcripts: scan each transcript double-sided into one PDF file.
    • If the file is over 5 MB, use a PDF compression tool such as smallpdf.com
    • Please do not mail transcripts directly. If necessary, transcripts can be emailed to transcript@doe.in.gov
  • For Options 1 or 3 above, official passing score report for the required CORE content licensure test. Please see the Educator Testing website for more information.
  • Verification letter signed by former employer on letterhead documenting the required number of clock hours of occupational work experience related to the requested content area on the permit. The letter should include dates of employment, number of hours worked, and a brief description of duties.
    • For Option 1 above, at least 4,000 clock hours of occupational work experience related to the content area in the previous five years.
    • For Options 2 or 3 above, at least 5,000 clock hours of occupational work experience related to the content area in the previous seven years.

Licensing Fee Information: Click here.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Click here.

American Board (ABCTE) Alternative Licensure (IC 20-28-5-12.5)

The American Board (ABCTE) program is available to individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. In Indiana, the program is authorized to prepare teachers for licensure in Elementary Generalist, Historical Perspectives (US and world history), Language Arts, Life Science (biology), Chemistry, Physics, and Math. https://www.americanboard.org/

Upon completion of the “classroom” portion of the program, including passage of the required American Board tests in pedagogy and content and the required Praxis content exam, program participants may apply for an ABCTE Permit through the LVIS online licensing system. The permit is valid for completion of a two-semester teaching internship.  https://license.doe.in.gov/

Required Documents for ABCTE Permit (to be able to teach in your Internship year)

  • Valid CPR certification from an IDOE approved provider.
  • Suicide prevention training certificate
  • Official transcripts showing bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university:
    • Obtain an official transcript for your own records and upload to the application.
    • The signature of the registrar must be visible.
    • Unofficial transcripts, diplomas, and grade reports are not accepted.
    • Electronic transcripts: ensure the document is not locked, expired, or password protected.
    • Paper transcripts: scan each transcript double-sided into one PDF file.
    • If the file is over 5 MB, use a PDF compression tool such as smallpdf.com
    • Please do not mail transcripts directly. If necessary, transcripts can be emailed to transcript@doe.in.gov
  • ABCTE “Classroom Ready Certificate”

Licensing Fee Information: Click here.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Click here.

Following a successful internship experience, applicants will be eligible for a Professional Educator License. School employers of novice Professional Educator License holders under this program must submit a plan to the DOE detailing how they will provide supervision and opportunities for exposure to classroom management and instructional techniques, including meaningful exposure to special education, during the first year of full-time employment under IC 20-28-5-12.5(i).

Required Documents for ABCTE Professional Educator License (after Internship year is completed)

  • Valid CPR certification from an IDOE approved provider.
  • Suicide prevention training certificate.
  • Official transcripts showing bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university:
    • Obtain an official transcript for your own records and upload to the application.
    • The signature of the registrar must be visible.
    • Unofficial transcripts, diplomas, and grade reports are not accepted.
    • Electronic transcripts: ensure the document is not locked, expired, or password protected.
    • Paper transcripts: scan each transcript double-sided into one PDF file.
    • If the file is over 5 MB, use a PDF compression tool such as smallpdf.com
    • Please do not mail transcripts directly. If necessary, transcripts can be emailed to transcript@doe.in.gov
  • Official score report from Indiana’s required content licensure test, if required. Please see the Educator Testing website for more information.
  • ABCTE “Completion Certificate”

Licensing Fee Information: Click here.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Click here.

About Troops to Teachers

Troops to Teachers was a national program, funded and administered by the Department of Defense through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). The program helped eligible military personnel begin new careers as teachers in preK-12 public schools where their skills, knowledge, and experience are needed most. After a brief federal pause, the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act may reauthorize the program and is currently under review. For more information, please see this website: https://www.dantes.doded.mil/EducationPrograms/become-a-teacher/troopstoteachers.html

The IDOE Licensing office can help identify the most efficient path to a teaching license if you are interested in transitioning your military career to P-12 education in Indiana. If you have questions, please email Leah Pitz at: lpitz@doe.in.gov

Other Alternative Licensure