Alternative Teaching Certification in Ohio
The Ohio Department of Education offers alternative pathways to teacher licensure for non-traditional applicants. These pathways lead to an Alternative Resident Educator License. Alternative Resident Educator Licenses are available in designated subjects from grades 4-12, Intervention Specialist, and World Languages.
Interested in learning about the traditional approach? Contact schools offering teaching certification programs in Ohio.
Alternative Certification Requirements
Education Requirements
Sponsored School(s)
You must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university to receive the Alternative Resident Educator License. In addition, you must have completed at least 30 semester hours in the subject area in which you intend to teach. You must also complete either the Intensive Pedagogical Training Institute, or six semester hours of professional education coursework at an approved college/university teacher preparation program.
Examinations
You must pass the Praxis II exam corresponding to your intended area of licensure before an Alternative Resident Educator License will be issued. (The exception to this is for World Languages, for which there is no Praxis II exam, and for Intervention Specialist, in which you may complete the exam after attaining the alternative license but before a professional license is issued). The appropriate Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching Exam must also be passed once you have started teaching.
Experience Requirements
No experience is required to attain an alternative resident educator license.
Criminal History Background Check
As an applicant for an Alternative Resident Educator License in Ohio, you must undergo a criminal background check performed by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Go to your nearest WebCheck facility and ask them to take your fingerprints. They must be sent electronically to the Ohio Department of Education. You will not receive your Alternative Resident Educator License until your background checks come back cleared.
Contact Information
If you think you have completed the necessary requirements, complete the Alternative Evaluation Request Application form. Upon successful completion of all requirements, the ODE will issue you an Alternative Resident Educator License Statement of Eligibility. This may be utilized to seek employment as a teacher in Ohio schools.
Then, you must apply for your Alternative Resident Educator License. After you have worked under this license and completed all requirements, you may apply for a Professional Educator License.
For more information on alternative licensing in Ohio, contact the Ohio Department of Education Office of Educator Licensure at 877-644-6338 or the Intensive Pedagogical Training Institute at 614-466-3593.
