Teacher certification is the process by which a prospective teacher becomes licensed to teach in public schools within a given area after completing required coursework, degrees, tests and other specified criteria. You can become certified by the state in which you wish to teach or earn a national certification accepted in all 50 of the United States.

All certifying bodies require, at minimum, a college degree, completion of certain education courses, student teaching experience, and the passage of an approved exam. The most commonly used teaching exam is called the Praxis.

State Teaching Credentials

A teaching credential is the license conferred by a state agency to teachers who have completed certain state-mandated requirements, such as education courses and student teaching experience, and passed additional state-mandated teaching examinations. Each state sets its own requirements for certification. All states require certified teachers to hold a bachelor's degree, and more and more states now require candidates to hold a master's degree or receive one within the first five years of teaching.

Teachers may earn a credential that allows them to teach either a specific grade level or a certain subject matter. The type of teaching credential you pursue will depend on your interests as well as the options and requirements set by your state's Department of Education.

Teaching Certificates by Grade Level

Elementary school teaching credentials are usually generalist, which means the teacher can teach a wide variety of subjects. Middle school teachers can be generalist, or they can specialize in the specific subject they plan to teach. The following list shows typical grade levels covered by different certifications:

• Early childhood teacher certification (usually includes kindergarten through grade 3)
• Elementary teacher certification (usually includes kindergarten through grade 6)
• Middle grades teacher certification (usually includes grades 5 through 9)

Teaching Certificates and Endorsements for Secondary Education Teachers

Since the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted in 2006, teachers who are interested in teaching older students (typically grades 7 through 12) must prove they are "highly qualified" to teach the subjects they do. They do this by getting a teaching credential for secondary school and adding one or more subject area endorsements. Endorsements qualify middle school and high school teachers to teach subjects that are not covered in their teaching credential. Generally an undergraduate major meets the requirement of a teaching endorsement; however, you can qualify for an endorsement by taking specific courses and exams. A secondary teacher's certification may look like the following:

• Secondary education certification with a math endorsement
• Secondary education certification with a science endorsement
• Secondary education certification with a history endorsement

Teacher Certificates for Specific Subject Areas

Some teaching careers are more subject-focused than age-focused. For instance, reading specialists, speech therapists and school counselors can easily work with students from kindergarten to twelfth grade in a single week, depending on the structure of the school district. To meet the needs of these teachers, certification is also often available by subject area, without focus on a certain age group. Some of these certifications are as follows: