How to Become a Preschool Teacher in Ohio

<p>In order to become a certified preschool teacher, the interested candidate must first qualify for a resident educator teaching license and then apply for a supplemental teaching license in the area of early childhood education. The general requirements are summarized in the table below. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td>Education/Experience Required</td><td> Bachelor's degree</td></tr> <tr><td>Exam Requirements </td><td> OAE</td></tr> <tr><td>Certification Renewal Period </td><td>Four Years</td></tr> <tr><td>Requirements for Renewal </td><td> Submission of required documents and completion of the relevant coursework</td></tr> <tr><td>Average Salary (2018) </td><td> $29,020 (preschool teachers in OH)*</td></tr> <tr><td>Estimated Job Growth (2016-2026) </td><td>10% (preschool teachers nationally)*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---GeneralRequirementsForAResidentEducatorLicense">General Requirements for a Resident Educator License</h3> <p>In order to qualify for a resident educator license, the candidate must have completed a bachelor's degree in an approved teacher preparation program at an accredited university. The candidate must also take and pass a background check that is carried out by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Having satisfied these first two requirements, the candidate must take the Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) exams. These assessments include professional knowledge assessments and content tests. When the candidate has passed these assessments, they can apply for their resident educator license from the Ohio Department of Education. </p> <h3 id="section---RequirementsForASupplementalTeachingLicense">Requirements for a Supplemental Teaching License</h3> <p>Once the candidate has received their resident educator license, they can apply for a supplemental license in early childhood education as long as the school to which they are employed requires a teacher with those qualifications. The early childhood supplemental license covers from prekindergarten to grade 3. To qualify for the initial supplemental license, the candidate must then take OAE Early Childhood assessments. These assessments are comprised of the Early Childhood Education and Foundations of Reading content assessments as well as the Assessment of Professional Knowledge: Early Childhood Pedagogy Assessment. Having satisfied these requirements, the candidate can then apply to the Ohio Department of Education for their supplemental license. Holders of a supplemental license must be assigned a mentor who is certified in the area in which the supplemental license is held. </p> <h3 id="section---ApplicationProcess">Application Process</h3> <p>Applications for both the resident educator license and supplemental licenses are processed online through the Ohio Department of Education application portal. When applying for an initial license, the applicant will be guided by the Ohio Department of Education how to navigate the online portal. The relevant fees can also be paid through the portal using a credit card. </p> <h3 id="section---CertificateRenewalAndUpgrade">Certificate Renewal and Upgrade</h3> <p>The resident educator license is valid for four years can be renewed for an additional four years if the educator completes three semester hours of coursework related to classroom teaching or area of licensure. After this, the license must be upgraded to a five-year professional educator license. The general requirements for this license upgrade are the completion of four years teaching with the resident educator license as well as the successful completion of the Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA). </p> <p>The supplemental license is valid for a year and can be renewed annually over a two-year if the educator maintains a valid educator license. The educator is expected to upgrade the supplemental license to a standard one within that time. In order to upgrade to a standard license, the educator must complete an approved program of preparation at an accredited university. Some of the accredited universities that offer an early childhood program are Ashton University, Bluffton University, Central State University, and Kent State University.</p>