Idaho Elementary Teachers: Requirements & License

<p>Elementary teachers teach children in kindergarten to eighth grade. To be eligible to become an elementary teacher in Idaho, you must have a bachelor's degree and must have completed an educator preparation program. Additionally, to practice as a teacher, you are required to possess a teaching certification, which is offered to those who have also passed a Praxis II test and a background check. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> Education Required </td><td> Bachelor's degree, educator preparation program</td></tr> <tr><td> Exams Required </td><td> Praxis Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects test or Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching test</td></tr> <tr><td> Certification Renewal Period </td><td> 5 years</td></tr> <tr><td> CEU Credits Required for Renewal </td><td> 6 semester credits</td></tr> <tr><td> Mean Salary (2018) </td><td> $48,990*</td></tr> <tr><td> Estimated Job Growth (2018-2028, nationwide) </td><td> 3%*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)</i> </p> <h3 id="section---IdahoElementaryTeacherEducationRequirements">Idaho Elementary Teacher: Education Requirements</h3> <p>The first step to becoming an elementary teacher is to earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. After this, you have to complete a teacher preparation program from an institution approved by the state. Many Idaho universities offer Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Science in Education programs in elementary education that include the required teacher preparation coursework and internships as part of the curriculum. </p> <p>The teacher preparation program can be completed outside the state too, but if the program does not have the accreditation of NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP, then you have to first apply for that state's certification. You can then use that certificate to apply for Idaho certification. </p> <h3 id="section---IdahoElementaryTeacherExamRequirements">Idaho Elementary Teacher: Exam Requirements</h3> <p>For elementary teacher certification, the Idaho State Board of Education considers scores on Praxis II tests, specifically the Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects test. Alternatively, you can take the Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching test. Both of these tests consist of four subtests: Language Arts and Reading, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. To qualify for certification, you must get a passing score on each subtest. You can take all the subtests together or separately. </p> <h3 id="section---IdahoElementaryTeacherCertificationRequirements">Idaho Elementary Teacher: Certification Requirements</h3> <p>After you have met the educational and exam requirements for elementary teacher certification, you have to send an application for certification to the Idaho State Board of Education. The application documents should include a filled and signed application form, official academic transcripts, a recommendation form from the institution where you completed the teacher preparation program, Praxis II assessment scores, and a background investigation check packet. The background investigation check packet includes a background check form, fingerprint handling instructions, a privacy statement form, and a fingerprint card. Once your application is processed and the background check is completed, you will receive the certification. </p> <h3 id="section---IdahoElementaryTeacherCertificationValidityAndRenewal">Idaho Elementary Teacher: Certification Validity and Renewal</h3> <p>The validity period of an Idaho elementary teacher certification is five years, from 1 September to 31 August, after which it has to be renewed. You are required to get six semester credit hours of continuing education completed before you apply for renewal. To get a renewal, you have to send an application package to the Idaho State Department of Education, which contains an application form and academic transcripts as evidence for the six credit hours completed. The renewal process might take up to 10-12 weeks. Failure to renew a certification before its expiration date will require teachers to apply for reinstatement.</p>