Become an Elementary School Teacher in Virginia

<table border="1"><tr><td> Education Required </td><td> Bachelor's degree in education</td></tr> <tr><td> Exams Required </td><td> VCLA, Praxis Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects, Praxis Reading for Virginia Educators: Elementary and Special Education</td></tr> <tr><td> License Renewal Period </td><td> 5 years</td></tr> <tr><td> Renewal Requirements</td><td> 180 hours of professional development points</td></tr> <tr><td> Average Salary for Elementary School Teachers in Virginia (2018) </td><td> $67,610*</td></tr> <tr><td>Estimated Job Growth (2018-2028) </td><td> 3%, nationwide*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *US Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p><h3 id="section---EducationRequirements">Education Requirements</h3><p>The state of Virginia requires prospective elementary school teachers to attend an accredited college or university to attain a bachelor's degree and complete a teacher education program. There are several schools that offer students a program where they fulfill both requirements. There is a list of accredited schools on Virginia's Department of Education website. </p><p>Programs for aspiring elementary school teachers include at least 21 semester hours of courses on topics like human development, curriculum and instruction, classroom management, assessment, and literacy. Virginia also requires these programs to include field experience along with 150 hours of supervised student teaching. </p><h3 id="section---VCLATestRequirements">VCLA Test Requirements</h3><p>The Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) includes a reading and writing subtest. Both tests consist of 40 multiple-choice questions, with the writing assessment also consisting of three short-answer questions, one summary assignment, and one essay prompt. The total time for the test is 4 hours and 15 minutes. To pass the test, one must score 235 on each subtest or 470 for the whole assessment. The cost of the test is $40 for a single subset or $80 for both. There is also a $50 registration fee for taking the assessment. This computer-based assessment is available by appointment Monday through Saturday year-round, and the scores are released within ten business days of test completion. </p><h3 id="section---PraxisElementaryEducationMultipleSubjectsTestRequirements">Praxis Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects Test Requirements</h3><p>The state of Virginia also requires elementary teacher candidates to pass the Praxis Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects test before applying for a teaching license. This test measures the academic skills and subject specific content that one needs for teaching and consists of four timed subtests that include reading and language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. This test takes just over four hours and consists of multiple-choice and numeric entry question formats. To pass this test, one must achieve a score of 157 on the reading and language arts, 157 on mathematics, 155 on social studies, and a 159 on science. This assessment costs $170, or $60 per subset. This test is also available by appointment. </p><h3 id="section---PraxisReadingForVirginiaEducatorsElementaryAndSpecialEducationTestRequirements">Praxis Reading for Virginia Educators: Elementary and Special Education Test Requirements</h3><p>The third Praxis test that one must take before applying for a teaching license in Virginia is the Reading for Virginia Educators: Elementary and Special Education Exam. This test takes two and a half hours and has 100 multiple-choice questions and three constructed-response questions. One must receive a 157 on this assessment to pass. Both of these tests are given by a computer. The cost of this test is $130. </p><h3 id="section---TrainingAndApplicationRequirements">Training and Application Requirements</h3><p>There are also several training courses that need to be completed. These courses include child abuse and neglect recognition and intervention training; emergency first aid, CPR, and AED training; and dyslexia awareness training. Each of these courses will come with a certificate of completion. </p><p>Students submit these certificates along with all test scores and transcripts when applying to the Virginia Department of Education for an initial teaching license. The license also requires submission of a college verification form that is completed by the college or university at which a candidate completed a teacher preparation program and must include verification of a student's prior internship experience.</p>