Kentucky Teacher Certification, Standards & Requirements

<h2 id="section---TeachingInKentucky">Teaching in Kentucky</h2> <p>Kentucky not only offers several different types of educator certifications,but they also have different ranks. Certificates can be obtained through traditional or non-traditional routes. Some certificates allow an educator to teach kindergarten through 12th grade, while others are more grade- or subject-specific. All certifications require a bachelor's degree and applicable assessments. Read more below. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td>Education Required </td><td>Bachelor's degree</td></tr> <tr><td>Exams Required </td><td>PRAXIS; any applicable content or proficiency assessments</td></tr> <tr><td>License Validity Period </td><td>5 years</td></tr> <tr><td>Advancement Requirements </td><td>Teaching experience; continuing education; master's degree</td></tr> <tr><td>Mean Salary (2018, statewide)* </td><td>$33,650 (preschool) <br />$54,510 (kindergarten) <br />$53,830 (elementary) <br />$54,620 (middle school) <br />$56,200 (high school) <br />$57,490 (career/technical, secondary school)</td></tr> <tr><td>Estimated Job Growth (2018-2028, nationwide)* </td><td>7.1% (preschool) <br />5.1% (kindergarten) <br />3.3% (elementary school) <br />3.5% (middle school) <br /> 3.6% (high school) <br />2.2% (career/technical, secondary school)</td></tr> </table><p><i>Sources: Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, *Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---CertificationTypes">Certification Types</h3> <p>Kentucky has several different certifications and enables educators to add a new subject or license areas to existing certificates. All certificates require a bachelor's degree, along with applicable teaching experience, teacher preparation and assessments. The base certificates available for Kentucky educators are listed below: </p> <ul><li>Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (birth to primary) </li><li>Elementary School (primary through grade 5) </li><li>Middle School (grades 5 through 9) </li><li>Secondary School (grades 8 through 12) </li><li>Middle/Secondary School (grades 5 through 12) </li><li>Elementary/Middle/Secondary School (primary through grade 12) </li><li>Exceptional Children (primary through grade 12) </li></ul><p>In addition, Kentucky also offers the following restricted base certificates and endorsements. </p> <ul><li>Computer Information Systems (primary through grade 12) </li><li>Computer Science (grades 8 through 12) </li><li>Dance (primary through grade 12) </li><li>Driver Education (grades 8 through 12) </li><li>English as a Second Language (primary through grade 12) </li><li>Gifted Education (primary through grade 12) </li><li>Instructional Computer Technology (primary through grade 12) </li><li>Journalism (grades 8 through 12) </li><li>Literacy Specialist/Reading (primary through grade 12) </li><li>Psychology (grades 8 through 12) </li><li>Sociology (grades 8 through 12) </li><li>Speech/Media Communication (grades 8 through 12) </li><li>Theatre (primary through grade 12) </li></ul><h3 id="section---CertificationRanks">Certification Ranks</h3> <ul><li>Rank I: This rank applies to licensed educators who hold a master's degree in a qualifying field or equivalent continuing education, and thirty semester hours of graduate work or equivalent continuing education; or teachers who meet the requirements for a Rank II certificate and have earned an initial certification with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or NBPTS. </li><li>Rank II: This rank applies to licensed educators who hold a master's degree in a qualifying field or equivalent continuing education. </li><li>Rank III: This rank applies to licensed educators who hold a qualifying four-year college degree or equivalent qualifying education. </li><li>Rank IV: This rank applies to licensed educators holding an emergency substitute certificate who have 96 to 128 semester hours of qualifying college training or the equivalent. </li><li>Rank V: This rank applies to licensed educators holding an emergency substitute certificate who have 64 to 95 semester hours of qualifying college training or the equivalent. </li></ul><h3 id="section---GettingCertified">Getting Certified</h3> <p>The standard route to certification in Kentucky is completing a bachelor's degree, a qualifying teacher preparation program, and passing any applicable assessments or exams, including the PRAXIS. </p> <p>An educator would initially earn a Rank III certificate in their area upon meeting these requirements. Depending on an educator's degree and experience, they can complete one of many alternative routes to certification based on factors such as qualifying work experience, armed forces service, Teach for America recommendation, etc. Initial certificates have an $85 processing fee (Rank I, II, and III). </p> <h3 id="section---CertificateRenewals">Certificate Renewals</h3> <p>Certificates are issued in five-year increments. The requirements for renewals differ based on how many renewals have been completed. Renewals have a processing fee of $85. </p> <ul><li>The first five-year renewal requires: <ul><li>15 graduate hours or half of the continuing education requirements </li><li>Three years of teaching experience or course completion with college official's recommendation </li></ul></li><li>The second five-year renewal requires: <ul><li>Completion of a qualifying master's degree or 32 qualifying graduate hours or completion of continuing education requirements </li><li>Three years of teaching experience or course completion with college official's recommendation </li></ul></li><li>Subsequent renewals require: <ul><li>Three years of teaching experience within the last five-year certificate period or six graduate semester hours </li><li>Superintendent's verification of teaching experience or course completion with college official's recommendation </li></ul></li></ul><h3 id="section---CertificateAdvancement">Certificate Advancement</h3> <p>Educators can earn a higher rank on their existing certificate type, and/or add areas to their certificate. Both rank changes and adding areas to a certificate have a processing fee of $85. </p> <p>To upgrade a certificate, educators will need to complete additional graduate work, continuing education, or earn an approved master's degree. A Rank III can be upgraded to a Rank II or Rank I, and a Rank II can be upgraded to a Rank I. </p> <p>To add areas to an existing certificate, such as certain subjects or additional grade levels, educators can file a new CA-1 application and add the area(s) that they have met the requirements for.</p>