Teacher Certification

Initial Teacher Certificate

All applicants for Initial teacher certification must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution. Official transcripts reflecting all coursework and degree(s) must be included with the application or on file with the Teacher Certification Office, including community college and/or transfer credit.

If any college-level coursework has been completed outside of the United States, a completed, original foreign evaluation must be submitted with the application. More information concerning foreign evaluations can be found at education.alaska.gov/teachercertification/forms/Foreign_Evaluation_Info.pdf.

Applicants will also need to submit one fingerprint card, complete the appropriate application and submit the necessary fees (All fees are non-refundable).

Under AS 14.20.020(h), an holder of an Initial teacher certificate has two (2) years to complete three (3) semester hours of approved Alaska studies coursework and three (3) semester hours of approved Alaska multicultural coursework. Lists of approved courses that meet the Alaska studies and Alaska multicultural education coursework requirements are available at education.alaska.gov/teachercertification/ under Certification Requirements.

The Alaska Teacher Certification office issues five types of Initial teacher certificates:

The additional requirements and expectations for the five types of Initial teacher certification are listed below.

INITIAL/TWO-YEAR TEACHER CERTIFICATE

To qualify for an Two-Year teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

-and-

  • Is not eligible for reinstatement of a Professional or Master teacher certificate.

An Initial/Two-Year teacher certificate will be valid for two years, but may be reissued once with a one-year extension.

For the one-year extension, the certificate holder must submit official transcripts to the Teacher Certification office showing the completion of 3 semester hours of approved Alaska studies (AK) coursework and the completion of 3 semester hours of approved Alaska (MC) multicultural coursework. The official transcripts must be received in the Teacher Certification office prior to the expiration date of the Initial certificate.

An applicant who has satisfied the Alaska studies and Alaska multicultural coursework requirements at the time of application will be issued an Initial/Three-Year teacher certificate.

An Initial/Two-Year teacher certificate is not renewable.

INITIAL/OUT-OF-STATE TEACHER CERTIFICATE

To qualify for an Initial/Out-of-State teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

  • Has never held an Alaska teacher certificate
  • Holds a current, valid out-of-state teacher certificate (out-of-country certificate will not be accepted)
  • The out-of-state certificate will be current and valid at the time the applicant’s contract for instructional services begins in an Alaska public school district.

An Initial/Out-of-State teacher certificate will be valid for one year, but may be reissued twice for a total of two (2) one-year extensions.

For the first one-year extension, the following items must be received by the Teacher Certification office prior to the expiration of the Initial/Out-of-State certificate:

For the second one-year extension, official transcripts must be received by the Teacher Certification office prior to the expiration date of the Initial/Out-of-State certificate showing the completion of three (3) semester hours of approved Alaska studies coursework and the completion of three (3) semester hours of approved Alaska multicultural coursework. The transcripts must be received prior to the expiration date of the Initial/Out-of-State certificate.

Endorsements placed on an Initial/Out-of-State teacher certificate will reflect the endorsements on the applicant’s out-of-state certificate. If an applicant holds more than one valid, out-of-state certificate, the applicant must choose which out-of-state certificate to submit with the Initial application.

An Initial/Out-of-State teacher certificate is not renewable.

INITIAL/PROGRAM ENROLLMENT TEACHER CERTIFICATE

To qualify for an Initial/Program Enrollment teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

NOTE: Program enrollment cannot be used for individuals enrolled in special education programs. Those individuals must complete their program prior to applying for the Initial certificate.

An Initial/Program Enrollment teacher certificate will be valid for one year, but may be reissued twice for a total of two (2) one-year extensions.

For the first one-year extension, the certificate holder must submit the following items to the Teacher Certification office prior to expiration date of the Initial/Program Enrollment certificate:

For the second one-year extension, the certificate holder must submit all of the following items to the Teacher Certification office prior to expiration of the Initial certificate:

Endorsements placed on an Initial/Program Enrollment teacher certificate will reflect the teacher preparation program described on the Proof of Program Enrollment form.

An Initial/Program Enrollment teacher certificate is not renewable.

INITIAL/REEMPLOYMENT TEACHER CERTIFICATE

To qualify for an Initial/Reemployment Teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

  • Held never held an Reemployment teacher certificate in Alaska
  • Held an Alaska teacher certificate that was valid for at least two years
  • The most recent Alaska teacher certificate must have expired more than a year prior to the date of application

Endorsements placed on an Initial/Reemployment certificate will reflect the endorsements on the applicant’s previous Alaska teacher certificate.

An applicant who has held a Reemployment teacher certificate must apply for a Professional teacher certificate.

An Initial/Reemployment teacher certificate will be valid for one year and is not renewable. The Initial/Reemployment teacher certificate cannot be reissued and is not eligible for an extension.

Special Notes About the Reemployment Certificate

  1. A Reemployment Certificate is non-renewable. After holding a Reemployment certificate, applicants are only eligible to apply for the Professional five-year certificate, and will not qualify for another Initial certification. Before applying for the Professional five-year certificate, applicants must meet all current requirements for certification. It is the responsibility of the applicant to know what all current certification requirements are.
  2. The endorsements on the Reemployment certificate will be the same as those the expired teacher certificate.
  3. During the life of the Reemployment certificate no endorsements may be added or removed.

Addtitional Requirements

Special Education

If you wish to teach special education to children with disabilities, you must, in addition to meeting other requirements for teacher certification, secure an endorsement based upon completion of an approved teacher training program in special education.

Preschool Special Education

If you wish to teach preschool children with special needs and are not eligible for an endorsement in preschool special education, you must have completed at least six (6) semester hours in early childhood special education in addition to holding a teaching certificate with a special education endorsement. (This does not constitute an endorsement in Early Childhood Special Education.)

Gifted

If you wish to teach gifted children, you must, in addition to meeting requirements for teacher certification, have completed at least six (6) semester hours in gifted education. (This does not constitute an endorsement.)

Vocational Education

If you wish to teach vocational trades, you must have an endorsement in vocational education or a Type M Limited Certificate.


RETURN TO TYPES OF CERTIFICATES

APPLICATION & FORMS