Table of Contents
Requirements For Earning an Initial Certificate as an Alaska Teacher
- Bachelor’s degree or greater
- Completing a certified teacher preparation program endorsed by the EED
- Passing completion of a suitable basic skills exam
- At least one year of field placement or an internship
- Criminal background examination
- Filing the necessary application
Requirements For a Professional Alaska Teacher Certificate
- Firstly, finish the proper exam and experience rules
- Secondly, complete an Alaska Studies course
- Thirdly, complete a cross-cultural communications course
- Finally, finish six semester hours of college credit within the past five years (three of those hours must be at the graduate level)
Exams Eligible For Becoming an Alaska Teacher
- PRAXIS I reading, writing, and math test
- PRAXIS II content area assessment test
- Select state-specific tests may also work
Earning Your Certificate
Firstly, you can start the road towards earning your teacher’s certificate in Alaska through the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. You can do this by holding a bachelor’s degree or greater before starting a certified teacher preparation program in the state. Teachers can then complete a teacher certification program in one of four segments:
- Pre-kindergarten to grade 3, or early education
- Grades kindergarten to 6, or elementary education
- Secondary education for grades 7 to 12
- Specialty segments, including those with special education needs
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development or EED must endorse your teacher education program.
Your degree must also be endorsed by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities or the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Experience Needs
You must attain enough experience before becoming certified as a teacher. You will also require field placement experience or an internship. It may take about a year on average to complete your experience requirement.
Your internship or field placement experience will entail in-class teaching under a supervising teacher’s guidance. Furthermore, much of the effort entails reviewing how you can establish lesson plans, guide a classroom setting, and manage students’ needs.
Application Work
The application process requires you to provide the following to the EED Teacher Education and Certification department:
- An official transcript confirming your accredited college experience
- Transcripts confirming the completion of the necessary hours of Alaska multicultural and Alaska Studies courses
- A recommendation from a teacher education program or a college or university
- Passing scores on any of the eligible exams
- A signed application and the suitable fee
You can send your application to the Teacher Education and Certification department.
The school you will apply to work for will also require the submission of an FBI fingerprint card as a means of reviewing your criminal history. The effort ensures you are suitable for educational purposes.
Initial Teacher Certification
You may first apply for an initial teacher certificate to operate as an educator in Alaska. You must also hold a bachelor’s degree or greater and have gone through a suitable preparation program. Your initial certificate will be good for three years, which gives you the timing to complete your work towards professional work.
An initial certificate holder will be responsible for working towards one’s professional certificate. You can meet the requirements for your professional certificate during the three years when your initial certificate is valid.
Professional Alaska Teacher Certification
The end goal of becoming a teacher in Alaska is to attain your professional teacher certification. You may acquire your certificate if you hold initial accreditation and complete a suitable teacher’s preparation program and at least six semester hours of college credit in the past five years. Three of those semester hours must be at the graduate level.
You must also complete an approved course in the Alaska Studies and Cross-Cultural Communications segments. These courses may count towards the recency credit requirement for certification.
Alaska Studies
You must complete a three-semester hour course on Alaska Studies to earn your professional certificate. In addition, Alaska Studies entails studying the Alaskan environment, indigenous people of the state, and various laws and other rules that apply in Alaska. Alaska Studies courses are available through institutions like Alaska Pacific University, the University of Alaska Anchorage, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Ilisagvik College.
Cross-Cultural Communications
The other three-semester hour course to complete is a Cross-Cultural Communications or Multicultural Education course. The course entails a study of the languages and interethnic communications of people within Alaska. The focus is on understanding the cultures of Alaska and how well people can interact with those in the field.
The same colleges that provide Alaska Studies courses also offer Cross-Cultural Communications courses. These include studies surrounding indigenous cultures and how to provide unique educational opportunities for people in these areas.
Exams For Completion
All teachers must complete the PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educators exam, or the PRAXIS I exam. The test entails a review of how well a teaching candidate understands the task at hand.
The PRAXIS II exam is also necessary for whatever content area you will serve. The PRAXIS II tests include ones for elementary education, middle school education in various disciplines, or secondary education efforts in different subjects.
You may also pass a state-specific test to become eligible for your Alaska teacher’s certificate. Among the tests that the state supports include:
- California Basic Educational Skills Test
- Florida Teacher Certification Exams
- Illinois Certification Testing System
- New York State Teacher Certification Liberal Arts and Science Test
Renewing Your Work
You can renew your certificate after the expiration of its five-year period. Also, you must complete six semester hours of continuing education to renew your work. You must visit the Department of Education website with your online profile to complete the renewal process.
Considerations for Rural Teaching Environments
About two-thirds of all school districts in the state of Alaska are identified as rural districts. This point means one of two things:
- The district has a population of 5,500 people or fewer and is not connected by road or rail to Anchorage
- The district’s population is 1,500 or less and is also linked to Anchorage by road or rail
The requirements for becoming a teacher in these rural environments are the same as if you were to become a teacher in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or any other non-rural environment. You may still qualify for unique incentives if you become an educator in one of these rural spaces.
