Table of Contents
Requirements For An Alabama Teacher Certificate
Below is a list of requirements needed to start your career as an Alabama teacher.
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in the education sector or completing of a teacher preparation program
- GPA of 2.5 or greater, or a master’s degree program or second bachelor’s with the same GPA value
- Background review, which includes fingerprint collection
- Transcripts from your prior schools
- Recommendation for certification from your education provider
- Completion of the proper exams necessary
Examinations Necessary For Attaining Your Certificate
- APTTP Skill Assessment Test
- PRAXIS II: Subject Assessment
Renewing an Alabama Teacher’s Certificate
- Attain enough semester hours of credit or at least fifty hours of developmental courses
- Three years of full-time teaching experience or more is recommended
- You may also attain a certificate from the National Board for Teaching Professionals
Educational Needs For Earning Your Certificate
You can attain your certificate for teaching in Alabama through one of two methods:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree
First, you could obtain a bachelor’s degree from a college program that entails the education sector. You must acquire your degree from a school that has been accredited by the Alabama State Department of Education.
You may also acquire a master’s degree in the teaching or education field if you wish. The master’s degree takes longer to attain, but it also covers more aspects of education. A bachelor’s program covers points on classroom management and child development. A master’s degree entails a review of the foundations of education, unique research techniques, and how to produce a suitable or efficient curriculum for development.
- Teacher Preparation Program
You may complete a teacher preparation program if you do not have a bachelor’s degree that entails teacher preparation efforts. The preparation program may be part of a graduate degree program.
Multiple schools throughout Alabama are certified as educator preparation institutions by the state, including ones in Jefferson, Madison, and Montgomery Counties. Those who wish to attain their certification from a school outside Alabama must ensure the program has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges.
Regardless of what method you utilize, you must hold a bachelor’s degree and have completed a suitable educator preparation program to earn your certification. A GPA of 2.5 or greater is required. You may still qualify if your GPA is under 2.5 if you have completed a master’s degree program or you hold a second bachelor’s degree with a 2.5 GPA or greater.
You can visit the Alabama State Department of Education website to acquire your credentials.
Additional Application Points
You must also undergo a background examination before you can become certified. The state of Alabama uses the 3M Cogent system to collect fingerprints and other data to complete a background check through the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.
Your application must feature the transcripts from your schools and a verification of your test scores. A recommendation for certification from the education preparation program you attended is also necessary. These must be provided alongside a non-refundable fee to the Alabama State Department of Education Educator Certification Section at PO Box 302101, Montgomery, AL 36130.
Understanding the Testing Requirements
You must complete the Alabama Prospective Teacher Program or APTTP test to earn your teaching certificate in Alabama. There are two segments associated with the APTTP:
- Skill Assessment
The skills assessment test will cover the reading, writing, and mathematics segments.
- PRAXIS II: Subject Assessment
The PRAXIS II test is a test provided by the Educational Testing Service and approved by the Alabama State Board of Education. The PRAXIS II test is a battery that reviews your knowledge of a specific subject. It identifies if you are qualified to teach in one segment.
Alabama Teacher Licensing Classes
You will receive one of three licenses based on your prior educational experience. These three licenses are as follows:
- Class B – for teachers with a bachelor’s degree
- Class A – for those with a master’s degree
- Class AA – for people who must complete a sixth-year program of thirty semester hours or more of credit from an accredited organization
TSA Priority
You may have an easier opportunity becoming a teacher in Alabama if you aim to teach in a subject listed as a TSA or Teacher Shortage Area. Specifically, your student loans may be cancelled or deferred if you teach in a TSA area, plus you might be moved to the top of the list of prospective and qualified teachers after you complete your studies.
Some of the TSA priority sections in Alabama to note include:
- Agriculture and science
- Arts, including band and music
- Mathematics for grades 6 to 12
- Foreign languages for grades 6 to 12
- Special education programs, including for teaching those who are learning disabled or have speech impediments
You may provide documentation on your experience in these fields and how you have been trained to work in these segments when applying for your education certificate. Be sure you provide prior reports on your studies to make this point work. You must still pass the PRAXIS II test surrounding whatever subject you will work in after you receive your certification.
Renewing Your Alabama Teacher Certificate
Your Professional Educator Certificate in Alabama will be valid for five years. You must renew your certificate for another five years after it expires. For a certificate that expires on June 30, you must complete all the requirements for renewing before September 1 of that same year, plus the Teacher Education and Certification Office must receive your application before December 31.
You can receive your renewal through one of five methods:
- Hold three years of full-time educator experience with fifty hours of appropriate developmental courses.
- Have three years of full-time experience and three semester hours of credit.
- Have fifty hours of developmental courses and three semester hours of credit. This point may work without the three years of prior experience.
- Attain six semester hours or more of appropriate credit.
- Earn a certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards during whatever period of your certificate you hold.
The ASDE website provides thorough information on how to renew your certificate.
References
https://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/certification/alabama/ – Info on how to become a teacher in the state
https://resilienteducator.com/teaching-license/alabama/ – Information on licenses in Alabama
https://www.ets.org/praxis/al – Testing standards for prospective Alabama teachers
https://www.alsde.edu/sec/ec/Pages/home.aspx – Educator certification data for Alabama teachers
https://www.alsde.edu/ofc/otl/Pages/ecprepmap.aspx?navtext=AL%20Educator%20Preparation:%20AL%20Educator%20Preparation%20Institutions – Institutions that offer educator programs in Alabama