Kansas Teaching License

The teacher licensure process in Kansas is handled by the Kansas State Department of Education’s Office of Teacher Licensure and Accreditation (TLA). Continue reading and you will find a detailed description of how to get a teaching license.

How to Become a Teacher in Kansas

In order to be able to teach in public K-12 schools in Kansas, first of all, you need to get your teaching license. And to earn it you need to meet some basic requirements.

• You need to have a bachelor degree
• Take an approved teacher training program
• Pass the board accredited exam for educators

Note: If you have a bachelor’s degree, but didn’t take a teaching training program. You can apply for alternative teacher certification in Kansas.

In Kansas, there are multi-level teaching licensure processes.

If you are new in your career you need to get the Initial certification. And also you need to meet the basic requirements. After getting the initial one you can advance it to the Professional license. You need to complete a graduate degree or earn 120 professional development points in a board-approved program. Also, you may get an Accomplished License by earning National Board Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Finding Approved Teacher Education Programs in Kansas

In all the licensure processes the most essential part is to find a good board-approved training program. And to find a list of the approved programs visits the Kansas State Department of Education website.

Note: If the program that you took is not approved you won’t be able to get a teaching license.

Also, it is important to make sure that your bachelor’s degree program has regional accreditation provided by one of the six regional accreditation agencies recognized by the US Department of Education.

In addition, all the programs need to hold accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). This is a result of the combination of the two accreditation bodies, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). It is not necessary but it granted the quality of the program.

Kansas Teacher Education Requirements

So, to be able to apply for the teaching license in Kansas, you need to have a bachelor’s degree and take a training program. In Kansas you need to have a minimum of one endorsement on their license, it is usually required to major in an endorsement area.
In addition, you need to meet the recent study requirement. This means that you need to have a minimum of credit hours of college coursework or one year of approved teaching experience. Which you have completed in the last six years.

Kansas Teacher Testing Requirements

After meeting all the education requirements, to get your certificate you are required to complete the Praxis assessments to prove that you are ready to be a teacher. The requirement of the Kansas Department of Education is to pass the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam. It should be at a level where you want to teach. For all the endorsement areas you must also take the Praxis Subject Assessments

Additional Kansas Teacher Certification Requirements

You need to provide a fingerprint for a state and federal background check. To order your fingerprint card go to the Kansas State Department of Education website.

Kansas Teachers Licensing Application Process

After you have met all the requirements, you have reached the final step where you need to complete and submit your application to the Kansas State Department of Education. With your application, you need to provide all these documents.

• The certificate of bachelor’s degree from a state-approved college or university
• Proof of completion of an approved teacher training program
• State and federal background check
• Acceptable scores of all content and pedagogy exams
• Non-refundable payment fee for the process

You can submit the Initial license applications online. For more information visit the Kansas State Department of Education.

Can you teach in Kansas without a certificate?

No, you cannot. To be authorized to teach at schools in Kansas you need to get a license.

Is the Kansas teaching license acceptable in other states?

Yes. Kansas signed the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement. Additionally, Kansas provides a two-year “Exchange License ” to all the candidates that meet the requirements.