North Carolina is pleased to introduce a new alternate pathway to becoming a professional educator called the Residency License. This route allows qualified individuals to obtain a teaching position and begin teaching right away as a Resident while obtaining a clear professional educator's license. As a teacher with a Residency License, you will receive full salary and benefits while you complete additional college courses to receive teacher certification. Individual plans of study are prescribed for lateral entry teachers who must complete the necessary educational coursework (and other requirements) for a professional educator’s license while teaching.
License Qualifications
The NC Dept of Public Instruction authorizes a one-year Residency License that may be renewed twice for up to a 3-year licensure cycle. Residency licensure is issued on a provisional basis in the teaching area that corresponds to the individual's qualifications. An approved educator preparation program (EPP) must determine the applicant for the license to be qualified and enroll the individual, while a North Carolina school system or charter school employs the Resident to teach. Both EPP enrollment and public school system employment as a teacher are required to qualify for and continue teaching on a Residency License.
To search which EPPs offer a program in a specific licensure area, please use the explorer tool found at TeachNC.
Testing requirements:
Specific testing requirements for your licensure area can be found by clicking on one of the links below:
Elementary Education: (Look under "Prospective Candidates" for info)
Special Education: General Curriculum:
http://www.nc.nesinc.com/(Look under "Prospective Candidates" for info) and http://www.ets.org/praxis/nc
All other Licensure Areas:
Praxis Testing Windows: https://www.ets.org/praxis/register/centers_dates
Pearson Test Prep - NCEES Modules for Current Teachers
There is an on-line tutorial offered free from the state for the Pearson tests.
Log into the Homebase Evaluation system and click on the "Professional Development" tab (see the picture). Then search for the name of the course below. They are self-paced test and can serve as a start for your test preparation. Please let your us know how helpful you found the course.
Pearson Test Prep
#247 Preparation for Foundation of Reading Licensure Exam: Self-Paced
#248 Preparation for the North Carolina General Curriculum Mathematics Subtest: Self-Paced
Pearson Test Prep for Potential Teachers
There is an on-line tutorial from Pearson for the Foundations of Reading Test and the General Curriculum Test (Math and Multi-Subject).
RALC Test Prep Resources
The Regional Alternative Licensing Center (RALC) has test preps workshops available at http://www.ralc.us/testing. Take a look at the Test Prep links at the bottom of the page. To access this resource, you must create an account and register on the website.
There are modules offered through NC Education as a self-paced module to complete. It's intended to help out of state teachers and others prepare for the Pearson test. Both the Math and Reading test preps are available.