Changes to Teacher Certification 2024-2025
(From CEA)
Effective July 1, 2024
Expansion of secondary (grades 7–12) teaching endorsements to extend to grades 4–12. Secondary certificate holders are eligible to teach their subject area down to grade 4 in a departmentalized setting.
Cross-Endorsements – Educators who hold an initial, provisional, or professional certificate in a teaching area may add another teaching endorsement (cross-endorsement) to an existing certificate in select certification areas by obtaining a passing score on the appropriate subject area assessment. Additional coursework is no longer required. This does NOT apply to bilingual endorsements, elementary education, integrated early childhood/special education, remedial reading and remedial language arts, school library media, special education, or TESOL.
Effective July 1, 2025
Expanded elementary endorsements (previously issued and newly issued) will authorize an elementary certification holder to teach grades PreK to Grade 6.
Elimination of Provisional Certs – Educator Certification levels change from 3-tier to 2-tier (Initial & Professional): Provisional Educator Certifications can no longer be issued or renewed.
New Professional Cert Requirements – To advance to the Professional Certification, educators must document at least 50 school months of successful experience, have met the teacher education and mentoring (TEAM) program requirements, and hold a master’s degree. Since Provisional Certificates can no longer be renewed, one must obtain a master’s degree to advance to the Professional Certificate.
Impact on Initial Cert – The Initial Educator Certification will be valid for a period of ten years. Any Initial Educator Certification issued prior to July 1, 2025, will be extended to reflect a ten-year validity period. This certification may be renewed if the educator has not served under it. If an educator has served under the certification but does not meet requirements to advance it, a one-year extension may be granted a maximum of three times.
Additional key points:
Enhanced Reciprocity is expanded to include: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
Emergency Endorsements may be issued to any educator who currently holds an appropriate Provisional or Professional Educator Certificate, including interim certificates, upon a mutually agreed submission of the request by the LEA/District. This emergency authorization does not apply to special service, occupational/vocational, adult educator, or administrative certificates. It can only be issued to educators who hold a Provisional or Professional certificate in a teaching area, to temporarily authorize them to teach in another area. (Emergency Generalist, PK–8 (#201), Emergency Generalist, 7–12 (#202). Emergency Teacher of English Language Learners, PK–12 (#204).