Testing & Licensure

To be recommended for licensure the following are required:  

• Successfully complete program requirements

• Successfully passing student teaching using the NC Certification of Teacher Capacity rubric

• Successfully passing edTPA© (Teacher Performance Assessment – see below)

• Elementary Education majors must successfully pass the following tests: 

  1. NC Foundations of Reading (Pearson Test 090) 

  2. Praxis Test 7803: CKT Math Subtest

• Middle Grades, Secondary, Physical Education, and Spanish majors must successfully pass the PRAXIS II specialty area examination(s) specified by the University for their Content Area as part of licensure program completion.

All candidates must pass the edTPA© teacher performance assessment to be recommended for licensure. The edTPA© must be completed during the student teaching internship and the passing criteria are as follows:  

Note: all assessment rubrics are scored on a 5-point scale where 5 is the high end of the scale. 

• All candidates must pass the edTPA© teacher performance assessment to be recommended for licensure. The edTPA© must be completed during the student teaching internship and the passing criteria are as follows:  

  1. For all edTPA© portfolios with 15 assessment rubrics, a candidate must receive a minimum total score of 38 points with the provision that a candidate may receive no scores of 1 on any rubrics.  

  2. For Foreign Language edTPA© portfolios with 13 assessment rubrics, a candidate must receive a minimum total score of 32 points with the provision that a candidate may receive no scores of 1 on any rubrics.

• Candidates will have one opportunity to revise and resubmit portfolio items and will be granted 10 days from the time they are contacted by the portfolio evaluator(s) to upload revisions. Revisions may include portions of the edTPA© portfolio or a complete re-do, depending on the scores received. Additional costs accrued as a result of resubmission are paid for at the expense of the teacher candidate. Time in placements after the last day of LRU classes may be needed for revisions. If the portfolio is deemed inadequate after the revision, it is assigned to a second reader. The second reader’s evaluation – pass or fail – is final.  

• Students must pass the edTPA© in order to be recommended for licensure. 

Note: Always refer to NCDPI website (click here) for the latest information.

All teacher candidates at the graduate and undergraduate level must pass currently adopted North Carolina licensure tests as required by the gateway deadlines set by the School of Education to matriculate toward a timely graduation. Teacher candidates’ failure to meet gateway deadlines will result in the inability to matriculate toward completion of the degree and state license recommendation.

Failure to meet Praxis/Pearson Requirements

Teacher candidates who fail to meet the testing requirements prior to or during the internship semester will be suspended from internship. Teacher candidates will be responsible for arranging a meeting with the Program Coordinator, University Supervisor, and Director of Teacher Education to determine appropriate intervention. 

Failure to meet edTPA© Requirements

Teacher candidates who do not pass the edTPA© assessment after their first submission for national scoring will be required to resubmit parts or the whole of their edTPA© tasks for national scoring as dictated by their initial score.  Passing scores are required for licensure in the state of North Carolina and in many other states.  Teacher candidates’ failure to pass the required edTPA© assessment will result in the inability to matriculate toward completion of the degree and state license recommendation.

Any teacher candidate who is unable to secure a passing score after a second national submission and who wishes to continue seeking a licensure-related degree must extend his/her plan of study by enrolling in the appropriate edTPA© extension and resubmission course. The course is for the purpose of gaining support for remediation and resubmission, and the teacher candidates enrolled are responsible for all tuition costs associated with the course and resubmission fees for national scoring.

After completing the Professional Semester, you must apply for a license in order to be certified to teach in the state of North Carolina.

Candidates need to apply online for the professional license at https://vo.licensure.ncpublicschools.gov/datamart/mainMenu.do. 

Candidates will need the following items ready to submit when applying for licensure:

• Official Degree-Posted ELECTRONIC LRU Transcript (Order this online or at the Registrar’s Office)

• Scans of official transcripts from previous colleges and universities

• Credit Card payment for $55.00

• Praxis II scores; Praxis CKT Math scores; edTPA scores; Foundation of Reading scores

• Court documents for charges (if applicable)

• LEA/IHE Certification of Teaching Capacity Form

It will take approximately 10-12 weeks for the license to arrive.

Occasionally, candidates will receive a job offer before receiving a teaching license. In that case the potential employer will ask for a license verification letter. The Dean of the College of Education and Human Services will generate a letter for once the licensure application process has been completed.

Note: Always refer to NCDPI website (click here) for the latest information.