The Indiana Educator License…
In order to teach in an Indiana public school, a teacher must hold a valid teaching license. This document asserts that the holder has met certain legal minimum standards as specified by the state. It also indicates the subject(s) and grade level(s) the teacher is qualified to teach.
The School of Education prepares graduates for professional licensure. Upon completion of all degree and program coursework, the Licensing Advisor approves the online license application for our graduates based on GPA, passage of professional test(s), CPR/AED/Heimlich certification, and Suicide Prevention training. The Initial Practitioner License issued to a beginning teacher is valid for two years from the date of licensing. After receiving an Initial Practitioner License, beginning teachers commence working toward the Practitioner License (a 5-yr. license) through either the Professional Growth Plan (PGP) route or the Indiana Mentoring and Assessment Program (IMAP).
Indiana Licensure Exams…
As of September 1, 2021, all applicants for an initial instructional license must take and pass the Praxis® Pedagogy and the Content Knowledge/Subject Assessment(s) specific to the licensure area and developmental level of the license they are seeking.
PRAXIS® PEDAGOGY ASSESSMENTS. All applicants for initial instructional licenses must take and pass the Praxis® Principles of Learning and Teaching Pedagogy Assessment (PLT) for the developmental level of the license they are seeking. The purpose of the Praxis® PLT series (Early Childhood, Grades K-6, Grades PreK-12, Grades 7-12) is to assess a new teacher’s knowledge and understanding of educational practices foundational to beginning a career as a professional educator. The test is designed to reflect the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards. The test content assesses key indicators of the beginning educator’s knowledge of topics such as human development, learning processes, instructional processes, diverse learners, educational psychology, and professional issues. Examinees taking Praxis® PLT will typically have completed, or will have nearly completed, an undergraduate education program. Each test includes questions that apply specifically to the stated grade range of the test as well as some that are universal to all grade levels.
PRAXIS® SUBJECT/CONTENT KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENTS. The Praxis® Subject Tests are important components of Indiana’s licensure and certification process and measure knowledge of specific subjects that K-12 educators will teach. Praxis® Subject Assessments include over 90 different tests for specific licensure areas, ranging from Mathematics to World Languages.
EARLY LITERACY ENDORSEMENT. To support Indiana’s statewide goal of ensuring 95% of third grade students can read by 2027, House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1558-2023 required the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) to establish a required literacy endorsement for teacher candidates applying for an initial Professional Educator License covering the pre-K-5 grade span or special education licensure after June 30, 2025. The recently adopted Praxis® 5205 Teaching Reading: Elementary test will become mandatory for elementary, early childhood, and special education teachers newly licensed as a professional educator beginning July 1, 2025.
Additional Licensing Requirements…
CPR Certification. Per Indiana Code 20-28-5-3(c), applicants applying for an initial teaching license (and at the time of conversion or renewal of any kind) must have successfully completed training in:
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation that includes a test demonstration on a mannequin,
- Removing a foreign body causing an obstruction in an airway, and the Heimlich Maneuver;
- Beginning July 1, 2011, the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED); and
- Hold a valid certification in each of these procedures from either the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association or other providers as approved by the department.
An initial teaching license is the first license issued to an applicant, regardless of content area or setting. Effective July 1, 2012, the requirements listed above must be met for the following initial license and permit renewals:
- Current Indiana educators must show proof of valid CPR/AED/Heimlich certification.
- In state program completers applying for initial licensure must show proof of valid CPR/AED/Heimlich certification.
Suicide Prevention Training. Effective July 1, 2013, the department may not issue an initial teaching license (includes instructional, student services and administrative licenses) at any grade level to an applicant for an initial teaching license unless the applicant shows evidence that the applicant has successfully completed education and training on the prevention of child suicide and the recognition of signs that a student may be considering suicide.
Teaching Out of State…
Indiana is a participant in the NASCTEC (National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification) licensure reciprocity/interstate agreement, along with most states, though not all. Teaching certification reciprocity can be complex, and many states may have additional requirements. Prospective teachers are encouraged to consult the licensing board or agency of their state of interest for the licensing requirements of that state. Links to the licensing agency of each state is provided in the Teacher Certification: Reciprocity Guidelines by State Directory.
For more information on the licensure reciprocity/interstate agreement, visit the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification at https://www.nasdtec.net/page/Interstate.
Links:
Teacher Certification: Reciprocity Guidelines by State Directory
National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification