Requirements For Teacher Licenses

(1) Prospective educators seeking a practitioner teacher license shall meet the requirements of one (1) of the following pathways: (a) Pathway 1. The prospective educator: 1. Holds a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); 2. Has completed a State Board-approved educator preparation program; 3. Is recommended by the State Board-approved educator preparation provider; and 4. Submits qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy. (b) Pathway 2. The prospective educator: 1. Holds a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); 2. Is enrolled in a State Board-approved educator preparation program with a job- embedded clinical practice; 3. Is recommended by the State Board-approved educator preparation provider; and EDUCATOR LICENSURE CHAPTER 0520-02-03 4. Submits qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy or holds a degree with a major in the specialty area. (c) Pathway 3. The prospective educator: 1. Holds a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); 2. Holds an active Tennessee practitioner or professional occupational teacher license with an endorsement covering the Secondary Grade span; 3. Has completed a State Board-approved occupational educator preparation program or an occupational educator preparation program approved by a state other than Tennessee; 4. Submits qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy; and 5. Seeks an endorsement in either Middle and Secondary Grades – Core Academic, or Middle and Secondary Grades – World Languages, or College, Career, and Technical Education – Academic as defined in Educator Licensure Policy 5.502. (2) Prospective educators from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement and who are seeking a practitioner teacher license shall meet the requirements of one (1) of the following pathways: (a) Out-of-State Pathway 1. The out-of-state prospective educator: 1. Holds a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); 2. Has completed an educator preparation program approved by a state other than Tennessee; 3. Is recommended by the approved educator preparation provider; and 4. Submits qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy. (b) Out-of-State Pathway 2. The out-of-state prospective educator: 1. Holds a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); 2. Holds a full and valid initial level teacher license from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement; 3. Has completed an educator preparation program approved by a state other than Tennessee; and EDUCATOR LICENSURE CHAPTER 0520-02-03 4. Is recommended by the approved educator preparation provider. (c) Out-of-State Pathway 3. The out-of-state prospective educator: 1. Holds a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); 2. Is enrolled in an educator preparation program with job-embedded clinical practice that is approved by a state other than Tennessee that has a state- recognized partnership with a Tennessee local education agency (LEA); 3. Is recommended by the approved educator preparation provider; and 4. Submits qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy. (3) Prospective educators from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement and who are seeking a professional academic teacher license shall meet requirements of one (1) of the following pathways: (a) Out-of-State Pathway 4. The out-of-state prospective educator: 1. Holds a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); and 2. Holds a full and valid professional-level license from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement. (b) Out-of-State Pathway 5. The out-of-state prospective educator: 1. Holds a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (USDOE); and 2. Holds a valid certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. (4) A practitioner license may be renewed once upon completion of an approved educator preparation program and submission of qualifying scores on all State Board-required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy prior to the end of the validity period of the first (1st) issuance of the practitioner license. An educator issued a practitioner teacher license following the issuance of a Limited License in accordance with Rule 0520-02-02-.13 of this Chapter, is not required to complete an approved educator preparation program to renew the license. (5) If the requirements for practitioner license renewal are not met prior to the end of the validity period of the first (1st) issuance of the practitioner license, the license shall expire. Educators who fail to apply for renewal prior to the expiration of the license shall have a grace period until October 1 following the date of expiration to apply for renewal. Applications for renewal submitted during the grace period shall demonstrate that the educator completed all requirements for license renewal (with the exception of submitting the application) prior to the end of the validity period. EDUCATOR LICENSURE CHAPTER 0520-02-03 (6) An educator with a practitioner teacher license may seek to advance to a professional teacher license. In order to advance from a practitioner license to a professional license, an educator shall meet one (1) of the following sets of requirements: (a) Option 1: 1. Completed an approved educator preparation program and submitted qualifying scores on all State Board-required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy prior to the end of the validity period of the first (1st) issuance of the practitioner license; 2. Obtained three (3) years of qualifying experience as an educator as defined by the Department; and 3. Earned thirty (30) professional development points or obtained the recommendation from a director of schools or leader of a charter school or the school’s charter management organization (CMO). (b) Option 2: Holds a full and valid professional-level license from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement or holds a full and valid professional-level occupational teaching license in Tennessee. (c) Option 3: Holds a valid certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. (7) If the requirements for licensure advancement are not met prior to the end of the validity period of the second (2nd) issuance of the practitioner teacher license, then the license may be renewed. To renew the practitioner teacher license, an educator shall earn thirty (30) qualifying professional development points as defined in Educator Licensure Policy 5.502. (8) Educators who obtained the practitioner teaching license through the out-of-state pathway 4 prior to enactment of Public Chapter 125 of 2021 shall not be required to submit qualifying scores on State Board-required assessments to advance if: (a) The educator has been employed in a Tennessee public school in the area of endorsement; and (b) The educator earned a level of overall effectiveness (LOE) score of “above expectations” or “significantly above expectations” in each of the first two (2) years immediately following the issuance of the individual’s initial practitioner license; or (c) If the educator did not receive an overall performance effectiveness level during one (1) or both of the two (2) years immediately following issuance of the educator’s practitioner license, then the educator may: 1. Choose to use the educator’s most recent overall performance effectiveness level that is available to demonstrate an overall performance effectiveness level of “above expectations” or “significantly above expectations”; or 2. The educator may request that the director of schools or the director of the public charter school submit a recommendation to the Department of Education on the educator’s effectiveness. (9) To renew the professional teacher license, an educator shall earn sixty (60) qualifying professional development points within the validity period of the license and as defined in the EDUCATOR LICENSURE CHAPTER 0520-02-03 Educator Licensure Policy 5.502 or demonstrate two (2) years of qualifying experience as an educator as defined by the Department within the validity period of the license. (10) If the educator has not met the requirements for renewal at the end of the validity period of the professional license, then the license shall expire. Educators who fail to apply for renewal prior to the expiration of the license shall have a grace period until October 1 following the date of expiration to apply for renewal. Applications for renewal submitted during the grace period shall demonstrate that the educator completed all requirements for license renewal (with the exception of submitting the application) prior to the end of the validity period. (11) Educators may reactivate an expired license and endorsements held by meeting one (1) of the following requirements: (a) Option A (Professional License only): Earn sixty (60) qualifying professional development points as defined in the Educator Licensure Policy 5.502. (b) Option B (Professional License only): Demonstrate two (2) years of qualifying experience as an educator as defined by the Department. (c) Option C: Submit to the Department evidence of completion of an approved educator preparation program (if not already provided) and submit qualifying scores on all State Board-required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy. (d) Option D: Present a full and valid professional-level teaching license from a state other than Tennessee that is a partner in the NASDTEC interstate agreement. (e) Option E: Submit to the Department evidence of current National Board Certification issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.