To teach for a Connecticut Board of Education, an educator must hold a valid certificate appropriate for the assignment or position. The certificate must be issued by the Connecticut State Department of Education. An out-of-state certificate is NOT acceptable for holding a regular, contracted position with a Connecticut Board of Education.

Types of Certificates

In Connecticut, there are three levels of certification. For a description of the eligibility requirements for each level, click on the name link.

• Initial Educator Certificate (3 year duration)
• Provisional Educator Certificate (8 year duration)
• Professional Educator Certificate (5 year duration)

Candidates who have not met testing requirements at the time of application may be eligible for issuance of:

• Interim Educator Certificate with Testing Deferral (1 year duration)

Types of Endorsements

View endorsement areas for which a Connecticut certificate is required

Eligibility for a Certificate

In general, in order to qualify for a certificate, applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Completed a planned program of preparation at a regionally accredited institution in the field and at the grade level for which the certification endorsement is requested; or
   
2. Completed successful, appropriate experience in a public school system, or an approved nonpublic school and
   
3. Completed specific course work required for the certification endorsement area(s) sought

Take our Interactive Questionnaire to find out if you are eligible for Connecticut Certification

Certification Fees

Each application requires a minimum $50 non-refundable review fee. All fees must be submitted in the form of a money order or certified bank check made payable to the "Treasurer, State of Connecticut"

Any applications received without payment or with personal checks or cash will be returned to the applicant.

Upon determination of your certification eligibility, applicants will be sent a credential letter indicating the additional certification fee balance due.

The following is a general guideline for required certification fees:

Testing Requirements

Most candidates must meet testing requirements. Testing requirements vary based on the certification endorsement area(s) requested. Testing requirements include:

• Praxis I (or obtain a Praxis I waiver)
• Praxis II
• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
• Connecticut Administrator Test (CAT)
• The School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA).

For more information about testing requirements, please refer to the Guide to Assessments for Certification in Connecticut.

Assessment Exemptions

Effective July 1, 2009, out-of-state teachers and administrators may be exempt from Board approved assessment requirements, including Praxis I PPST, Praxis II subject knowledge tests, Connecticut Foundations of Reading Test and/or ACTFL OPI and WPT, if they meet the following criteria:

Hold a valid certificate in another state that is equivalent to at least a Connecticut initial educator certficate AND have one of the following:

• three years of successful appropriate experience in that same state (in an approved nonpublic school or public school in the endorsement requested) in the past ten years; OR
• a Master's degree in the academic subject area for which Connecticut certification is being requested. Please note that pedagogical degrees in the subject area do not meet the requirements of the exemption.

Testing Deferral

An applicant who completed a planned program at an approved out-of-state institution and/or has teaching experience in another state may be eligible for a one-year interim certificate issued with deferral of testing requirements. A certificate issued with a testing deferral is nonrenewable. All Connecticut testing requirements must be met by the expiration date on the certificate.

Course Work Requirements

Applicants must meet Connecticut course work requirements as outlined in the regulations. However, applicants who qualify for certification under the NASDTEC Interstate Certification Contract (NICC) will not need to meet specific coursework requirements provided that appropriate credentials are submitted by school districts or colleges from states that participate in the NICC with Connecticut.

For more information about NICC go to: Certification for Out-of-State Applicants