To qualify for a Professional teacher certificate, an applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Two years of teaching experience while holding a valid teacher certificate**
- Passing scores on an approved basic competency exam (BCE)
- Passing scores on a content area exam
- Completion of a teacher preparation program as verified by on the Teacher Program Verification Form (docx)
- Official transcripts showing:
- Verification of current employment in an Alaska public school district in a position requiring a certificate or a fingerprint card submitted with application
- Complete application and fees (All fees are non-refundable.)
**If all of the requirements for a Professional certificate with the exception of the two year of teaching experience and the content area exam have been met, an applicant may apply for a Second Initial certificate.
The Professional certificate is valid for five (5) years and is renewable.
To renew a five-year certificate, applicants must meet the following requirements prior to the expiration date of their certificate:
- Renewal credit (Six semester hours of credit taken during the life of the f certificate being renewed. A minimum of three semester hours must be upper division or graduate credit.)
- Verification of current employment in an Alaska public school district in a position requiring a certificate. If an applicant is not employed in this capacity at the time of renewal, a fingerprint card will be required.
- Complete application and fees (All fees are non-refundable.)
For certificates issued on September 2, 2011 and beyond, the six renewal credits earned must be:
- Related to the certificated person’s employment at the time of renewal, if the employment requires a certificate;
- Related to the certificated person’s endorsements, or
- A required element of a program that will lead to an endorsement under 4 AAC 12.395 that the certificated person seeks to acquire.
