Idaho Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

Who Licenses Teachers in Idaho, and Which Exams Does It Use?

Idaho licenses teachers through Idaho State Department of Education, Certification and Professional Standards, and the exams it requires are the Praxis tests from ETS.

For the programs themselves, the online master's in education programs at universities in Idaho are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.

How Do I Get an Idaho Teaching License With an Online Master's?

An online master's leads to an Idaho teaching license through the Certificate for Out-of-State Applicants when you hold a valid out-of-state certificate or finished a CAEP or AAQEP accredited preparation program in the last two years. Idaho graduates instead use the Initial Certificate, with a recommendation from their Idaho college of education.

The department says applicants must meet Idaho Code 33-1202 and complete a state-approved teacher preparation program. Our elementary education and secondary education rankings do not record accreditation by either body.

Which Exams Does Idaho Require for Teacher Certification?

Idaho requires Praxis exams for teacher certification, the content and performance assessments approved by the State Board of Education. A candidate who took the ABCTE test does not also take a Praxis test, though an endorsement added through a traditional program may require one.

Idaho graduates submit an official Praxis score sheet with the recommendation. An out-of-state applicant who holds no current credential must include a content assessment, along with documentation of any content testing the program required, as the out-of-state page sets out. Ask the department which test matches your endorsement before registering.

Can I Transfer a Teaching License to Idaho From Another State?

Idaho accepts a teaching license from another state when it was issued on full completion of a state department of education-approved program in a state recognized by the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement. The packet adds a Background Investigation Check and official transcripts that verify at least a bachelor's degree and your certification and endorsement areas.

The 2020 comparison by the Education Commission of the States recorded no full reciprocity for Idaho, with extra coursework and assessments for some out-of-state teachers. The department's page today sorts applicants by whether they hold a certificate, and it gives a program completer without one only the two-calendar-year recommendation window.

Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Certification for Idaho Online Master's Students?

Idaho was approved for NC-SARA in May 2014, and that membership still does not cover teacher certification for Idaho online master's students: SARA does not address professional licensing board approval for teacher education.

The department looks at something SARA status cannot tell you, namely whether the program is accredited by CAEP or AAQEP. A participating school must still notify you whether its program meets licensure requirements where you live, so use that notice to ask which accreditor stands behind the education program.

What Should I Ask an Online Program Before Enrolling From Idaho?

An online program should give you its determination on Idaho before you enroll, and 34 CFR 668.43 backs that request: a school advertising licensure preparation lists the states where it does and does not qualify and gives pre-enrollment notice when yours falls short or was never assessed.

Idaho-specific asks: is the program CAEP or AAQEP accredited, will it complete Idaho's institutional recommendation form within the two-calendar-year window, which Praxis test does it prepare you for, and for counseling, how many supervised practicum hours do you log?

Which Certificate Do Idaho Principals and School Counselors Need?

The certificates Idaho principals and school counselors need differ: an Administrator Certificate asks for four years of full-time certificated experience, with student teaching and substitute work excluded, and an out-of-state administrator program completer must also finish the TMT course to add the certificate, or take a separate three-year out-of-state endorsement credential.

The five-year school counselor certificate asks for a master's degree, a recommendation verifying an Idaho-approved program or one accredited by CACREP, CAEP or AAQEP, and 700 practicum hours with 525 in K-12 settings, or a year of K-12 counseling experience. An online master's in educational leadership or school counseling has to clear the experience or practicum rule as well as the degree.