Kansas Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

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

Kansas licenses teachers through Kansas State Department of Education, Teacher Licensure, 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 Kansas are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.

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

To get a Kansas teaching license with an online master's, you meet the four conditions the Kansas State Department of Education sets for the Initial License: a bachelor's degree or higher, completion of a Kansas-approved teacher preparation program, a teacher work sample verified by the Kansas college or university, and passing scores on the content assessment for each endorsement area. Two of those conditions name Kansas institutions, so a graduate of a program based elsewhere is likely to be handled through the out-of-state file described below.

People with a bachelor's degree who have not finished a program can look at the nontraditional pathways. Our elementary education and secondary education rankings use federal graduate counts and tuition, which say nothing about Kansas approval.

Which Exams Does Kansas Require for Teacher Licensure?

Kansas requires a passing score on the content assessment for each endorsement area, and the department keeps its approved exam list on the ETS Praxis site for Kansas. A second layer arrives July 1, 2028: veteran educators in six elementary roles must show science of reading knowledge to renew a professional license, through approved training or an approved exam such as Teaching Reading (7002), Reading Specialist (5302), Foundations of Reading (890) or KPEERI.

The six roles include elementary reading, special education and administrator positions. Incoming educators do not need the training for an initial Kansas license but must show compliance at renewal, so an elementary candidate should ask whether a program builds toward one of those exams.

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

A teaching license from another state can transfer to Kansas, and the out-of-state file asks for transcripts showing the degree and its conferral date, evidence of a Praxis or comparable content assessment, a copy of the current standard license, verification from the preparation program, proof of at least one year of teaching within the past two years and confirmation that the license is in good standing. An applicant outside Kansas has fingerprints taken locally and mailed to the department on an FBI FD-258 card, since LiveScan is limited to fingerprints taken within Kansas.

In its 2020 comparison of reciprocity, the Education Commission of the States found no full reciprocity in Kansas and an assessment requirement for some out-of-state teachers, which matches the content-assessment evidence the department asks for today.

Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Licensure for Kansas Online Master's Students?

Kansas's NC-SARA membership, approved in November 2014, does not cover teacher licensure for online master's students. SARA concerns a school's authority to offer online programs, and NC-SARA says SARA does not address licensing board approval of programs like teacher education. Approval of the program itself sits with the State Board, which authorizes the Kansas institutions that may offer endorsement programs, and the state actions page records only the membership.

A participating school must still tell you whether its program meets licensure requirements where you live.

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

Ask an online program, before you enroll from Kansas, to put in writing where it has determined that the program meets licensure requirements. That disclosure is what 34 CFR 668.43 demands of schools advertising licensure, along with a notice before enrollment if the program does not meet Kansas requirements or the school has made no determination.

The Kansas questions follow. Does the program appear among the approved programs by content area? Who will verify your teacher work sample? Which Praxis content test fits your endorsement? Can you complete student teaching near home, and will the program document it for the department?

Does Kansas Require a Master's Degree for a Professional Teaching License?

A professional teaching license in Kansas does not require a master's degree, but an advanced degree lowers the renewal workload. The Professional License renews through National Board certification, 160 professional development points without an advanced degree (at least 80 from college credit) or 120 with one, eight college credit hours, or, for holders of an advanced degree, three years of recent accredited experience, an option limited to two renewals.

For a working teacher, that makes a master's a renewal tool more than an entry requirement. Our reading and literacy rankings cover a field where Kansas's new Science of Reading rule applies.