Exam System
Praxis
NC-SARA
Member
Full Reciprocity in 2020
No
Kentucky cares about what a teacher holds beyond the first certificate: its rank system sorts classroom teachers by degree, and a master's in an approved subject field moves a teacher from Rank III toward Rank II. The Education Professional Standards Board, not the school that awarded the degree, decides whether a Kentucky certificate is earned at all.
People who live in Kentucky and plan to work in its schools are the audience. The guide covers the initial certificate, the Praxis tests, the compact and non-compact routes for teachers certified elsewhere, NC-SARA and what to ask a program. The board revises its regulations, so confirm each step with the EPSB before you apply.
Who Licenses Teachers in Kentucky, and Which Exams Does It Use?
Kentucky licenses teachers through Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, and the exams it requires are the Praxis tests from ETS.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Licensing agency | Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board |
| Teaching license | Professional Certificate |
| Exam system | Praxis (ETS) |
| NC-SARA member | Yes, approved November 2016 |
For the programs themselves, the online master's in education programs at universities in Kentucky are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.
How Do I Get a Kentucky Teaching Certificate With an Online Master's?
To get a Kentucky teaching certificate with an online master's, complete a program the Education Professional Standards Board recognizes, then apply for initial certification (CA-1) through the Kentucky Educator Credentialing System with transcripts, program verification, passing assessments and a character and fitness review. Later renewal takes three years of classroom teaching or six semester hours of additional graduate credit within the five-year period.
Our elementary education and secondary education rankings rest on federal graduate counts and tuition, which cannot show whether the board will accept a given program.
Which Exams Does Kentucky Require for Teacher Certification?
Kentucky requires teacher candidates to pass the appropriate assessments for each area of certification plus the Principles of Learning and Teaching test, and the board points to Praxis from ETS for them. If you test outside Kentucky, select the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, code 7283, so ETS sends the scores electronically.
An experienced teacher can sometimes skip the tests: the non-compact route accepts two years of full-time classroom teaching in place of Praxis II specialty scores and the Principles of Learning and Teaching test. Principals sit the School Leadership Licensure Assessment instead, covered in the leaders section.
Can I Transfer a Teaching Certificate to Kentucky From Another State?
A teaching certificate can transfer to Kentucky from another state by one of two routes. The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact honors eligible licenses from Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Washington, and those certificates qualify for Rank III. Everyone else follows a seven-step process under 16 KAR 4:030 that includes an Out of State Program Verification form, and Kentucky does not recognize credentials earned in another state only by passing an assessment.
The 2020 comparison by the Education Commission of the States recorded no full reciprocity for Kentucky, and the compact is where the board's current picture differs.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Signed the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement | Yes |
| Full reciprocity by statute for out-of-state teachers | No |
| Requires extra coursework from some out-of-state teachers | Yes |
| Requires extra assessments from some out-of-state teachers | Yes |
| Sets requirements by experience or effectiveness | Yes |
| Special route for teachers with advanced credentials | Yes |
| Special reciprocity for military spouses | Yes |
Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Certification for Kentucky Online Master's Students?
NC-SARA membership does not cover teacher certification for Kentucky online master's students, even though Kentucky joined in November 2016. NC-SARA says SARA does not address licensing board approval of teacher education programs, and the state actions page lists only Kentucky's standing as a SARA state.
Kentucky's own out-of-state page mentions NC-SARA online programs and ties their recognition to accreditation or approval in the provider's state of origin, so the home-state approval is the question to chase. A SARA school must also tell you whether a program meets licensure requirements where you live.
What Should I Ask an Online Program Before Enrolling From Kentucky?
The federal baseline for any question to an online program before enrolling from Kentucky is 34 CFR 668.43: a school that promotes licensure preparation must publish where the program does and does not qualify, and say so before enrollment if it misses your state's rules.
Kentucky adds its own list. Is the program approved by the licensing authority in its home state, or by the board? Will it complete the Out of State Program Verification form? Which Praxis tests and the Principles of Learning and Teaching exam does it prepare you for? Where will you do the supervised teaching, and will the program recommend you?
Which Certificate Do Kentucky Principals and School Counselors Need?
Kentucky principals and school counselors each need an approved program, and the counselor route is master's-level. A Statement of Eligibility for school principal calls for a Kentucky teaching certificate or eligibility for one, three years of full-time teaching, an approved Instructional Leadership - School Principal program, a recommendation from an approved institution and a passing score on the School Leadership Licensure Assessment (6990).
The provisional school counselor certificate goes to an applicant who completed an approved master's level program in school counseling. Check an online master's in educational leadership or school counseling against both.
How Does a Master's Degree Change a Kentucky Teacher's Rank?
A master's degree changes a Kentucky teacher's rank by lifting the teacher from Rank III to Rank II: Rank II goes to certificate holders with a master's in a subject field the board approves, initial National Board certification, or equivalent continuing education such as the Continuing Education Option. Rank I adds another master's, National Board certification or thirty more graduate hours.
The stakes are pay: the rank system sets salary placement, with rank fixed by September 15 for that school year's compensation.
Common Questions About Kentucky Teacher Licensure and Online Master's Programs
How Does Kentucky Treat a Teacher Certified in a Compact State?
Can Teaching Experience Replace the Praxis Tests in Kentucky?
How Do I Send My Praxis Scores to the Kentucky Board?
What Does Kentucky Require to Renew a Teaching Certificate?
What Sources Does This Kentucky Licensure Guide Rely On?
- Initial Certification, Go Teach KY
- Certification Renewal
- Certification FAQ
- Educators Trained Out-of-State
- Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact
- Principal Certification
- 16 KAR 3:060, School Counselor Certificates
- Understanding Kentucky's Rank System
- Rank Change
- NC-SARA, Professional Licensure
- Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board
- Praxis exam program
- NC-SARA, State Actions Regarding SARA
- 50-State Comparison: Teacher License Reciprocity
- 34 CFR 668.43, Institutional and financial aid information
All sources as of .