Exam System
Praxis
NC-SARA
Member
Full Reciprocity in 2020
No
Teach Maryland says the state finds more than 50 percent of its teachers from out of state, which makes the route for someone who studied elsewhere the main road rather than a side path. The Maryland State Department of Education runs that route, and an online master's from a school outside Maryland generally enters it as out-of-state preparation unless the program is on the department's approved list.
Readers here live in Maryland and plan to work in its schools. The guide covers the licensure pathways, the assessments for candidates prepared outside the state, what NC-SARA settles and what to ask a program. The department revises its pages, so confirm each step with its licensure office before you enroll.
Who Licenses Teachers in Maryland, and Which Exams Does It Use?
Maryland licenses teachers through Maryland State Department of Education, and the exams it requires are the Praxis tests from ETS.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Licensing agency | Maryland State Department of Education |
| Teaching license | Initial Professional License |
| Exam system | Praxis (ETS) |
| NC-SARA member | Yes, approved January 2016 |
For the programs themselves, the online master's in education programs at universities in Maryland are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.
How Do I Get a Maryland Teaching License With an Online Master's?
To get a Maryland teaching license with an online master's, you apply through the licensure office of the Maryland State Department of Education and its Educator Application and Credentialing Hub, called TEACH, along one of the pathways the department publishes. Teach Maryland lists pathways for career changers, college students, licensed Maryland teachers, licensed out-of-state teachers and recent out-of-state program graduates, among others, and says Maryland has more than 300 preparation programs at 23 colleges and universities across 45 teaching areas.
Our elementary education and secondary education rankings use federal graduate counts and tuition, which cannot show whether a program leads to a Maryland license.
Which Exams Does Maryland Require for Teacher Licensure?
The exams Maryland requires for teacher licensure depend on the licensure area, and the department's assessment pages are split into candidates enrolled in a Maryland program, candidates prepared outside Maryland, performance-based assessments for all teacher candidates, and specialists and administrators. For someone prepared elsewhere, those pages describe a performance-based pedagogy assessment, such as edTPA or PPAT, and a reading instruction assessment for certain areas, among them early childhood, elementary, special education and ESOL.
The same hub carries a Demonstration of Proficiency in Teaching Reading page under its renewal and advancement links, so ask the licensure office whether it applies to your teaching area before you pick a program.
Can I Transfer a Teaching License to Maryland From Another State?
A teaching license can transfer to Maryland from another state, since a valid license or a completed program in another state or country gives you a direct route to Maryland licensure. A graduate with no license yet is covered separately: out-of-state preparation program graduates may qualify for a Maryland educator license.
The department's hub also has an expedited processing page for service members and their spouses. In its 2020 comparison of reciprocity, the Education Commission of the States recorded Maryland as having no full reciprocity and asking some out-of-state teachers for extra coursework and assessments, so read the current pathway page against your own file.
| 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 | No |
Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Licensure for Maryland Online Master's Students?
Maryland's NC-SARA membership, approved in January 2016, does not cover teacher licensure for online master's students. NC-SARA says SARA does not address licensing board approval of teacher education programs, and the state actions page lists Maryland's approval and renewal dates as a SARA state, with nothing about teacher licensure. The approval that decides a license sits with the department, which keeps a list of Maryland approved educator preparation programs.
SARA does expect a school to disclose whether its program meets licensure requirements in your state, and that disclosure is worth getting before you pay a deposit.
What Should I Ask an Online Program Before Enrolling From Maryland?
Ask an online program, before enrolling from Maryland, for the determination 34 CFR 668.43 requires of schools that advertise licensure preparation: the states where the program does and does not meet requirements, and a notice before enrollment if yours is not covered.
Then ask the Maryland questions. Is the program approved by the licensing authority in its home state? Will its advising office complete the Verification of Program Form that the licensure hub provides? Which performance-based assessment, edTPA or PPAT, does it build in, and does it prepare you for a reading instruction assessment? Where does student teaching take place?
Common Questions About Maryland Teacher Licensure and Online Master's Programs
How Many Teacher Preparation Programs Does Maryland Have?
Which Forms Does Maryland Provide for Out-of-State Applicants?
Does Maryland Accept a Teacher Licensed in Another Country?
What Sources Does This Maryland Licensure Guide Rely On?
- Educator Licensure, Maryland State Department of Education
- Licensed Out-of-State Teacher, Teach Maryland
- Recent Out-of-State Educator Preparation Program Graduates
- Pathway Overview, Teach Maryland
- NC-SARA, Professional Licensure
- 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 .