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All students entering one of Relay’s Educator Preparation Programs (EPP) must complete their state's certification requirements in order to complete their educator preparation program and/or be eligible for certification/licensure. Teacher certification/licensure is the process by which prospective educators earn a state-issued credential to teach within a given area after completing the required coursework, degrees, tests, and other specified criteria. Some states require their teachers to be "certified" and other states require their teachers to be "licensed". When reading through the documents, remember that the terms can, and may, be used interchangeably. If you have any questions about your state or if you are seeking Certification or Licensure, your Certification Officer will be happy to assist.
Relay is committed to supporting students in successfully completing certification/licensure requirements through a variety of online resources to help them prepare for their exams. Once students are fully enrolled, they'll connect with Relay faculty and staff for virtual or in-person support. Below you will find details about certification in general. All state-specific certification details will be found on our location pages.
What is a Certification and Why should I get Certified?
Also called teacher credentials, teacher certification is the process by which prospective educators get licensed to teach within a given area after completing the required coursework, degrees, tests, and other specified criteria.
You can become certified by the state in which you wish to teach, and also earn national certification accepted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Many states provide reciprocity with other states so that you can take your certification with you if you move.
Obtaining your credential is important for several reasons, which we like to summarize as "The Three E's":
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Employment. Certification expands the professional opportunities available to our students after they complete our program by ensuring they are able to stay in the classroom, teach in any school or district, be eligible for state reciprocity should they relocate, and it could lead to higher salaries down the road. It demonstrates that our teachers have at least a basic set of knowledge and skills set forth by the state, and ensures that we (and our partners) are in full compliance with state regulations. In most schools, holding a certificate or license is considered a minimum requirement for employment. Even if you begin your career teaching at a school where a teaching credential is not required, obtaining one can greatly expand your professional opportunities should you later decide to teach in a different district, charter, or private school. It can also make it easier for you to continue teaching should you relocate to a new state in the future.
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Equity. There is research suggesting that certified teachers show greater academic gains with their PK-12 students than teachers who are not certified. Given that uncertified teachers are more prevalent among high-poverty schools, schools with high percentages of students of color, urban schools, and schools with high proportions of ELLs than among all schools, teacher certification is an equity issue. Similar to how you would expect a doctor or lawyer to meet the minimum criteria to be licensed to practice, parents and guardians of your students should rest assured that their children are in the care of a capable, ethical, and certified teacher.
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Earnings. In many states, there are opportunities for certified, high-performing teachers to earn more per year through the teacher incentive allotment. Though this extra earning potential is not typically available for teachers in their first year, it does provide a nice possibility for the future.
Here are several other benefits of certification:
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On Track for Hire All of Relay's partner school leaders have strongly indicated that their preference is to hire certified teachers for their campus. Their expectation is for all residents to be on track to earn their certification.
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Community Confidence Being on track for certification provides parents, students, and colleagues with the confidence that young minds are being educated by educators who know the material and are committed to the education field.
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Trusted Educator Certification signals to parents, school leaders, colleagues, and the state that you are qualified to teach and have knowledge and experience as it relates to pedagogy, subject content, ethics, suicide prevention, mental health support, and more!
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Save Time Many of the certification requirements are embedded in your Relay curriculum in a seamless manner. If you fall behind on your certification requirements, you may be at risk of being administratively withdrawn from the certification track or your certification program.
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Save Money By getting certified through Relay you are saving up to $5,000+, in comparison to a different alternative certification program. Note: Students will still be responsible for the costs of testing, applications, and make-up workshops (if needed).
Certification/Licensure Terms to Know
- Endorsement/Content Area/Certification Area: The subject and/or grade level for which a licensed educator is prepared to provide instruction, leadership, or services in schools or districts. Assessments and Licensure Exams
- edTPA: The edTPA is a performance-based assessment by Pearson and is aligned to Relay’s curriculum in Year 2. Broadly speaking, edTPA assesses the following areas of a teacher’s abilities: instructional planning, lesson delivery, and implementing assessments & responding to data. The edTPA is currently a required assessment in Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, and Tennessee.
- Praxis II Exams: A system of licensure exams run by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). For more information on state-specific exams and assessments, see the location pages.