Traditional Path for Oklahoma Teacher Certification

• Requirements
• Steps to Certification
• Certification FAQs

Requirements

• Graduated from an accredited institution of higher education that has an approved teacher education program for the certification area sought
• Successfully completed a higher education teacher education program approved by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA);
• Meets all other requirements as established by the Oklahoma State Board of Education;
• Successfully passed the two required competency examinations; and
• Has on file with the Oklahoma State Board of Education a current clear Oklahoma criminal history record search from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation as well as a current clear national criminal history record search from the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
• Applied to Teacher Certification and submitted the appropriate processing fee
  
  OR
   
• Hold a full out-of-state certificate and meet standards set by the State Board of Education. Anything less than full certification will require review by Teacher Certification.

Steps to Certification

• If you hold an education degree from an Oklahoma state-approved teacher education program then please use the Oklahoma Education Single Sign-On to get started on certification.  Register for an account then navigate to the "Oklahoma Educator Credentialing System".
• If you hold an education degree from outside the State of Oklahoma:
  • If degree is within another state in the U.S. then please see the information on out-of-state credentials.
  • If degree is outside of the U.S. then please see the information on foreign credentials.

FAQs About the Traditional Path

• How do I obtain certification forms and applications?
• Do I have to be fingerprinted?
• What is the cost for electronically scanning my fingerprints or fingerprint cards to receive a report from the OSBI and FBI?
• What teacher tests are required for Oklahoma certification?
• How do I register for a teacher competency test?
• What is the cost of an Oklahoma teaching certificate?
• I hold an out-of-state credential. How do I get a certificate in Oklahoma?
• How do I obtain an Oklahoma certificate if I graduated from an out-of-country university or if I am not a citizen of the United States?
• What do I have to submit in order to apply for a school nurse certificate?

How do I obtain certification forms and applications?

• Oklahoma School Standard Teaching Certificate Application

Forms and applications are available above, or you may direct your inquiries to:

Oklahoma State Department of Education
Teacher Certification
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard, Rm 212
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105-4599
Phone: (405) 521-3337

Do I have to be fingerprinted?

Oklahoma law requires applicants for initial teacher certification to have on file with the Oklahoma State Board of Education a current Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint-based criminal history record search (70 O.S. 6-190). It does not apply to renewals. For additional information refer to Background and Fingerprint Information.

What is the cost for electronically scanning my fingerprints or fingerprint cards to receive a report from the OSBI and FBI?

For the most up to date information refer to Fingerprints/Background Checks Information.

What teacher tests are required for Oklahoma certification?

If you are fully certified out of state, you will not have to take exams in the subject areas that transfer to Oklahoma.

The Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA), a separate agency of state government, is authorized by law to develop and administer the competency-based teacher tests. Three tests are currently required for Oklahoma teacher certification. The three tests are:

• Oklahoma Subject Area Test(s) (OSAT)
  Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT) 
• NOTE: The Oklahoma Professional Teaching Examination (OPTE) was discontinued as of September, 2021 and was replaced by the PPAT.
•  
• ATTENTION: The PPAT is not required for a stand-alone certificate in School Counseling, Speech-Language Pathologist, School Psychologist or School Psychometrist.

How do I register for a teacher competency test?

Inquiries regarding registration for teacher testing should be directed to the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA), the agency with statutory authority for administering the teacher tests. You may contact the OEQA at:

Office of Educational Quality and Accountability
[email protected]  OR call (405) 522-5399

What is the cost of an Oklahoma teaching certificate?

Standard Certificate (valid for five years) costs $50.

How do I obtain an Oklahoma certificate if I graduated from an out-of-country university or if I am not a citizen of the United States?

• You may also apply online.  Log into your OECS account HERE, click "EDU-Educator" and locate the application wizad on your dashboard.  You will used the box titled "OUT OF COUNTRY RECIPROCITY"
•  
• Complete the Oklahoma School Standard Teaching Certificate Application
• $50 application fee
• Verification of lawful presence in the United States
• Minimum of a baccalaureate degree or equivalent AND copy of your teaching credential. You must have any degrees and teaching credentials earned from a country other than the United States evaluated by a reputable educational credential service approved by the State Dept. of Education (SDE), including the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) http://www.naces.org/members.html, Institute of Foreign Credential Services (IFCS) https://ifcsevals.com or an Oklahoma institution of higher education approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Applicants are responsible for any costs involved.
•  
• One NACES member, SpanTran, has created a custom landing page for Oklahoma State DoE that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access the application here: SpanTran Application - Oklahoma State DoE "
  
  ATTENTION: One of the NACES members, SpanTran, has created a custom landing page for Oklahoma State Department of Education applicants that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access the application here: SpanTran Application - Oklahoma State DoE 
  
  If a license is not held, please provide the documentation that would demonstrate in your own country that you are eligible to be employed as a teacher. This should be transcripts from your teacher training program and a letter from the university indicating this qualifies you to teach in your country. You are responsible to obtain any translation and analysis of the certification(s) from a reputable educational credential service approved by the State Dept of Education, including by not limited to services approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
• Must provide evidence of good standing as a member of the teaching profession whose teaching certification has not been revoked or suspended. This written verification on letterhead can be from the licensing authority that issued your out-of-country certification or the school system where you were most recently employed. If the applicable entity does not use official letterhead, an alternative method such as notarization or apostille may be acceptable subject to the approval of the SDE.
• Must submit documentation confirming you were employed as a teacher for at least 2 of the 5 years preceding your application for certification. Teaching experience may be confirmed with a properly complete and verified “Proof of Teaching Experience” form (attached to this email).
• Must submit a letter of recommendation from a national, regional or local education official or school administrator who worked with or evaluated you in a professional capacity.
• Have on file with the SDE a current Oklahoma national criminal history record check for certification (www.ok.gov/sde/bg-check ).
• Must be proficient in spoken and written English, by submitting an application for certification, you affirm your command of spoken and written English is equivalent, at a minimum, to competence under the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) oral and written English proficiency assessments, or similar reputable English language competence examination, subject to approval of the Office of Certification.
  
  Please keep in mind it is the applicants’ responsibility to have any/all credentials, letters, documents, etc. translated by a reputable educational credential evaluation service.

I hold an out-of-state credential. How do I get a certificate in Oklahoma?

If you hold a full teaching credential issued by any state's Department of Education, you are eligible for certification in Oklahoma's most equivalent subject areas.

Please submit the following materials to the Teacher Certification Office of the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

• Application for Oklahoma School Standard Teaching Certificate
• You may also apply online.  Log into your OECS account HERE, click "EDU-Educator" and locate the application wizard on your dashboard.  You will used the box titled "OUT OF STATE RECIPROCITY"
•  

1. Official transcripts from all colleges or universities. Transcript must denote degree earned and the date degree was conferred.
2. Proof of Teaching form and copy of teaching certificate valid during dates of experience listed, if applicable.
3. Copy of all teaching certificates. (Copy the back if it holds any valid information.)
4. A $50 processing fee (check, cashier’s check, or money order) made payable to the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
5. Recent certification or dual fingerprinting (background check) needed, unless you are already certified in Oklahoma. For the most up to date information refer to Fingerprints/Background Checks Information.
6. If you have completed an approved program from another state and did not get certified in that area, please have this form filled out by the proper officials.  If Oklahoma has a comparable certification area you may be able to obtain the equivalent Oklahoma certification area by passing the appropriate Oklahoma examination(s).
7. Verification of State-Approved Teacher Education Program from Non-Oklahoma College/University
8. If you have passed teacher test(s) in another state, you may request a review of these test(s) for comparability to Oklahoma tests by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA). They will determine if any of the out-of-state tests are comparable and inform the Teacher Certification Office which test(s) are acceptable. For more information, you may visit the OEQA Web site and search for Teacher Certification.

What do I have to submit in order to apply for a school nurse certificate?

If you have a Registered Nurse’s License and a bachelor’s degree in any area, you may be issued a five-year standard certificate.

If you do not have a bachelor’s degree but have an associate’s degree or diploma from a school of nursing (3 years), you may be issued a five-year provisional certificate. You will have 10 years from the initial issuance to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Please submit the following:

• Application for Oklahoma School Certificate (pdf).
• Copy of current Oklahoma Registered Nurse’s License.
• Official transcripts of all college work. Transcript must denote degree earned and the date degree was conferred.
• $50 processing fee (check, cashier’s check, or money order) made payable to the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
• Recent certification or dual fingerprinting (background check) needed, unless you are already certified in Oklahoma. For the most up to date information refer to Fingerprints/Background Checks Information.

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