Nevada, NV Teaching Licensure and Credentialing
Nevada revised its achievement standards and assessments to reflect increased state and national expectations for all students. Nevada’s school districts are seeking highly qualified teachers to educate the state’s nearly 450,000 students. Nevada has made college and career readiness a goal for all of the state’s students. In Nevada, “college readiness” means that high school graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency necessary to participate and succeed in an academic degree program. If Nevada students meet these goals, they will be prepared to succeed in the competitive and global economy.
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How to Apply and Qualify for Licensure in Nevada
- The following basic qualifications and documents are required for any person requesting licensing in the state of Nevada:
- A Criminal Background Check.
- Official Fingerprint Cards.
- Child Support Disclosure Form.
- Official transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended.
- Verification of Teaching Experience Form.
- Verification of Work Experience Form.
- An applicant must be a citizen of the United States or be a lawful permanent resident of the United States.
- An applicant must have a social security number.
- Degree(s) and credits for courses must have been earned from a regionally accredited college or university.
- A license is issued based on the evaluation of the applicant’s official transcripts.
- Original competency testing scores must accompany the application.
- Completion of the appropriate number of student teaching hours to qualify for an educator license.
- Copies of valid out-of-state educator credentials must be submitted, where applicable.
- Foreign transcripts must be accompanied by an original course-by-course and degree equivalency evaluation.
Testing Requirements
- Testing is required only for a teacher’s initial license. Nevada requires both State-mandated and Competency testing.
State-mandated testing
- Provisions of Nevada School Law, Nevada Constitution, and U.S. Constitution must be satisfied by achieving a minimum 70 percent passing score on approved examinations. You may also satisfy State-mandated provisions by taking appropriate coursework from approved providers.
Competency Testing
- Nevada requires Praxis Series competency testing. All applicants for initial licensing in Nevada are required to take the following PRAXIS Pre-Professional Skills competency tests:
- PRAXIS I: The Principles of Learning and Teaching test is required for all areas depending on the applicants chosen grade level.
- PRAXIS II: Subject Assessments for each area of certification. Testing is only required in one endorsement area.
- Passage of the appropriate subject area tests may help teachers become Highly Qualified (HQ) Teachers under the national No Child Left Behind Act.
No Child Left Behind Statute
- The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 requires all states and school districts to develop a plan to ensure that all public elementary, middle and secondary school teachers who are teaching in core academic subjects meet the requirements of a “highly qualified” teacher as defined in NCLB.
Reciprocity
- Nevada welcomes out-of-state applicants but the state-specific requirements may prevent out-of-state applicants from qualifying for a Nevada educator’s license. Nevada requires recent teaching experience. The state does not have reciprocity with all states.
Types of Teaching Licenses in Nevada
- Elementary license
- To receive an elementary license, an applicant must meet these state of Nevada requirements:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Complete the following:
- A preparation program for teaching elementary students
- Courses in elementary professional education consisting of:
- Supervised student teaching in kindergarten through eighth grade.
- Coursework in methods of teaching elementary subjects, including, but not limited to: mathematics, science and social studies;
- Coursework in methods of teaching of literacy or language arts.
- Professional education coursework
- The elementary license is issued for grades K-8; however, due to the No Child Left Behind Act, a teacher might need to be Highly Qualified to use the license to teach at 7th and 8th grades.
Licensure for Secondary Teachers
Middle School: 7th – 9th Grades
- To receive a license to teach middle school or junior high school education, a person must fulfill these requirements set by the state of Nevada:
- Hold a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited college or university
- Complete the following:
- A Board of Education-approved preparation program for teaching middle school or junior high school education.
- Course work in professional education, which must include:
- Supervised student teaching in a designated middle school or junior high school.
- A course on methods and materials for teaching middle or junior high school in the major or minor field of specialization.
- Course of study regarding education or curricular adaptation for pupils with disabilities and/or regarding educational foundation or methods in teaching English language learners.
- Coursework focusing on at least two of the following:
- Middle school foundations, curriculum, classroom management strategies, school/family/community collaboration and/or supervision and evaluation of programs and pupils in a middle school.
- Adolescent growth and development; and/or nature and needs of the adolescent, including social, emotional, and cultural concerns.
and
- Coursework in one or more of the following:
- English as a second language/bilingualism or biculturalism, multicultural education, educational technology; tests and measurements; educational psychology.
- Education of the exceptional child or educational research.
- Coursework in one or more of the following:
and
- Coursework in a major field of endorsement or subject area of concentration that is recognized for an endorsement on a middle school or junior high school education license.
Secondary License: Grades 7-12
- To receive a secondary license to teach grades 7-12, an applicant must fulfill the following qualifications:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree.
- Complete these requirements:
- Graduate from a State Board of Education-approved teacher preparation program.
- Complete required courses for a teaching major from a regionally accredited institution
- Fulfill requirements in coursework and Experiential learning for professional secondary education, such as:
- Supervised teaching.
- Coursework in the methods and materials of teaching in the field of specialization.
- Coursework in the applicant’s Major and/or minor concentration.
Louisiana Substitute Teachers
- To be eligible for a K-12 substitute license, the State of Nevada requires all substitute teachers to:
- Submit a complete application packet.
And
- Complete a minimum number of semester credits,
Or
- Possess an associate’s degree or a higher degree earned through a regionally accredited college or university.
- The applicant for a substitute teaching license should The substitute license will be issued for a three-year period with the following provisions: Nevada School Law, Nevada Constitution, U.S. Constitution, Fingerprint Background Check, and Praxis I Testing. The license may be renewed if all these provisions are completed by the date the license expires.
References
- http://nde.doe.nv.gov/Accountability/NCLB/HQTR(10-9-07).pdf
- www.ed.gov/legislation/ESEA02/
- http://nvteachers.doe.nv.gov/default.htm