Policy Snapshot
Special Education Licensure
Special Education Licensure
About this Snapshot
In this policy synopsis, we present information on the manner in which states license special education teachers. The information is divided into two tables. In the first, we present information on licensure patterns for teachers of students with sensory impairments and teachers of preschool-aged children with disabilities. In the second table, we describe how states license teachers to work with school-aged children with all other disabilities. As can be seen in the second table, states use several dimensions–disability classifications, severity distinctions, grade bands—in various combinations to differentiate special education licensure, and several states offer more generic or cross-categorical licenses.
Note: This policy snapshot was developed by researchers at the CEEDAR Center (www.ceedar.org). Entries to the full data base were vetted by state department personnel between August and December, 2016. All but three states validated the information in the profiles. States seeking to update or revise information in their profiles may contact Paul Sindelar (pts@coe.ufl.edu).
Table 1
| State | GEP | EC | HI | VI | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | P-12 | P-12 | |||
| AK | B-A8 | K-12 | K-12 | ||
| AR | B-K* | K-12 | K-12 | *EC/SPED integrated | |
| AZ | B-3 | B-12 | B-12 | ||
| CA | B-P | K-22 | K-22 | ||
| CO | B-A8 | B-21 | B-21 | ||
| CT | B-K* G1-3* | P-12 | P-12** | *EC/SPED integrated; **2 certificates: Blind, partially sighted |
|
| DE | K-G2 | K-12 | K-12 | ||
| FL | * | K-12 | K-12 | *EC endorsement offered | |
| GA | A3-A5 P-A5* | P-12 | P-12 | *EC dual | |
| HI | P-G3 | P-3 P-12 K-6 6-12 K-12 | P-3 P-12 K-6 6-12 K-12 | ||
| ID | P-G3 B-G3* | K-12 | K-12 | *EC dual | |
| IL | * | P-21 | P-21 | *P-12 Generalist | |
| IN | * | P-12 | P-12 | *P-12 Mild/Moderate and P-12 Severe | |
| IA | P-K P-G3* | B-21 | B-21 | *EC dual | |
| KS | ^ | B-K* B-G3* | B-K B-G3 P-12 | B-K B-G3 P-12 | *EC dual |
| KY | B-K* | K-12** | K-12 | *EC dual; **Two certificates: HI and HI with Sign Proficiency | |
| LA | B-A5 | K-12 | K-12 | ||
| ME | B-A5 | K-12 | K-12 | ||
| MD | B-G3 | B-12 | B-12 | ||
| MA | * | P-12 | P-12 | *P-8 Mild/Moderate and P-12 Severe | |
| MI | ^ | A3-A5 | K-12 | K-12 | |
| MN | B-A6 | B-12 | B-12 | ||
| MS | B-K | B-K* | *Early Oral Intervention | ||
| MO | B-A3 | B-12 | B-12 | ||
| MT | * | *P-12 Generalist | |||
| NE | B-K | B-12 P-6 7-12 | B-12 | ||
| NV | B-A7 | A3-21 | A3-21 | ||
| NH | B-A3 | K-12 | K-12 | ||
| NJ | ^ | K-12* | K-12 | *Two certificates: Oral/Aural, Sign Language | |
| NM | * | B-12 | *P-12 Generalist | ||
| NY | B-G2 | K-12 | K-12 | ||
| NC | B-A5* | K-12 | K-12 | *EC dual | |
| ND | ^ | B-A3 | K-12 | K-12 | |
| OH | P-G3 | P-12 | P-12 | ||
| OK | * | P-12 | *P-12 Mild/Moderate and P-12 Severe | ||
| OR | B-G3 | P-12 | P-12 | ||
| PA | ^ | * | P-12 | P-12 | *P-8 Generalist |
| RI | ^ | B-G2 | P-12 | P-12 | |
| SC | A3-A5 | P-12 | P-12 | ||
| SD | B-A8 B-P | K-12* | K-12** | *Two certificates: Deaf/HH and American Sign Language; **Two certificates: Blind/Visually Impaired and Braille Education |
|
| TN | P-G3 | P-12 | P-12 | ||
| TX | * | P-12 | *P-12 Generalist | ||
| UT | B-A5 | K-12* | K-12* | *K-12+ | |
| VT | B-A6 | A3-21 | A3-21 | ||
| VA | B-A5 | P-12 | P-12 | ||
| WA | P-G3 | ||||
| WI | P-G3 | P-12 | P-12 | ||
| WV | P-K | P-Adult | P-Adult | ||
| WY | B-A5 | B-A5 K-5 5-8 6-12 K-12 | B-A5 K-5 5-8 6-12 K-12 |
Table 2
| State | GEP | Gen | Severity | Categories | Other | Comments | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MM | SP | LD | EBD | IND | ASD | PH/OHI | |||||
| AL | K-6* K-12* | *Collaborative Special Education | |||||||||
| AK | K-12 | ||||||||||
| AR | K-12 | K-12* | *Dyslexia | ||||||||
| AZ | K-12 | K-12 | |||||||||
| CA | K-22 | K-22* | K-22 | K-22** | *Moderate/Severe; **Language and Academic Development | ||||||
| CO | A5-21 | ||||||||||
| CT | K-12 | ||||||||||
| DE | K-12 | K-12* | K-12* | *One certificate: Autism or Severe Intellectual | |||||||
| FL | K-12 | ||||||||||
| GA | P-12 | P-12 | P-12 | P-12 | P-12 | ||||||
| HI | P-12 6-8 6-12 K-6 K-12 | P-12 6-8 6-12 K-6 K-12 | P-12 6-8 6-12 K-6 K-12 | ||||||||
| ID | K-12 | ||||||||||
| IL | P-21* | *Learning and Behavior Specialist | |||||||||
| IN | P-12 | P-12 | |||||||||
| IA | K-8 5-12 | ||||||||||
| KS | ^ | K-6 5-8 6-12 P-12 | K-6 5-8 6-12 P-12 | ||||||||
| KY | K-12* | K-12** | *Moderate and Severe; **Learning and Behavior Disorders | ||||||||
| LA | 1-5 4-8 6-12 | 1-12 | |||||||||
| ME | K-8 7-12 | K-12 | K-12* | *SPED Consultant; *Special Needs Vocation Teacher | |||||||
| MD | 1-8 6-Adult | B-12 | |||||||||
| MA | P-8 5-12 | P-12 | |||||||||
| MI | ^ | K-12 | K-12 | K-12 | K-12 | K-12 | |||||
| MN | K-12 | K-12 | K-12 | B-21 | B-12 | K-12* | *Developmental Disabilities | ||||
| MS | K-12 | K-12 | K-12* | *Dyslexia Therapy | |||||||
| MO | K-12 | K-12 | |||||||||
| MT | P-12 | ||||||||||
| NE | K-12 K-6 7-12 | ||||||||||
| NV | K-12 | K-12* | A3-21 | A3-21** | *Moderate/Intensive; *Orientation and Mobility | ||||||
| NH | K-12 | ||||||||||
| NJ | ^ | P-12 | |||||||||
| NM | P-12 | ||||||||||
| NY | 1-6 5-9 7-12 | ||||||||||
| NC | K-12 | K-12 | K-12 | K-12 | K-12 | K-12 | K-12* | *Adapted Curriculum | |||
| ND | ^* | 1-6 1-8 5-8 7-12 K-12 | K-8 5-8 7-12 9-12 K-12 | K-8 5-8 7-12 9-12 K-12 | K-8 5-8 7-12 9-12 K-12 | K-8** 5-8** 7-12** 9-12** K-12** | *Special education licenses require general education license and are endorsed in subject/grade band of general license; **Strategist |
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| OH | K-12 | K-12* | K-12** | *Moderate/Intensive; **Education for the Handicapped; **Intervention Specialist |
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| OK | P-12 | P-12* | *Severe Profound/Multiple Disabilities | ||||||||
| OR | P-8 3-9 5-12 | P-12 | |||||||||
| PA | ^ | P-8 7-12 | |||||||||
| RI | ^ | 1-6 5-8 7-12 | *P-12 | *P-12 | *One certificate: Severely Intellectually Disabled | ||||||
| SC | P-12* | P-12 | P-12 | P-12 | P-12 | *Multi-categorical | |||||
| SD | K-12 | ||||||||||
| TN | K-8 6-12 | K-12 | K-12 | ||||||||
| TX | P-12 | ||||||||||
| UT | K-12* | K-12* | *K-12+ license issued in "Special Education" but must be endorse in mild/moderate, severe, HI or VI | ||||||||
| VT | K-8 G7-21 K-21 | K-8* G7-21* K-21* A3-21** | *Special Education Consultant; **Intensive Special Education |
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| VA | K-12* | K-12** | *General Curriculum; **Adapted Curriculum |
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| WA | K-12 | ||||||||||
| WI | 1-8 5-12 | 1-8 5-12 | 1-8 5-12 | 1-8 5-12 | |||||||
| WV | K-6 G5-Adult | K-6* G5-Adult* | K-Adult | K-6 G5-Adult | K-6 G5-Adult | K-6* G5-Adult* | P-K K-6 G5-Adult | *One certificate: Mentally impaired (mild to moderate) | |||
| WY | K-5 5-8 6-12 K-12 | K-5 5-8 6-12 K-12 | K-5 5-8 6-12 K-12 | K-5 5-8 6-12 K-12 | K-5 5-8 6-12 K-12 | ||||||
