The Office of Educator Preparation processes all necessary paperwork for candidates who are applying for initial licensure or adding an endorsement to a license in Tennessee, as well as processes forms for ETSU graduates seeking licensure in other states.
Educator preparation programs at East Tennessee State University are approved by the state of Tennessee for Tennessee teacher licensure. State licensure requirements can change without notice, and students who plan to teach in states other than Tennessee are responsible for monitoring licensure requirements in the states where they plan to teach.
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Licensure Programs Offered at ETSU
High-Need Endorsement Areas
Teacher shortages occur when there are not enough teachers in essential subject areas. Tennessee’s high-demand licensure endorsement areas include:
- English as a Second Language
- Mathematics
- Science
- Special Education
- World Languages
Information about these subject areas is found in the links below.
Licensure Endorsement Areas Offered at ETSU
Undergraduate Initial Licensure
Early Childhood Development Major, B.S. (PreK-3 Concentration)
Elementary Education Major, B.S.E.D.
Kinesiology Major, B.S. (Physical Education K-12 Concentration)
Secondary Education: Teacher Preparation Minor (available for the following majors)
Earth Science
Economics
English
Geography
GermanHistory
Mathematics
Music, Instrumental
Music, Vocal
Physics
Spanish
Theatre
Visual ArtGraduate Licensure
Early Childhood Education, M.A. (Initial Licensure Concentration)
Special Education, M.Ed. (High Incidence Concentration)
Special Education, M.Ed. (Low Incidence Concentration)
Teacher Education, M.A.T. (Elementary Education Grades K-5 Concentration)
Teacher Education, M.A.T. (K-12 Education Concentration)
Teacher Education, M.A.T. (Middle Grades Education 6-8 Concentration)
Teacher Education, M.A.T. (Secondary Education 6-12 Concentration)
Counseling, M.A. (Elementary/Secondary School Counseling Concentration)
Speech-Language Pathology, M.S.
Graduate Advanced Licensure
Educational Leadership, M.Ed. (School Administration and Leadership Concentration)
Educational Leadership, Ed.S. (Administration Endorsement Concentration)
Educational Leadership, Ed.D. (Administrative Endorsement Concentration)
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Initial Licensure
Tennessee Requirements for an Initial Teaching License
- Completion of a state-approved educator preparation program
- Qualifying scores on the required assessments
- Recommendation from the Certification Coordinator
Applying for an Initial License
- A Pre-Licensing Form begins the sequence of information that leads to the licensure application. Information and a link to this form is emailed to educator preparation students in their final semester.
- The Certification Coordinator will obtain your ETSU transcript after the degree posts, which is usually 2-3 weeks after graduation. It will be submitted with the licensure recommendation.
- It is your responsibility to send all other college transcripts to the state of Tennessee. The issuing institution must send official transcripts to Educator.Licensure@tn.gov through an online clearinghouse, or mail them directly to the office of educator licensure and preparation at the address below.
Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation
Tennessee Department of Education
Andrew Johnson Tower, 9th Floor
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243Electronic transcripts are not accepted from individuals through email. Hard-copy transcripts must be submitted in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution with no evidence of tampering. Please allow a minimum of two weeks from the date that official electronic transcripts are sent, and one month from the date that hard-copy official transcripts are sent, for transcripts to be attached and visible on the preparation tab of your account in TNCompass.
- Original Praxis score reports are essential for ETSU and the state of Tennessee.
Tennessee requires a full and correct Social Security number (SSN) in order to receive score reports and process educator certification applications. Failure to provide an SSN will delay processing of licensure applications.
When registering for the Praxis exam, students should include their Social Security Number and request that scores are sent to ETSU (code 1198) and Tennessee Department of Education (state code 8190).
- The Clemmer College of Education and Human Development Office of Educator Preparation will assemble required documentation and submit the transaction in TNCompass. At that time, an email providing information for entering a Personal Affirmation in TNCompass is sent to the licensure applicant. The transaction then enters the queue to be reviewed by a state licensure specialist.
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Adding an Endorsement
Adding endorsements provides an educator with the flexibility to teach more subjects or grade levels.
Teacher education students who are pursuing initial teaching licensure and wish to add credits toward an add-on endorsement may do so. Please be advised: an add-on program does not necessarily meet the requirements of a minor, and substitutions or approvals made for teaching add-ons do not take the place of catalog requirements or departmental advisement for degree purposes.
The first step to adding an endorsement is the submission of the Declaration of Intent to Pursue Additional Teaching Endorsement to the Office of Educator Preparation by emailing teacherlicensure@etsu.edu
Current Add-on Endorsement Programs
Biology
Chemistry
Early Childhood Pre-K-3, 21 cr. hrs.
Early Childhood Pre-K-3, 30 cr. hrs.
Earth Science
Economics
Elementary Education K-5
English 6-12
English as a Second Language
Geography
German
Government
History
Mathematics
Middle Grades
Physical Education K-12
Physics
Spanish
Special Education Comprehensive K-12
Special Education Interventionist K-12
Theatre K-12
Visual Arts K-12Advanced Add-on Endorsement Program
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Occupational Licensure
ETSU offers the job-embedded occupational program for Individuals who are interested in working as an educator in Tennessee and who meet the industry certification requirements of the endorsement area. A job-embedded program requires employment by a school district as the teacher of record while completing this online program.
To qualify for an occupational license, an individual must:
- Be a high school graduate
- Meet the requirement for experience in the endorsement area
- Meet the industry certification requirements
- Be admitted to a state-approved preparation program
- Be recommended for licensure by a state-approved preparation program
Steps for an occupational licensure recommendation
- Create an account in TNCompass and submit an occupational license application with supporting documentation.
- Select East Tennessee State University as your university of choice.
- Apply for admission to ETSU and contact the program coordinator for course and program information.
- Become employed as a CTE Occupational teacher.
- ETSU's Office of Educator Preparation will recommend the Practitioner Occupational Licensure in TNCompass when enrollment is documented on the ETSU transcript.
- Provide proof of Liability Insurance Coverage *Students must maintain liability insurance throughout the job-embedded occupational licensure process.
Course enrollment is reported in TNCompass each semester until program completion. Candidates must maintain Good Academic Standing.
For additional information on Occupational Licensure:
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Job-Embedded Licensure
Job-Embedded Licensure
ETSU offers the job-embedded pathway for Individuals who are interested in working as an educator in Tennessee while they complete an Educator Preparation Program.
Programs Available
To qualify for a job-embedded license, an individual must:
- Have a Bachelor's degree or higher
- Demonstrate competency in the job-embedded licensure area with:
- A bachelor's degree or higher in the licensure area or
- Passing scores on the Praxis II exams required for state licensure
- Be employed by a school district as the teacher of record
- Be enrolled into a graduate program that offers job-embedded clinical practice
- Be able to complete the requirements within 3 years
In order to be recommended for a Job-Embedded license, the following steps need to be completed:
- Apply to and obtain full admission status to ETSU Graduate School
- Submit an Intent to Hire letter that indicates the student has been or will be hired
as the teacher of record by a school district in which ETSU holds a partnership.
- Submit letter to the Educator Preparation Coordinator at Alternativelicensure@ETSU.edu
Complete the Job-Embedded application
- Submit letter to the Educator Preparation Coordinator at Alternativelicensure@ETSU.edu
- Meet with Program Advisor to review program of study and return the Advisor Sign off Sheet
- An unofficial copy of your transcripts
- Provide proof of content knowledge:
- A bachelor's degree or higher in the licensure area or
- Passing scores on the Praxis II exams required for state licensure
- Students seeking a math endorsement have the option of taking the NES exam.
- Background Check Requirement
- The hiring district may provide evidence of a current background check. If the check conducted by the district is comparable with the check done by ETSU an additional background check will not be required.
- If the background check is not comparable an ETSU Background Check will be required
- Provide proof of Liability Insurance Coverage
*Students must maintain liability insurance throughout the job-embedded licensure process.
Benchmarks for Job Embedded Licensure
Course enrollment is required. Candidates must maintain Good Academic Standing.
For additional information on Job-Embedded Licensure:
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Seeking Licensure in Another State
The NASDTEC Interstate Agreement facilitates the mobility of educators among the states and other jurisdictions that are members of NASDTEC and have signed the Agreement. Although there may be conditions applicable to individual jurisdictions, the Agreement makes it possible for an educator who completed an approved program and/or who holds a certificate or license in one jurisdiction to earn a certificate or license in another state or jurisdiction.
Applicants for licensure/certification in a state other than Tennessee will submit a licensure application as directed on the website of that state's department of education.
Verification of Completion of ETSU Licensure Program
An applicant for licensure in another state may be required to submit a program verification form. This form will be found among that state’s application materials.
- Complete the identifying information at the top of the form.
- Send the form to the ETSU Certification Coordinator at teacherlicensure@etsu.edu or mail it to the address listed below.
Certification Coordinator, Clemmer College of Education and Human Development
East Tennessee State University
PO Box 70685
Johnson City TN 37614- Some verification forms specify where and by what means the forms should be returned (US mail to applicant, email directly to the state's department of education, or other). If no direction is included on the form, please include a note with instructions.
Credential Verification Form
An applicant for licensure in another state may be required to submit a credential verification form. This form will be found among that state’s application materials.
- Complete the identifying information at the top of the form.
- Send the form to the Tennessee Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation at educator.licensure@tn.gov
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Educator Preparation Advisory Committee
The Educator Preparation Advisory Committee develops policies to coordinate, implement, and support teacher education programs. Committee members review all curriculum changes affecting teacher education programs prior to submission to the Curriculum Committe or Graduate Council.
The committee is comprised of faculty members from each department of the Clemmer College of Education and Human Development, four faculty from departments with teacher education programs in the College of Arts & Sciences, two practicing educators, two students in educator preparation programs, and the Clemmer College of Education and Human Development Certification Coordinator.
Meetings are scheduled as needed. This committee will meet via Zoom until further notice.
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Resources
Forms
- Job-embedded Residency Application
- Intent to Hire
- Declaration of Intent to Add an Endorsement
- Course Substitution
Praxis Information
Tennessee requires a Social Security Number (SSN) in order to link praxis score reports to educator licensure applications. Failure to provide an SSN on all praxis assessments will delay approval of an application.
Original praxis score reports are essential, so please be certain to designate the Tennessee Department of Education (state code 8190) and ETSU (code 1198) as score recipients during registration for assessments.
Failure to include an SSN or list Tennessee as a report recipient necessitates a request for an additional score report for an additional fee. You can order Additional Score Reports (ASR) online, by mail, phone or fax. To order through your Praxis account, sign in or create an account and click the "Order Score Reports" link from your home page.
Student Success Resources