Earning your teaching certification is different in every state of the United States plus the District of Columbia, so you'll have to check with your local board of education to determine what you need to do. However, there are certain requirements that are common to many states. In particular, the Praxis I and Praxis II exams are accepted for teaching certification in 24 states. Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
The Praxis I exam measures very basic skills, specifically in reading, writing, and mathematics. This is generally the most basic level of knowledge that a teacher is expected to have in order to gain teaching certification. The Praxis II test - actually a set of tests - measures more detailed comprehension of a wide variety of subjects, and aspiring teachers may choose to take the Praxis II exams for the specific subjects that they wish to teach. Obviously, the more subjects for which you are tested, the more valuable your teaching certification will be because you will be able to teach a wider variety of classes.
The states of California and Oregon accept the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) test for teaching certification. Other states have specific tests that are required for certification. For instance, Texas has the TExES test, Virginia the VCLA, New York State the NYSTCE test, Michigan the MTTC, Massachusetts the MTEL, Illinois the ICTS, and so on. Check with your local board of education for the testing requirements for teaching certification in your area.
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