The Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) is the agency that is responsible for Kentucky teaching certifications, handling approximately 25,000 transactions annually. A four-year teacher preparation program is required, and includes student teaching and testing when applicable.
The applicant must have a recommendation from the certification official at the college or university that the applicant attended. Applicants must also pass the Praxis II Specialty Area tests for each area of certification and the Principles of Learning and Teaching test for the appropriate grade range. Depending on the applicant's educational aims and test scores, one of the following base teaching certificates may be issued:
- Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- Secondary School
- Middle/Secondary School
- Elementary/Middle/Secondary School
- Exceptional Children
In addition, the EPSB may also issue endorsements to base certificates and/or restricted base certificates for specific courses of study.
Explore Online Kentucky Teaching Certification Programs
Kentucky teacher certification programs may be available through distance learning for prospective teachers who cannot attend a campus-based teaching degree program due to work or family obligations. Research online teaching programs in Kentucky, but before enrolling in any institution, verify that it is accredited by the State of Kentucky, the National Council of Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE), or both.
The National Education Association (NEA) reports that the average annual income for teachers in Kentucky was $47,875 for the 2008-2009 school year, an increase of 1.4 percent over the 2007-2008. There were 41,331 teachers working in the Kentucky public school system in 2008-2009.