Advance Resident Educator or Alternative Resident Educator Licenses

The Department issues professional educator licenses under Ohio law1 to teachers who have completed the Ohio Resident Educator Program or who have met teaching experience requirements under a standard out-of-state teaching license.

Please note that the Resident Educator Program will transition from a 4-Year to a 2-Year program April 12, 2023. See the Resident Educator Licensure FAQ for information regarding upcoming changes.

Resident Educator Licenses

Educators must successfully complete the following to advance a resident educator license to a five-year professional educator license:

LICENSE HOLDERS WITH READING OR PHONICS COURSEWORK LIMITATIONS

All candidates who request a standard resident educator license for Early Childhood, Primary Childhood, Middle Childhood or Intervention Specialist areas must successfully complete teaching of reading coursework2. This coursework includes:

  • Nine semester hours in the teaching of reading, AND
  • A three-semester hour course in the teaching of phonics (in the context of reading, writing and spelling).

Educators who hold a standard resident educator license with reading or phonics limitations must complete the coursework requirements before the expiration date of the license. Coursework may be graduate or undergraduate level and must be completed through an accredited college or university. Resident educator license holders must complete all required reading and phonics coursework before advancing their teaching license and submit official university transcripts reflecting the completed coursework with their application to advance to the professional license. 

  • Official transcripts – Educators must submit their original, official university transcripts from an accredited college or university. Please review the Instructions for Submitting Transcripts and short video tutorial before scanning and uploading transcripts.
    • Educators who prefer to mail their original, official transcripts must use the following address: 

      Ohio Department of Education
      Office of Educator Licensure
      25 S. Front Street
      Mail Stop 504
      Columbus, OH 43215

OUT-OF-STATE TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Educators who have taught for three full school years under a standard out-of-state teaching license may be eligible for the professional educator license. Candidates must submit the application for the professional license and the following documents through their OHID account to begin the evaluation to determine eligibility for the professional license. Candidates must complete the application for a new professional license, rather than advance the previously issued resident educator license, and  indicate in the application that they completed their program outside of Ohio as eligibility for the license will be based on out-of-state teaching experience.

  • WORK EXPERIENCE VERIFICATION. A completed Out-of-State Work Experience Verification (PreK-12) form from each school or district is required. The out-of-state school or district human resources director or superintendent must complete and submit the form directly to the Department. Third party verification will not be accepted. The school may either email the completed form to educator.licensure@education.ohio.gov or mail the original to:
    Ohio Department of Education
    Office of Educator Licensure
    25 S. Front Street
    Mail Stop 504
    Columbus, OH 43215
  • OUT-OF-STATE LICENSE. Additionally, candidates must provide the teaching licenses they held during each school year they taught. The validity period on the licenses should coincide with the work experience.

PLEASE NOTE that educators must have taught for three full school years under a standard out-of-state teaching license in the subject(s) and grade level(s) listed on the out-of-state license in the state that issued the license. Substitute teaching will not meet this requirement. Educators who have not met the work experience requirement will need to complete the Ohio Resident Educator Program under their previously issued resident educator license in order to advance to the professional teaching license.

Alternative Resident Educator Licenses

Educators must successfully complete the following to advance an alternative resident educator license to a five-year professional license:

  • Four years of the Resident Educator Program;
  • Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA);
  • Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) test # 004 - Assessment of Professional Knowledge: Multi-Age (PK-12);
  • Required additional professional education and reading coursework for professional licensure -  
    • Candidates must submit official university transcripts reflecting the completed coursework per system instructions during the application process. AND
  • Four years of successful teaching experience in the subject area under the Ohio alternative resident educator license -
    • Candidates must upload a letter on school or district letterhead from their employing superintendent or human resources director verifying their successful completion of four years of mentored teaching experience under the alternative resident educator license during the application process.

Application Instructions

  • Access your OH|ID account.
  • Click Educator Licensure and Records (CORE).
  • Complete the online application to Advance from your CORE Dashboard.
  • See the CORE User Manual for complete instructions.

Related Links

1OAC 3301-24-05
2ORC 3319.24
 

Last Modified: 3/15/2023 4:16:39 PM