There is more than one way to become a teacher in Iowa, but whichever path you choose, the end goal will involve obtaining licensure. So, let's take a look at a broad overview of the essential Iowa teaching license requirements and how to get a teaching license in Iowa in three steps:
Step 1: Obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited higher education institution. Ideally, the degree will be in education and will therefore incorporate an educator preparation program, which is also a requirement to teach. However, you can complete a preparation program as part of a postgraduate or certification program.
Step 2: Pass the required licensure tests, which in Iowa involves achieving Praxis passing scores on its pedagogy and content area tests.
Step 3: Submit a teacher license application, which will require undertaking a state and federal criminal background check, and fingerprinting.
Once these steps have been completed, candidates are newly qualified and eligible to apply for teaching jobs.
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Prospective teachers in Iowa must complete an educator preparation program to become eligible for licensure. Traditional preparation programs are often incorporated into a bachelor's degree program in education. Iowa has 30 colleges and universities that offer conventional preparation programs that prepare students for initial licensure. Opting for this type of program is often referred to as taking the traditional pathway. The programs consist of classes and coursework in pedagogy and the specific content area chosen, alongside supervised clinical sessions in P-12 schools and a minimum of 14 weeks of student teaching.
Colleges and universities may offer a range of preparation programs covering different education age levels and subject areas. Majoring in a specific subject area will enable aspiring teachers to become experts in that subject matter. In addition, many of these programs provide at least some of the courses online. Well-known universities in Iowa that offer educator preparation programs include Iowa State University, which has programs covering all educational age levels (including 13 undergraduate secondary level concentrations), and the University of Iowa, which runs nine preparation programs, including special education and elementary education.
The Iowa Department of Education approves educator preparation programs. Iowa colleges and universities offering such programs must meet the Standards for Practitioner and Administrator Preparation Programs, as set out in the Iowa Administrative Code.
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Create AccountRegardless of whether a prospective teacher opts for the traditional pathway to licensure or an alternative pathway, they must obtain a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited higher education institution. Ideally, the degree program should be specific to the subject area and grade level the candidate eventually wishes to teach. If a candidate has opted for the traditional pathway, then they must complete a practicum/internship as part of their educator preparation program so that they earn experience teaching in a classroom. A practicum will involve students developing lesson plans and giving hands-on instruction, as well as observing experienced teachers.
Prospective teachers in Iowa must pass the Praxis state requirements on two tests, both computer-delivered and administered by the ETS, to be eligible for initial licensure. The two tests consist of a pedagogy test and a subject content area test, which will vary depending on the grade level and subject area a candidate hopes to teach. For example, there are 25 different content area tests at the secondary level depending on the subject/licensing area.
The pedagogy test is a Praxis test known as Principles of Teaching and Learning, or the PLT Praxis test (exam codes 5621-5624). This test has several variations that are tailored to different grade levels (pre-K to K12). All variations consist of selected-response and constructed-response questions and last two hours.
Alternatively, the Praxis test requirements can be satisfied by completing the PPAT assessment. Rather than requiring candidates to take an exam, it asks them to complete a series of four formative and summative tasks that will determine whether they have the required level of pedagogical content knowledge. These four tasks consist of the following:
The content area tests tend to be a little longer (around 2.5 hours) than the Praxis pedagogy test and may include some numeric-entry questions, depending on the content area.
Once the licensure eligibility requirements are met, teacher candidates can apply for an initial teaching license in Iowa. License applications are handled by the Iowa Board of Education Examiners (BOEE), which operates an online application portal. Applicants must obtain a recommendation from their preparation program administrator before completing the application and submit official college transcripts and test scores to the BOEE along with the application fee payment. Applications usually take around six weeks to process. Once granted, an initial teaching license is valid for two years. The BOEE also requires first-time applicants to undergo fingerprinting to pass the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal background checks. Fingerprinting can be performed at the BOEE office and submitted electronically or sent to the BOEE by way of a fingerprinting card provided by the BOEE. Some universities can oversee this process for students, with the fingerprinting taking place on campus. There is also a substitute teaching license in Iowa, which is valid for five years. Applicants must meet the exact eligibility requirements as the initial teaching license. The substitute license can be renewed.
An initial teaching license may be renewed twice. Iowa teacher license renewal requirements are only substantial at the second renewal, when applicants must provide proof of employment in a contracted position that will eventually lead to a standard license. Conversion to a standard license requires submitting evidence of the completion of at least two years of teaching in an Iowa public school or three years teaching in a private or out-of-state school. The standard license is valid for five years and can be renewed after six renewal coursework credits have been completed alongside reporter training for child and adult-dependent abuse.
Most prospective teachers in Iowa will head down the traditional pathway towards licensure. However, some teacher hopefuls with existing non-education degrees may wonder if there is an Iowa alternative teaching license that does not require them to start at the very beginning of the usual process. These candidates should be happy to know that a couple of state-approved alternative pathway programs are available in the state.
These two programs are the Regents Alternative Pathway to Iowa Licensure and the Morningside University teacher intern program. These programs tend to exist for adults who have a degree that is not specifically in education and who wish to teach at the high school level only. Such programs intend to utilize the skills and experience of engineers, business leaders, and other professionals in the classroom. This real-world experience is supplemented with foundational training in pedagogy, including 50 contact hours of field experience with students, so candidates qualifying through this route can best pass on their expertise.
Candidates in alternative programs must take 12-18 teacher training coursework credits, after which they are issued an intern license and placed in a high school for a year. This allows candidates to learn on the job as paid full-time teachers while receiving training support from the high school and the intern program faculty, particularly as part of a state-approved mentoring and induction program. Once the internship is finished, the candidate takes a few additional credits before becoming eligible to apply for an initial teaching license.
How can a teacher get an Iowa teaching license out of state? The state of Iowa participates in the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), which means that there is Iowa teaching license reciprocity. This means that teacher candidates qualified in other states participating in NASDTEC can transfer their license to Iowa depending on how much experience and training they have received to date. Out-of-state teachers will need to provide evidence of three years teaching experience. If, after a transcript review, the BOEE decides that an out-of-state candidate's coursework is deficient, they may be asked to complete additional coursework requirements and issue only a regional exchange license (valid for two years) while the candidate completes the additional coursework. Once the coursework deficiencies have been addressed, the candidates can convert to full licensure.
As of 2020, there were 37,567 teachers employed in Iowa (excluding special education), 1,310 schools, and 490,094 K-12-enrolled students. In 2019, the graduation rate was 91.6%. Employment prospects for teachers in Iowa are reasonably good, with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicting that job growth between 2020 and 2030 across the country will be 7% for kindergarten, elementary, and middle school teachers, which is about the same as the overall job growth average, and 8% for high school and special education teachers. However, the BLS projects job growth for preschool teachers at 18% during the same period. The BLS also reports that, as of May 2020, the mean salaries for preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school teachers were $30,860, $52,940, $55,040, $56,910, and $57,920, respectively.
Katie Slaughter, M.A. has taught middle school science and math for over 6 years. She has helped lay a foundation for personalized learning in her school and has presented internationally about what she is doing in her classroom. She has successfully passed numerous Praxis exams. Katie completed a B.S. in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University and an M.A. in Teaching from Georgetown College.
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