Like any state, the path to becoming a certified teacher in Nebraska has many twists, turns, and forks. Understanding all the required education and documentation can be confusing; this article aims to break down the certification process and provide a straightforward look at how to get a Nebraska teaching certificate. We'll start with the basics. In Nebraska, a new teacher's first certificate is known as an initial teaching certificate, and to earn one, applicants must:
In time, teachers can upgrade to a standard teaching certificate, or, if the teacher has earned a master's degree or doctorate, to the professional teaching certificate, but they can only do so after holding the initial certificate for 5 years. So, all certified Nebraskan teachers, from novice to veteran, will meet the requirements bulleted above. The rest of this article is devoted to examining these requirements in detail, outlining some alternative paths, and presenting a brief overview of what new Nebraskan teachers might expect from their career. By the end of it, you should have a good understanding of how to become a teacher in Nebraska.
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One of the ways that Nebraska tries to ensure the preparedness of new teachers is through educator preparation programs. As outlined by the Nebraska Department of Education, there are 16 different colleges and universities in the state of Nebraska that offer accredited educator preparation programs. The approval process for a preparation program is a rigorous, years-long evaluation in which learning institutions are subject to continuous oversight from the Commissioner of Education and the State Board of Education, in conjunction with the Nebraska Council on Teacher Education (NCTE). Institutions applying for accreditation must demonstrate that they meet requirements for faculty, library/technological materials, and candidate assessment procedures while also proving that they offer appropriate coursework in specific endorsement areas and practical, in-classroom training. One prominent institution with approved status is the University of Nebraska. This big state university has three campuses (Lincoln, Omaha, and Kearney), each of which offers educator preparation for all levels and various endorsed subjects. The Secondary Education program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for instance, trains future high-school teachers in science, math, and English (among other subjects). In addition, many Nebraska colleges and universities — including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln — are additionally approved by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), a national accreditor of educator preparation programs that the US Department of Education recognizes. Readers can find a complete list of all accredited preparation programs on the Nebraska Department of Education website.
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Create AccountEvery regular Nebraska teaching certificate requires applicants to have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Master's or doctoral degrees are required only for the professional teaching certificate. As mentioned above, completing an approved teacher preparation program is another requirement for a certificate. These preparation programs can be completed as part of your bachelor's degree curriculum and typically account for around 40 semester hours. They commonly include some practical experience observing classrooms and teaching students, plus the Special Education and Human Relations training that is another requirement for earning a certificate. Nebraska recognizes accredited programs from other states, and individuals who have not met all the requirements of such a program can still apply for temporary teaching permits (discussed in more detail below).
Having covered educational requirements, the next thing to consider is testing. To earn an initial certificate, applicants will need to pass a series of examinations known as Praxis tests. These are teacher certification tests administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a large, non-profit private testing corporation. The number of Praxis tests required will depend on the subject the applicant wants to teach. All prospective teachers must first pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators Test, covering basic skills. Then, if their specific subject area requires additional testing, the teacher candidate will take the Praxis Subject Assessment for that particular subject.
The Praxis Core is designed to test the fundamental skills of educators and is approved by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) as a benchmark for prospective teachers. It consists of three separate tests, each devoted to a specific skill. One test focuses on reading, one on mathematics, and a third on writing. The test-taker can elect to take each test individually on a separate day or can take them all at once in one extended session.
Praxis Core exam registration costs $90 for each tests.
The Subject Assessments, also called Praxis 2, are focused on specific subjects and aim to demonstrate the test-taker's expertise in a particular field. These tests cover many subject areas and have variable costs, durations, and qualifying scores. For example, an art teacher candidate in Nebraska must take the Praxis Art: Content Knowledge test, a 2-hour examination with a required qualifying score of 158 and a registration fee that exceeds $100. Each of these points will be different for the future history teacher, or the future Middle Level math teacher. Some subject areas — ranging from English as a Second Language to Information Technology — have no Subject Assessment test requirements. Prospective teachers can refer to the Nebraska Department of Education to learn the specific requirements for their given subject areas. Information regarding Praxis registration, preparation and content for both the Praxis Core and Subject Assessments can all be found on the ETS website.
All applicants who have not been residents in Nebraska for the 5 years before the date of application will have to submit fingerprints. Fingerprints can either be captured electronically or the old-fashioned ink-rolled way. Fingerprints are used to conduct a background check. Felony convictions and certain misdemeanor convictions (involving abuse, neglect, or sexual misconduct) may disqualify the candidate from receiving a certificate.
Teacher candidates will have to create an account in a relatively new online program known as TEACH (The Educator Application and Certification Hub) to start their applications. Candidates can access it on the Nebraska Department of Education's website.
Registration is relatively straightforward. Applications and processing fees are all submitted in TEACH, and through it, users can track their application status and get notified of any upcoming renewals or requirements. Along with the application itself, documentation that demonstrates applicants' qualifications will be submitted too. For an Initial Certificate, required documents include official transcripts from colleges or universities, Praxis scores, proof of special education and human relations training, proof of completion of an accredited educator preparation program, and, finally, fingerprints. Applications for Nebraska teaching certificate renewal are also processed through TEACH and require applicants to demonstrate their recent teaching experience or college credit hours.
For anyone that falls short of meeting all of the criteria for certification, the Nebraska Department of Education offers a few alternative paths to becoming a credentialed teacher. Provisional teaching certificates in Nebraska are temporary permits that allow the semi-qualified to start teaching while they work towards full certification on the side. Here are some of the permits offered:
Additionally, there are two different types of substitute teacher certifications in Nebraska. The state substitute teaching permit is designed for individuals who have held a certificate in the past, either in Nebraska or in another state. New substitutes will apply for the local substitute teaching permit, allowing permit holders to teach in a specific school system for 90 full-time days every school year. Like regular certification, substitute teacher certification in Nebraska is carried out through the Nebraska Department of Education.
The Nebraska Department of Education does not have a policy of full reciprocity with other states, but it is a signatory of the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement. This means that out-of-state transfers to Nebraska, who hold licenses accepted under the NASDTEC Agreement, will be able to teach on a provisional basis. They will still have to demonstrate that they meet all requirements to attain an Initial Certificate and become a fully licensed in Nebraska. Teachers transferring in from out-of-state can apply for an Alternative Program Teaching Permit. This two-year permit is available to anyone who holds a current teaching certificate in another state and who can demonstrate completion of an alternative program for teaching. These permits are not renewable, so anyone teaching on an alternative permit will have to work to meet the Initial Certificate requirements if they want to keep teaching after the two-year mark.
The Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) is a program, implemented by the Department of Education, designed to encourage Nebraska schools' development. An essential aspect of this program is professional development for teachers — ensuring educators are up-to-date on pedagogical best practices and changes in sciences and technology. The Nebraska Department of Education provides access to developmental resources such as workshops targeting new Career and Technical Education teachers, online webinars and articles from the Association for Supervisors and Curriculum Development (ASCD), and others.
In its Teacher Vacancy Survey in 2021, the Nebraska Department of Education identified teacher shortages in several areas, including art, music, mathematics and English as a Second Language. Recent statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) list the student-teacher ratio for the state of Nebraska as 13.7:1, which is below the national average of 16:1. This means that prospective teachers can look forward to having relatively small class sizes. Annual wages for K-12 teachers in Nebraska are competitive, though they fall short of the national average at some grade levels. This table was made using information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and shows the compensation and number of working teachers at each teaching level (not including Special Education teachers).
| Level | # Teachers | NE annual mean wage | Nat'l annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-School | 1,810 | $40,500 | $36,550 |
| Kindergarten | 1,020 | $61,380 | $61,170 |
| Elementary | 9,020 | $61,890 | $65,420 |
| Middle School | 4,070 | $62,740 | $64,990 |
| Secondary School | 6,320 | $62,530 | $67,340 |
| Short-Term Subs | 3,850 | $39,070 | $36,090 |
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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The basic requirements for a Nebraska initial teaching certificate are a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, completion of an accredited educator preparation program, and completion of Praxis teacher certification tests with passing scores. Applicants will also have to pass a background check.
Applications for renewing a Nebraska teaching certificate can be submitted online through the TEACH app on the Nebraska Department of Education website. Applicants must demonstrate recent teaching experience or college credit hours.
It takes a minimum of four years. All Nebraska teachers must have a bachelor's degree and must complete an educator preparation program, which can be part of their bachelor's degree coursework.
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