Any prospective candidate interested in teaching in Washington D.C. will need to first become familiar with the D.C. teacher certification requirements. To begin the D.C. teaching certification process, all candidates need to obtain a bachelor's degree and successfully complete a Teacher Preparation Program. Additionally, there are required examinations which include PRAXIS I Core Academic Skills Test, and the PRAXIS Subject Assessment (Praxis II) if you intend to seek an endorsement in one of the following subjects: Biology, Business, Chemistry, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, English, English as a Second Language (ESL), French, General Science, German, Mathematics, Social Studies, Spanish or Special Education. Only once you've successfully completed all of these things can you apply for a teaching certificate in Washington D.C.
There are three types of certifications available for application: Initial Teacher, Standard, and Added Teacher Endorsement. Please see below for a complete introduction to all three options.
Teachers have two paths to take in pursuing their teacher certification in the District of Columbia: Traditional or Alternative. Put simply, a traditionally certified teacher who wishes to teach in Washington, D.C. will pursue their certification by taking the direct college route in the field of Education, while the alternative route is aimed at potential teaching candidates who have already earned a bachelor's degree in a Non-Education field, but would like to change their career to teaching. See below for a more thorough description of both Traditional and Alternative road to becoming a teacher in Washington, D.C.
There are three types of teaching certificates in Washington, D.C. which will allow the credential holder to teach in the capacity of whichever credential you hold: Initial Teacher Credential, Standard Teacher Credential, and Added Teacher Endorsement Credential.
1. Initial Teacher Credentials are offered as non-renewable certificates to potential teachers if they meet some, but not all, of the requirements needed for Standard Teacher Credential. These certificates will expire after three years from issuance and cannot be renewed. The following list shows what is required to get D.C. initial teaching certification. One of the three needs to be true to pursue Initial Teacher Certification:
Passing scores on required exams and transcripts are needed to qualify for all three Initial Teacher Credentials to be issued, as well as some requirements specific to each category.
2. Standard Teacher Credentials can be renewed after four years of teaching. Standard Teaching Certificates are issued to those who have met all of the steps required to earn a D.C. certificate. There are four options available for earning these credentials, and all applicants must pass required exams, background checks, produce college transcripts, as well as meet criteria for the option that applies to you.
3. Added Teacher Endorsement Credential is the last type of teaching certificate available in Washington, D.C. These are certifications that can be added onto existing certifications. Applicants must have a current and valid standard teaching credential and wish to add an endorsement credential. Applicants will be required to pass the appropriate content area exam scores, criminal background checks, and and must prove they hold a degree that majors in the endorsement to be added.
The D.C. traditional teaching path to teacher certification is designed for those who would like to study to become a teacher in Washington, D.C. First, you will need to know what educational degree is needed to become a teacher in D.C. All traditionally certified teachers in Washington D.C. will begin by earning a bachelor's degree. Once you have earned your B.S., you will need to complete a Teacher Preparation Program which covers up-to-date teaching techniques and methods of teaching. As part of your teacher preparation program, you will complete in-classroom student teaching where you will learn hands-on methods from an experienced mentor teacher on classroom management and teaching skills.
D.C. teacher certification requirements state that all applicants must also pass the required exams for a D.C. teaching certificate, which include: PRAXIS Core (mandatory for all applicants), and PRAXIS II Subject Assessment (for those seeking an endorsement or subject area specialty.)
The PRAXIS I exam tests core academic skills for educators in three fields: Reading (56 questions), Writing (40 questions), and Math (56 questions). The Praxis Core score requirements is 156 or higher to pass the Reading exam, 162 or higher to pass the Writing exam, and earn a score of 150 or higher to pass the Math exam. On PRAXIS II, passing scores vary depending on subject, ranging between 152-200. Time limits vary by exam, and can range anywhere from 50 minutes to up to 5.5 hours. Note: Paper scores are no longer mailed out, but you can access and print your scores on the web using your PRAXIS account for up to ten years from your Praxis exam test dates. Check the account also to find out your score release date, which is posted along with your test date. The time between test date and score release date is usually 3-4 weeks, but varies by test date. The option to retake the exam is available; however, the applicant must wait at least 28 days after initially taking the test.
D.C. Teaching Certification steps also require the teaching candidate to pass criminal background checks, including fingerprinting, within twelve months of applying.
Only after successful completion of a bachelors degree, teacher prep program, background check, and acquiring Praxis passing scores on all required tests, can you begin the application process for certification, where you will apply for Initial Teacher certification, or Regular II certification. Initial Licenses can be upgraded to a Regular II license by taking the Principles of Learning and Teaching, or known as the PLT Praxis exam, which covers the following subject areas: Students as Learners; Instructional Process; Assessment; Professional Development, Leadership, and Community; and Analysis of Instructional Scenarios. Note that all Initial Teacher applicants will need to seek Regular II licenses after three years. When you apply, there is a $50 application fee that will need to be paid at the time of application.
The alternative path for D.C. certification is tailored to those who are looking for a career change into the field of teaching, but do not currently have a teaching degree or certificate in Education. It is a way for a teaching candidate to earn a teaching certificate using the D.C. alternative teaching path, which in some cases can be achieved in as little as one year.
The first step in how to become a teacher in D.C. with a non-educational degree is to earn, or have already completed, a Bachelor's degree in a teachable subject area.
Next, you will need to complete an approved alternative educator preparation program. You will also need to sign up to take Praxis which includes the PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educators exam, as well as the PRAXIS content assessment exam specific to your specialty subject. The PRAXIS I exam tests potential teachers on core academic skills for educators in three fields: Reading (56 questions), Writing (40 questions), and Math (56 questions). You will need a score of 156 or higher to pass the Reading exam, 162 or higher to pass the Writing exam, and earn a score of 150 or higher to pass the Math exam. On PRAXIS II, passing scores vary depending on subject, ranging between 152-200. Time limits vary by exam, and can range anywhere from 50 minutes to up to 5.5 hours. The option to retake Praxis test is available; however, the applicant must wait at least 28 days after initially taking the test. You can also choose to earn a master's degree along with this program.
There are two types of Alternative Licenses: Initial License I, and Teach for America.
1. Initial License I is for candidates who are already employed in D.C. as a teacher, and this option will allow you to remain teaching while completing a teacher preparation program. Candidates for Initial License I must have current employment or teaching experience to apply.
2. Teach for America is tailored to those candidates who wish to pursue their teaching certification while teaching full-time through one of the following organizations and teaching partners:
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Current teachers that have out-of-state teaching certification that is the equivalent to the D.C. Regular II license and would like to teach in D.C. will still need to apply for a D.C. teaching license in the District of Columbia. You will need to apply for Standard Teaching Credentials, Option 3, to achieve teaching credential requirements in D.C.
Requirements for Option 3 include: holding a valid teaching credential from another state, an effective end-of-year performance rating from your employer for two years, passing criminal background checks, and all required exams.
Once all of these things are complete, you will need to provide the following with you application:
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Create AccountCriminal Background checks required for a D.C. teaching certification include an Identity History Summary. They will search your life history for any arrests and include information about any found. All teachers in Washington, D.C. are required to pass this background check. There is a small fee for this process, and you will need to have your fingerprints recorded on a scanning machine. The fingerprinting process for a D.C. teaching certification can be viewed on the FBI website. You can submit your application for a background check electronically, and you will need to visit a U.S. Postal Service location to have your fingerprints taken, or visit an FBI Approved Channeler to have your fingerprints scanned (only in the U.S.). Results usually takes 3-5 business days to receive electronically, and can take longer by U.S. mail.
Once all required fields (experience, education, and examination) are met, you can begin the D.C. teaching application process for a Regular II License. In order to apply, you will need the following items included with your application:
When your packet is complete, send to:
OSSE-Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Educator License and Accreditation
810 First Street, NE 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
Teaching licenses in Washington, D.C. expire after four years of teaching, and you will be required to renew your license at the end of every four year cycle. In order to renew, you will need proof of developmental growth in the field. Teachers wishing to renew will also need to complete six hours or 90 professional activity contract hours in the form of seminars, workshops, conferences, or coursework. Completed applications for renewal should be sent to the Washington D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) for approval. If your D.C. teaching license has already expired, you will go through the same process as those who are renewing with no additional requirements to meet.
D.C. teaching professional development programs and courses are available through the Washington D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). Please visit the DC Professional Development website (https://dcpdis.org/) for a full list of courses available in their course catalog. Teachers will also take part in short, content-specific weekly trainings offered by Learning Together to Advance our Practice (LEAP) with a LEAP team at their school of employment.
Career Outlook for teachers is posted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The projected growth rate for Kindergarten and Elementary school teachers is 7% by the year 2030. They are currently projecting approximately 124,300 for kindergarten and elementary schools due to life events, transfers, and retirement, in the next ten years.
According to the Washington Teacher's Union (WTU), the D.C. expected Salary Information between 2017-2019 was a starting base salary of $56,461 for teacher's with a Bachelor's degree as their highest educational level achievement, increasing by steps according to years of service. Teachers are also eligible to earn yearly bonuses above their salary.
Additionally, all teachers in Washington, D.C. public school system will be offered medical benefits and automatically enrolled in the District of Columbia Teachers Retirement Plan which provides pension payments at the time of retirement.
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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