Laws/Regulations

Eligibility Based on Program Preparation

Connecticut certification is usually based on completion of a state-approved educator preparation program. To obtain Connecticut educator certification based on program preparation, educators must:

1. Successfully complete a state-approved planned program of general academic and professional education at a regionally accredited college or university and earn formal institutional recommendation for certification; and
2. Pass subject-specific tests, if applicable to the endorsement requested.

See the Guide to Assessments for Educator Certification in Connecticut for additional information.

Eligibility Based on Teaching Experience

Educators who have completed the equivalent of two school years of full-time teaching in the grade level and subject appropriate to the endorsement requested may waive the planned program requirement. However, all coursework, degree, testing and any experiential requirements must still be met.

To obtain Connecticut teacher certification based on teaching experience, educators must:

1. Document no fewer than 20 school months of successful, appropriate full-time teaching experience in the same approved nonpublic school OR an out-of-state public school under a valid certificate;
2. Pass subject-specific tests, for those endorsements where a test is required*; and
3. Successfully complete all required general academic and professional education coursework for the endorsement areas sought. All coursework must result in credit awarded to official transcripts from regionally accredited colleges or universities.

* See the Guide to Assessments for Educator Certification in Connecticut for additional information.

Certification in all areas except occupational subjects requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. All candidates applying for a Connecticut educator certificate requiring a bachelor’s degree must submit an official transcript verifying award of the degree, regardless of the basis of their certification.

NOTE: Only coursework resulting in credit awarded to an official transcript of a regionally accredited college or university can be accepted to meet certification requirements.

Educators who have not completed an educator preparation program and do not have the experience to waive the planned program requirement should seek academic advisement from regionally accredited colleges or universities with state-approved programs in the area they would like to teach. For a list of Connecticut institutions that offer approved educator preparation programs, please see the Guide to Approved Educator Preparation Programs in Connecticut.

If you are ready to proceed, start the application process.

Assessment Exemptions

Educators may be exempt from Board-approved assessment requirements, including Praxis II subject knowledge tests, Connecticut Foundations of Reading, Reading Specialist or Early Childhood tests, and/or ACTFL OPI and WPT. Educators must hold a valid certificate in another state that is equivalent to at least a Connecticut initial educator certificate AND have one of the following:

1. Three years of successful appropriate experience in the same state (in the same approved nonpublic school or public school system, in the endorsement requested) in the past 10 years; OR
2. A master’s degree in the academic subject area (e.g. math, sciences) for which Connecticut certification is being requested. Please note that pedagogical degrees in the subject area, such as those for elementary education, special education or physical education, do not meet the requirements of the exemption.

Accepting Out-of-State Assessments

ED 711: Verification of Out-of-State Educator Certification Tests

If you passed an educator certification test required in another US state or territory, the institution of higher education, department of education or other authorized agency that required the test may complete and submit the Verification of Out-of-State Educator Certification Tests (form ED 711) to this office. The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) will determine if your test result qualifies as equivalent, in order to waive a Connecticut assessment.

The authorized agency must mail the completed form directly to the:

Connecticut State Department of Education
Bureau of Educator Standards and Certification
PO Box 150471
Hartford, CT 06115-0471

Submit the application using the paper-based ED 711 form.

Assessment Deferral

Out-of-state applicants who meet all certification criteria except Connecticut assessment requirements may be issued a nonrenewable interim certificate with a deferral for the required tests. The deferral will be for three years for educators with less than two years of appropriate teaching experience. Applicants are eligible for an interim certificate only once, regardless of whether they work under the certificate. To maintain certification and obtain subsequent certificates, the applicant must complete all required tests before the expiration date of the certificate. All applicants who are eligible for a deferral of testing requirements will automatically be issued an interim certificate once all requirements other than testing have been met.

Applicants are encouraged to submit the application and fee online with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, and Discover Card only) once they have created an account on the Connecticut Educator Certification System (CECS)

Foreign Credentials for Connecticut Certification

If you completed any education required for certification outside the United States, you must have your credentials evaluated by an agency currently approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education and meet current certification requirements, including coursework and assessments, as appropriate.

To apply for Connecticut certification, in addition to the list above, please submit:

• Original course-by-course analysis, completed by one of the approved evaluation agencies, of all college- or university-level coursework including general academic, subject area and program preparation coursework completed outside the United States;
• ED 126 Statement of Successful Professional Experience, verifying completion of K–12 teaching/service completed within the past 10 years in foreign public schools or approved nonpublic schools, along with a copy of the certificate or license authorizing this service.

Please note: Foreign experience must be verified by the superintendent or head of the school district, or by the ministry of education or other authorized agency. If the verification of teaching experience or the teaching license or authorization is printed in a language other than English, the original document must be accompanied by a notarized translation.

Please note: The information in this guide is general information only. Your specific eligibility for certification will be determined based on review of all required application materials. The type and duration of the certificate issued will depend on proper documentation of your education and experience.