South Carolina Teacher License

Being a competent teacher and making a huge impact on your students can be one of the most rewarding things in the world. We certainly praise hard-working and aspiring teachers who decided to make a change in their state.

So if you are a teacher or want to become an educator in South Carolina you are certainly in need of a valuable guide that will lead to your dream job in the state. The article will discuss all the legal information about teacher certification in South Carolina. We will also talk about the reciprocity programs and what states across the U.S. will accept your South Carolina teaching license. Let’s get started!

How do I get certified to teach in South Carolina?

The basic requirements of a teacher certificate in South Carolina include:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Background check
• Praxis assessments passing scores.

We will break down the main steps you need to take to be eligible for the teaching certificate.

1. Meet the basic requirements

As I mentioned earlier, to start your new journey as a teacher in South Carolina the minimum requirement is to hold a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university or college. The degree should be approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Commonly, a typical degree program will include a teaching preparation program which is a must for the educator license.

If your degree doesn’t include the teacher preparation program, don’t worry, there are alternative routes that will lead to the licensing in South Carolina. The basic requirements for alternative teacher certification are a possession of a Bachelor’s degree, the completion of the appropriate Praxis examinations based on the subject and the grade level(s), and the background check. More information about the alternative certification programs can be found in the SC Department of Education.

In addition to the teacher preparation program, prospective teachers need to pass the background check.  Your fingerprints should be submitted electronically by scheduling an appointment with State Law Enforcement Division. It will take up to 2 weeks to receive the results of the criminal history background check which will be directly forwarded to the Office of Educator Certification.

2. Pass the required exams

To earn your SC educator license you should pass the appropriate assessment tests. You will likely need to pass the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) and Praxis subject assessments. SC Department of Education provides information about the Praxis exams as well as the subject requirements for the teacher certification.

3. Apply for your teacher license

Once you meet the general requirements, you can get ready for the application. Here are the documents you will need when applying for a teacher license:

• The completed licensure application form on CATS
• Payment of the non-refundable application fee
• Official transcripts from your university or college
• Completed and Signed Teaching Recommendation Form
• Passing scores of the Praxis exams

You can acquire more information about teacher licensing from the South Carolina Department of Education website or head to the following address:

South Carolina Department of Education
1429 Senate Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803)734-8500

There are two levels of certifications for teachers in South Carolina:

• Initial Educator Certificate
• Professional Certificate

Teachers who meet the basic requirements of licensure will be first awarded the Initial Educator Certificate which is valid for 3 years. If you complete continuing education, pass the formal evaluations and pedagogical knowledge assessments you can obtain a professional certification.

How do I transfer my teaching license to South Carolina?

If you have an out-of-state teaching license the subjects on your license must be comparable to subjects normally issued in South Carolina. Additionally, you should submit the subject area examination score(s) and the general professional knowledge (pedagogy) score that was required for certification in the initial licensed state. As the SC Department of Education states the reciprocal does not guarantee that all fields will be transferred. To learn more about the reciprocal program in South Carolina visit this here.

What states accept South Carolina teaching license?

The member states of the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement who have signed reciprocity agreements with South Carolina will accept the teaching license. You can check the full list of states that have reciprocity agreements with SC on the Department of Education website.