Investing in our future is vitally important and strangely difficult. In order to fight oppression from the greedy and power-hungry elite, to better our ways of life with advancing technology, and to increase our country's overall views toward the concept of acceptance, we need education to be a priority. Learn how you can be a spoke in this terribly important wheel. See how Idaho measures up to the rest of the country by viewing the percentage of state revenue going toward education in each state. (see State Education Spending vs. Overall State Revenue).
Idaho’s teachers are challenging whether budget cuts announced by lawmakers as part of a proposed plan known as Students Come First, actually does put students’ interests first. Since Governor Tom Luna announced the plan in late December 2011, it has been reported that teachers have been successful in drawing attention to the pitfalls of budget cuts in education. Idaho’s legislators have announced that there will likely be dramatic changes to the legislation that take concerns raised by parents and teachers alike into consideration. Whether in the classroom, or at legislative hearings, Idaho’s teachers have demonstrated their ability to be highly influential in their support of student and community interests. Find schools offering teaching certification programs in Idaho.
Under rules set forth by the Idaho State Department of Education Teacher Certification (208-332-6882), in order to become a certified teacher in the state, you must have at least a bachelor’s degree either from an accredited teacher preparation institution in Idaho or from an accredited college or university that uses National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards for teacher preparation.
If you completed your educator preparation program in another country, you must obtain a written evaluation of your academic credentials from a NACES member agency.
Certification and Endorsement Options
Certification is available in Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education Blended (Birth-Grade 3), Standard Elementary Education (K-8), Standard Secondary Education (6-12), Standard Exceptional Child (K-12), and in a variety of endorsement areas specific to the subjects you’ll teach. Certificate and endorsement requirements are available from the drop-down menu on this page
View the Praxis website for a summary of Idaho’s examination process and requirements for aspiring teachers.
Basic skills testing:
Content area assessment testing:
All applicants for initial teaching certification in Idaho must complete a comprehensive literacy assessment. The Idaho teacher preparation program in which you are enrolled conducts this. Usually, the Praxis I is administered by your college prior to or during your enrollment in their teacher preparation program. Your teacher preparation program must also conduct a technology assessment on all teacher applicants, to make sure you are proficient in technology skills necessary in the classroom.
As an Idaho teacher candidate, you must pass specific Praxis II
content area examinations corresponding to the area in which you plan to teach. Certification areas include:
- Early Childhood/Blended (Birth – Grade 3)
- Elementary Education (Grades K-8)
- Middle School Endorsement/Highly Qualified Status
- Secondary Education:
- Agriculture Science and Technology (Grades 6-12)
- American Government/Political Science (Grades 6-12)
- Art (Grades 6-12 or K-12)
- Bilingual Education (Grades K-12)
- Biological Science (Grades 6-12)
- Business Technology Education (Grades 6-12)
- Chemistry (Grades 6-12)
- Communication (Grades 6-12)
- Communication/Drama (Grades 6-12)
- Drama (Grades 6-12)
- Earth Science (Grades 6-12)
- Economics (Grades 6-12)
- English (Grades 6-12)
- English as a New Language (Grades K-12)
- Family and Consumer Science (Grades 6-12)
- Geography (Grades 6-12)
- Health (Grades 6-12)
- Library Media Specialist (Grades K-12)
- Literacy (Grades K-12)
- Marketing Technology Education (Grades 6-12)
- Mathematics (Grades 6-12)
- Mathematics, Basic (Grades 6-12)
- Music (Grades 6-12 or K-12)
- Natural Science (Grades 6-12)
- Physical Education (Grades 6-12 or K-12)
- Physical Science (Grades 6-12)
- Physics (Grades 6-12)
- Psychology (Grades 6-12)
- Social Studies (Grades 6-12)
- Sociology (Grades 6-12)
- Sociology/Anthropology (Grades 6-12)
- Technology Education (Grades 6-12)
- All Foreign Language Endorsements Other than French, German or Spanish (Grades 6-12 or K-12)
- French (Grades 6-12 or K-12)
- German (Grades 6-12 or K-12)
- Spanish (Grades 6-12 or K-12)
- Special Education (various levels/content areas)
During your Idaho teacher preparation program, expect to participate in student teaching. This involves being placed in a classroom specific to the grade range and subject area you’ll become certified to teach. You will work under the supervision and tutelage of a mentor teacher, from whom you will learn classroom management techniques and other vital skills necessary for teachers. Your mentor teacher will supervise you and analyze your classroom performance, reporting to officials in your teacher preparation program.
Additionally, if you have two or more years of experience in teaching, you are exempt from submitting an Institutional Recommendation form with your certification application. (Student teaching time does not count towards this exemption requirement, however).
Document and Application Requirements
Have you completed your teacher preparation program, including the student teaching portion, and passed the necessary examinations? If so, you may apply for initial teaching certification in Idaho. Complete the Application for an Idaho Certificate/Credential
. Along with your completed, signed application, you must send:
- Application fee (via check or money order payable to the State Department of Education)
- Official, unopened transcripts from all colleges attended
- Completed Institutional Recommendation form (if you have less than two years of experience in teaching)
- Official copy of your Praxis II assessment score sheet(s)
- Completed fingerprint card for criminal background check (see below)
Mail all of the above documents along with your application and fees to: State Department of Education, Teacher Certification, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0027.
Criminal History Background Check
All applicants for initial teaching certification in Idaho must undergo a criminal history background check. Although you may have undergone a similar check when you began student teaching, you may need to have another check conducted when you apply for certification. This involves obtaining a fingerprint card and instructions (contact Shannon Haas at 208-332-6888 or Andrea Capdeville at 208-332-6883, both at the State Department of Education). The background check is conducted through the Idaho Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Statewide Sex Offender Register.
Once your fingerprint card has been submitted with your application, a criminal history check will be conducted through the BCI/FBI. Idaho teaching certificates will not be issued until the results of the criminal history check are returned to the State Department of Education.
If you require further information on Idaho teacher preparation programs, click here.
For more information on initial teaching certification in Idaho, call 208-332-6882 or visit the Idaho State Department of Education Teacher Certification website.
State estimations based on analysis by Richard Ingersoll, Professor of Education and Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, from the National Center for Education Statistics Student and Staffing Survey, and therefore include a slight margin of error.