MA Special Education at the University of Wyoming covers K-12 special education. The College of Education is accredited currently by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and is undergoing new accreditation by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) in 2022-2023, please see the following website for more AAQEP accreditation information https://aaqep.org/. The University of Wyoming cannot guarantee licensure or certification in any state. Students that finish the MA Special Education degree at UW will still have to apply to take the exam by PRAXIS and pay the application fee. This does not guarantee the state boards will grant an teaching license, every applicant is reviewed on a case by case basis by their exam results. Students that receive a teaching license can then apply to the state boards to work in that state. Even after receiving approval and applying to a state board a student may still not be accepted by the state licensing board to work in that state. Below is a list of U.S. States, Districts and Territories which can be used as a guide to determine if the UW MA Special Education degree will probably be accepted, may be accepted, may not accepted, definitely not accepted, or we are unsure if they will be accepted. If you have any questions please contact the College of Education at edquest@uwyo.edu or 307-766-3145 or contact Compliance & Review Specialist Erika Helgeson at ehelgeso@uwyo.edu or 307-766-3423. Please select from the following list below of U.S. States, Territories, or Districts to see if our program meets or does not meet the education requirements for a student to obtain a license and practice in the the following areas.
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Alabama does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Alabama requires documentation of meeting test requirements comparable to Alabama's test requirements, as well as documentation of experience for instructional support professionals. Please see the Alabama State Department of Education website below for more details.
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We do not have enough information provided to determine if our degree would specifically qualify for the Alaska State Board of Education requirements. A student can follow their application instructions and allow the Alaska board to make the decision but we cannot guarantee a student will be accepted. Please see the State Board website below for more information on teaching licensure in Alaska.
https://education.alaska.gov/teachercertification/certification/prof
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Currently there is not enough information to determine if the University of Wyoming Teaching degree programs will be accepted to work in the American Samoa territory. Please see the American Samoa Department of Education website below for more details.
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We do not have enough information provided to determine if our degree would specifically qualify for the Arizona State Board of Education requirements. A student can follow their application instructions and allow the Arizona board to make the decision but we cannot guarantee a student will be accepted. Please see the State Board website below for more information on teaching licensure in Arizona.
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We do not have enough information provided to determine if our degree would specifically qualify for the Arkansas State Board of Education requirements. A student can follow their application instructions and allow the Arkansas board to make the decision but we cannot guarantee a student will be accepted. Please see the State Board website below for more information on teaching licensure in Arkansas.
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We do not have enough information provided to determine if our degree would specifically qualify for the California State Board of Education requirements. A student can follow their application instructions and allow the California board to make the decision but we cannot guarantee a student will be accepted. Please see the State Board website below for more information on teaching licensure in California.
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Colorado offers limited reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. IF the teacher has 3+ years FT teaching experience in the past 7 years AND a valid out-of-state teacher license with an endorsement that matches or is determined to be the equivalent of that which Colorado offers, yes. Please see the Colorado Department of Education website below for more details.
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For a Special Education Endorsement, Connecticut requeries specific state pre-approved courses through the higher education system. This means we cannot guarentee the same reciprocity with courses in our degree progam. Please see the two website links for the Connecticut State Department of Education for more details.
https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Services/Teachers-and-Administrators/Certification
https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Certification/Approved-Courses-for-Special-Education
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Specialist certificates do not necessarily have full reciprocity. If you are a brand new educator or have less than one year of licensed teaching experience, you will need to apply for an Initial License and then pass an approved Performance Assessment. If you have more than one year but less than four years of licensed teaching experience, you should also apply for an Initial License and will not be required to pass a Performance Assessment. Please see the Delaware Department of Education website below for more details.
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District of Columbia has full reciprocity for Teaching certification. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. District of Columbia extends full reciprocity to out-of-state "license holders" who have completed a state-approved licensure program, comparable basic skills, content knowledge and pedagogy exams that were required in that state to earn their credential. When applicants meet all these conditions, DC waives the requirement for passing our own state licensure exams. Please see the Office of the State Superintendent of Education website below for more details.
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Florida has full reciprocity for Teaching certification/licensure. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Refer to Chapter 1012.56, Florida Statutes Documentation of a valid professional standard teaching certificate issued by another state satisfies all requirements for a FL Professional Certificate. Refer also to Rule 6A-4.002, General Provisions, Florida Administrative Code. Certificates from others states shall: a. Be the valid standard certificate comparable to a FL Professional Certificate; b. Be issued in a comparable subject; and, c. Require the same or higher level of training as in Florida. Florida also has a website that gives more details on specific Certification Subjects. Please see the two website links below from the Florida Department of Education for more details.
http://www.fldoe.org/teaching/certification/pathways-routes/certified-teacher-or-administrator.stml
http://www.fldoe.org/teaching/certification/certificate-subjects/
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Georgia does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. See the requirements below.
Out-of-state professional certificate holders who have worked full-time in their certificate field for five years at any time in their career;
Out-of-state professional certificate holders who were required to pass a content assessment for their out-of-state certificate
Individuals holding valid National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification in the specific certificate field(s) sought in Georgia
Individuals seeking certification in one of the following fields in which Georgia does not have an approved content assessment: Audiology, Dance, Drama, School Nutrition Director, School Social Work, Speech, Physical and Health Disabilities, Special Education Preschool, Visual Impairment, and some foreign language fields
Please see the Georgia Professional Standards Commission website below for more details.
https://www.gapsc.com/MovetoGeorgia/outOfStateEducators.aspx
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Guam has full reciprocity for Teaching certification. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Please see the two Guam Commission for Education Certification websites below for more details.
https://gcec.guam.gov/certification/
http://gcec.guam.gov/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Reciprocity-Out-of-State-License.pdf
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Hawaii has full reciprocity for Teaching certification/licensure. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. HTSB offers full reciprocity to teachers licensed in other jurisdictions since July 1, 2006. They only have to submit a Hawaii license application and verify their active license in the home state. A Hawaii Standard License requires verification of three of the last five years of full-time teaching experience in a P-12 setting in Hawaii or another state.A Hawaii Advanced License requires verification of five of the last eight years of full-time teaching experience in a P-12 setting in Hawaii or another state. Please see the Hawaii department of Education website below for more details
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Idaho has full reciprocity for Teaching certification/licensure. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. If the educator has a clear certification, they will receive a three year Interim Certification in order to complete Idaho state specific requirements. If the educator has already met the Idaho state specific requirements, they would be granted a clear initial five year renewable certification. Please see the Idaho State Department of Education website below for more details.
https://www.sde.idaho.gov/cert-psc/cert/apply/out-of-state.html
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We do not have enough information provided to determine if our degree would specifically qualify for the Illinois State Board of Education requirements. A student can follow their application instructions and allow the Illinois board to make the decision but we cannot guarantee a student will be accepted. Please see the State Board website below for more information on teaching licensure in Illinois.
https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Professional-Educator-License-Teaching-Endorsements.aspx
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Indiana has full reciprocity for Teaching certification/licensure if the out of state license is valid and if the teacher was required to pass content licensing tests in each area on the license. Please see the Indiana Department of Education website below for more details.
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Iowa does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. Please see the Iowa Board of Education website below for more details.
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Kansas does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. They do allow out-of-state candidates to apply but the applicant must have at least 8 credit hours or one year of accredited teaching experience completed within the last six years to do so. A student may apply but we cannot guarantee they will be approved by the Kansas board. Please see the Kansas Board of Education website below for more details.
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Kentucky does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. Regulation 16 KAR 4:030 sets forth the requirements for Out of State Prepared Educators. Please see the Kentucky Board of Education website below for more details.
https://education.ky.gov/teachers/NxGenProf/Pages/Certification.aspx
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Louisiana has full reciprocity for Teaching certification/licensure. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application and academic records. Please see the Teach Louisiana website for more details.
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Maine has full reciprocity for Teaching certification/licensure. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Is a teacher with 5 or more years of experience teaching within the 7 years prior to application in the State under a valid certificate in another state and who has graduated from a state-approved preparation program that utilizes the standards of a national association of state directors of teacher education and certification or a national council for accreditation of teacher education or a national board certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization, or, with the exception of the national teachers exam, meets entry-level standards for the endorsement. There are also additional requirements for a special education certification under code 865. Please see the two Maine Department of Education websites below for more details.
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Maryland does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. A student may apply for teaching certification in Maryland but is not guaranteed to obtain certification to work. Please see the Maryland Department of Education website below for for more details.
http://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/DEE/Certification/apply/Out-of-State.aspx
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Massachusetts does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. You must hold a valid comparable license from another state and have worked under it for three years to apply. Please see the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website below for more details.
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Michigan has full reciprocity for Teaching certification/licensure. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Full reciprocity applies only when it is a subject area or grade level for which we are authorized to issue a certificate or an endorsement. Full reciprocity does not apply to individuals who completed alternative routes to certification and have not obtained the regular, standard certificate in the state where the program was completed. Additional testing and First Aid/CPR requirements apply for all teachers with less than 3 years of teaching experience and who do not qualify for Michigan's Professional Education Certificate as their initial certificate. Please see the two Michigan Department of Education websites below for more details.
https://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-5683_14795_83462---,00.html
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Out_Of_State_Applicants_534635_7.pdf
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Minnesota only requires the passing of content and pedagogy exams for individuals licensed based on teacher preparation from another state. For some licensure areas, specifically in low-incidence special education fields, the content exam taken outside of Minnesota may meet our requirement. Additionally, an individual with a professional license from another state that has not completed teacher preparation, may meet the requirements of a Minnesota Tier 3 license if they also have two years of teaching experience. Please see the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board website below for more details.
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Mississippi has full reciprocity for Teaching certification/licensure. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. A five year license is granted to applicants who hold a valid standard out-of-state license (K-12) in an area in which Mississippi issues an endorsement. In the 2011 state legislative session, House Bill 641 changed the state statute for Reciprocity applicants. Now, Section 37-3-2 (8)(a) states: The department shall grant a standard license to any individual who possesses a valid standard license from another state and meets minimum Mississippi license requirements or equivalent requirements as determined by the State Board of Education. The Office of Educator Licensure will implement this new statute with applications submitted after June 30, 2011. Please see the Mississippi Department of Education website below for more details.
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We do not have enough information provided to determine if our degree would specifically qualify for the Missouri State Board of Education requirements for special education. A student can follow their application instructions and allow the Missouri board to make the decision but we cannot guarantee a student will be accepted. Please see the State Board website below for more information on teaching licensure in Missouri.
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Montana does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. A student can apply if they have completion of an educator preparation program which is accredited by NCATE, CAEP, MACTE or is a state approved program from a regionally accredited college or university and completion of student teaching or a supervised teaching experience through an educator preparation program. UW is regionally accredited but the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Our students can apply but this does not guarantee that a student will receive licensure to work in Montana. Please see the Montana Office of Public Instruction website below for more details.
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Nebraska does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. Please see the Nebraska Department of Education website and reciprocity document below for more details.
https://www.education.ne.gov/tcert/
https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Reciprocity.pdf
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Nevada has full reciprocity for Teaching certification. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. We will issue a reciprocal license to a teacher licensed in another jurisdiction if that teacher holds a full license (i.e. not a provisional license) and if the requirements for licensure in that other state, to include required coursework, student teaching, and competency testing, are substantially similar to Nevada's requirements. Please see the Nevada Department of Education Website for more deatils.
http://www.doe.nv.gov/Educator_Licensure/New_Teachers_Out_of_State_Applicants/
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We do not have enough information provided to determine if our degree would specifically qualify for the New Hampshire State Board of Education requirements for special education. A student can follow their application instructions and allow the New Hampshire board to make the decision but we cannot guarantee a student will be accepted. Please see the two State Board websites below for more information on teaching licensure in New Hampshire.
https://nhdoepm.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CHD/pages/190447701/Out-of-state+Applicant
https://nhdoepm.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CHD/pages/673185834/Endorsement+Comparability
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New Jersey has full reciprocity for Teaching certification/licensure. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. If we offer the same license, if we require a subject matter test and the out of state license also dies, if good evaluations / experience requirements are met (three years) then we offer reciprocity. Teacher cert however will be more complicated in School Year 2017-18 due to the addition of a performance assessment as a requirement for full reciprocity for those holding initial certs from an approved teacher prep program. Please see the New Jersey Deaprtment of Education website below for more details.
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New Mexico has limited reciprocity. Teacher/Administrator will receive a similar license to what was held in another state when all appropriate documentation is provided at time of application. Please see the New Mexico Public Education Department website below for more details.
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New York does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. You have to complete at least 3 years of public school education before you can apply to teach in New York with an out-of-state degree. Please see the New York State Education Board website below for more details.
http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/teachrecother.html
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North Carolina does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. North Carolina also additional requirements may apply if a student chooses to apply for their state certification. Please see the North Carolina Department of Public Education website below for more details.
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North Dakota has full reciprocity for Teaching certification. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Please see the North Dakota Education Standards and Practice Board website below for more details.
https://www.nd.gov/espb/licensure/license-information/license-faqs
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Currently there is not enough information to determine if the University of Wyoming Teaching degree programs will be accepted to work in the Northern Mariana Islands territory. Please see the U.S. Department of Education website below for more details.
https://www.ed.gov/about/contact-us/state-contacts/northern-mariana-islands
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Ohio does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. It does offer the possibility to apply for a one year out-of-state teaching license to students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree and have completed an approved teacher preparation program through an accredited college/university. During this one year licensing period the teacher will need to complete an Ohio licensing exam along with other course reading materials. A student may apply but we cannot guarantee they will receive a license to teach in Ohio. Please see the Ohio Department of Education website below for more details.
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Licensure/Out-of-State-Licensure
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Oklahoma has full reciprocity for Teaching certification. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Oklahoma now has full reciprocity with states that have like credentials. Please see the two Oklahoma State Deparment of Education websites below for more details.
https://sde.ok.gov/traditional-path-oklahoma-teacher-certification
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Applicants from out of state must hold an active and non-provisional teaching license from another state prior to application. Those applying from out of state are granted a 1-year Reciprocal License. During that year, they must meet Oregon's requirement of the "Protecting Student and Civil Rights in the Educational Environment" and any other content/endorsement assessments to be eligible for full licensure. Please see the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commision website below for more details.
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Pennsylvania does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. Please see the Pennsylvania Department of Education website below for more details.
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Puerto Rico does not offer full reciprocity. Students must hold a prior certification from a U.S. State before applying to teach in Puerto Rico. We do not have enough information to determine if the University of Wyoming teaching degree programs will be accepted in Puerto Rico. Please see the Puerto Rico Department of Education website and certification document link below for more details.
http://caep.uprag.edu/DEpr_Documents/Reglamento_Certificaci%C3%B3n%20_del_Personal_Docente.pdf
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Rhode Island has full reciprocity for Teaching certification. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and taking and passing Rhode Island required tests. See the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website below for more details.
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South Carolina has full reciprocity for Teaching certification. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Traditional program completer with comparable areas and appropriate content exam or alternative program completer who has advanced to standard license. This excludes Career and Technology areas as defined by South Carolina. Please see the Soth Carolina Department of Education website below for more details.
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South Dakota does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. You must already hold a valid teaching license from the state you are currently practicing in. Please see the South Dakota Department of Education website below for more details.
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Tennessee has full reciprocity for Teaching certification. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Out-of-State applicants - Individuals applying for the practitioner license through an out-of-state pathway must provide a license from another state or verification of program completion from a program approved for licensure in another state. Please see the Tennessee Department of Education website bewlow for more details.
https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/education/licensing/educator-licensure/out-of-state-educators.html
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Texas does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. To apply a student needs a prior valid state license. Please see the Texas Education Agency website below for more details.
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Utah does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. A student must hold a prior valid state license to apply. Please see the Utah State Board of Education website below for more details.
https://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/licensing/earning?mid=2465&aid=7
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Vermont has full reciprocity for Teaching certification. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Educators (Teachers & Administrators) who hold a current professional license from outside of Vermont will be given a Level I license (3 year) in the endorsement area delineated on their out-of- state license or a comparable VT endorsement. Vermont currently has educator reciprocity with all states except: New York, New Mexico, and South Dakota. Educators who hold a current license, or have a recommendation for licensure on their transcript, from any of these states; will need to apply for Initial License through Transcript Review. Please see the Vermont State Agency of Education website below for more details.
https://education.vermont.gov/educator-licensure/become-a-vermont-educator
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Currently there is not enough information to determine if the University of Wyoming Teaching degree programs will be accepted to work in the Virgin Islands territory. Please see the two Virgin Islands Department of Education websites below for more details.
https://www.myviboe.com/certifications
https://www.vide.vi/documents/human-resources/1011-vi-board-certification/file.html
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For individuals who have obtained a valid out-of-state license, with full credentials and without deficiencies, that is in force at the time the application for a Virginia license is received by the Department of Education. Each such individual shall establish a file in the Department of Education by submitting a complete application packet, which shall include official student transcripts. No service requirements or licensing assessments shall be required for any such individual. Please see the Virginia Department of Education website below for more details.
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/licensure/info_out-of-state_online_programs.pdf
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Washington does not offer full reciprocity in any area of certification/licensure. A student can follow the pre-certification and residency teacher instructions to apply to teach in Washington state. We cannot guarantee that a student who applies will receive a teaching certificate in Washington with our program. Please see the the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction website below for more details.
https://www.k12.wa.us/certification/teacher-certificate/out-state-applicants-teachers
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See WVBE Policy 5202: Ancillary Requirements 4.4 by the West Virginia Department of Education website below for more details.
https://apps.sos.wv.gov/adlaw/csr/readfile.aspx?DocId=53027&Format=PDF
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Wisconsin will issue a three-year Provisional license, which leads to a Lifetime license, based on a valid license from another jurisdiction and one-year of licensed experience. Teachers can bypass jurisdiction specific requirements if they have a valid license from another jurisdiction and one-year of licensed experience. Administrators can bypass jurisdiction specific requirements if they have a valid license from another jurisdiction and one-year of licensed experience. Please see the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website for more details.
https://dpi.wi.gov/licensing/pathways-licensure/oos-pathways
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This is the home-state for the University of Wyoming program. Wyoming has full reciprocity for Teaching certification. Educators with an out-of-jurisdiction license are granted a similar license in the receiving jurisdiction upon successful processing of the receiving jurisdiction's application, academic records, and criminal background check. Wyoming applicants must have completed requirements that are "substantially equivalent" in the other jurisdiction in order for us to recognize the licensure from the other jurisdiction. Please see the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board website for more details.