Pathways into Teaching: The Intersection of Teacher Preparation and Credentialing Policy

Just as states require anyone interested in operating a motor vehicle to meet specific driver’s license requirements, state policies dictate that any individual interested in teaching in a public school must fulfill a series of requirements to obtain a teaching license. For much of history, states offered only one teacher preparation option as part of meeting these licensure requirements: completing an education degree program (often referred to as the “traditional” pathway). But in the early 1980s, in the wake of the release of A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform, public debates began over whether this type of teacher preparation was necessary and/or sufficient. In response, states began modifying their rules and requirements in efforts to either limit or expand the pool of potential teachers.¹ The result was a broad array of preparation method options and associated credentials that intersect to create pathways to the legal authority to teach.

In order to better understand this intersection, New America’s Education Policy program created a comprehensive database outlining all available pathways to becoming a first-time teacher of record in the United States. (Access the full database by clicking the “View the Full Database” button below, or peruse several key database elements presented in the “Pathways to First-Time Teaching Credentials Database Snapshot” table.) This resource offers a new way for policymakers, researchers, prospective teachers, and other stakeholders to compare and contrast the decisions states have made about how individuals can enter teaching, and to consider the effects of these decisions on who enters teaching, as well as who becomes a successful teacher and is retained within the profession.

Appropriately interpreting the information contained in the database requires first understanding what information it does and does not encompass. The database outlines the attributes of all state pathways that allow an individual to become a full-time teacher of record in a public school for the first time, including details about required pre-service preparation (if any) and the teaching credential obtained (“full” licenses and certifications, as well as “interim” and “emergency” permits and authorizations).²

Pathways for current or prior teaching credential holders (in or out of state) are not included. The database also does not include pathways to teach career and technical education (CTE) or highly specialized subjects (e.g., military science), as the requirements for each are highly particular to the respective fields.

To collect the information incorporated in the database, New America’s Education Policy program reviewed information available on publicly accessible state websites—including statutory and regulatory policies, guidance documents, and credential application forms—and teacher preparation provider websites. To validate the information collected, we engaged in email and video call correspondence with state education leaders. (See Appendices A and B for further details on the methodology used in creating the database, and the Pathways into Teaching Database User Guide, respectively.)