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Licensure in Other States

According to records in the Peabody Office of Teacher Licensure, Peabody teacher education graduates have been able to apply for and receive a license to teach in any state or foreign country. There generally are three ways to qualify for a license in another state based on a Tennessee license:

1. Reciprocal Contract (Interstate Agreement Contract States) (see details below)
2. Recognition of an NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) accredited program. (Of 40 teacher training programs in Tennessee, only 16 merit NCATE accreditation. Some states will recognize a license based on completion of a teacher preparation program that is accredited by NCATE, even if they do not recognize reciprocal contract states.) Vanderbilt is NCATE accredited.
3. Some states still analyze transcripts. That means they do not have agreements/contracts with other states or with NCATE, and their state department of education staff will review the transcripts of an applicant for a teaching license.

Interstate Agreement States

The NASDTEC Interstate Agreement for 2005-2010 indicates that Tennessee has a contract agreement with all 49 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and Guam. This means that, in general, these states have agreed to license Tennessee licensed teachers. (Note: some states require additional PRAXIS or other testing, however. Find additional information on each state's Department of Education website that is listed on the Director of State Departments of Education).

Some state departments include licensure applications that can be printed from the Web site; others provide online application. (If you cannot download an application, you would need to e-mail or telephone that state's Dept. of Education to request an application for an "out of state" license.)  Most states include a form titled something similar to "Application for Out of State License" or "University Verification" that requires verification and signature by an official at the institution where the teacher preparation program was completed. Such forms should be sent to Peabody's Office of Teacher Licensure for completion.

If a form asks if you are licensed but you have not finished the program or have not yet received your Tennessee license, write in "Pending" and the month and year you anticipate you will be licensed. The name/type of your Tennessee license will be "Apprentice License." It will be good for five years; the license number will be your social security number. Always send a cover letter with any application you submit to a state department or school district office. The cover letter should describe the status of your work toward licensure, indicating when you will be recommended by Vanderbilt for a Tennessee license. You can also include details about the type of license you are seeking in the other state, and, to school systems, you might want to indicate what type of position you are seeking (grade level and/or subject specialty, type of school—remember though, that if you indicate narrow parameters, some human resource officers may not consider you for employment outside of those specifications).

Revised 11/08