Teacher Licensure Recommendation: Decision Point 3

Licensure recommendation is the final step (Decision Point 3) in completing Iowa State University’s Educator Preparation Program

Licensure in Iowa

To teach in the state of Iowa, individuals must hold a current teaching license. The license is granted by the state, upon the recommendation of the state-approved institution where the candidate completed an undergraduate or graduate Educator Preparation Program.

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners issues teaching licenses that are valid for specific ages or grades (such as K-6 for elementary teachers and 5-12 for secondary teachers). Endorsements on a teaching license indicate which subject areas a teacher is qualified to teach. Completion of student teaching and required coursework does not guarantee recommendation for a teaching license.

The state of Iowa operates under an approved program system. This means Iowa State University has specified to the Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE) the courses and experiences it believes are necessary for prospective teachers in various fields, such as history, science, music, and family and consumer sciences. Every seven years, the university undergoes a state review of its more than 65 approved programs.

The Licensure Recommendation Process at Iowa State

  • Submit the Iowa application for licensure at the beginning of your student teaching semester if you’re graduating that semester.
  • Once all requirements have been met grades have been posted to the student’s permanent record and graduation is verified, Iowa State University Teacher Education Services will recommend licensure to the BoEE for their approval
  • The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE) will the review recommendation. When the recommendation receives the approval, the Iowa license will be sent out as a PDF file to the email account that was listed on the licensure application
  • Iowa State University’s Teacher Education Services licensure coordinator will support you through this process

Iowa Licensure Recommendation Requirements

In order to be recommended for a teaching license by Iowa State University, the following requirements must be met:

  • Licensure area requirements: The teacher candidate must fulfill all requirements for an approved licensure area as designated by Iowa State and the state of Iowa, including, but not limited to, the general education requirement, the professional teacher education requirements, the clinical experiences, and the content-required courses
  • GPA: A minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average is required
  • Pedagogy coursework grades: The teacher candidate must have earned a minimum grade requirement of a C in all curriculum and instruction (EDUC), human development and family studies (HDFS), and special education (SP ED) courses and all content-specific pedagogy/methods courses required for licensure
  • Content coursework grades: The teacher candidate must have earned a minimum grade requirement of a C- in department courses/content courses of the major specifically required for teacher licensure (content coursework)
  • National background check: The teacher candidate must have completed a national background check processed by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners
  • Application form: The teacher candidate must have completed the “Iowa Application for Licensure” form in the BoEE system
  • Department approval: Department approval by the program coordinator must be granted
  • Registrar approval: After graduation is confirmed, the licensure coordinator reviews student records for holds before approving recommendations for licensure
  • Attend Violent Incident Reduction Training. The teacher candidate must have attended a Violent Incident Reduction Training (VIRT) course. The VIRT course is a training session that includes statistics about the rate of violent attacks in society (primarily in school settings) simulated footage of incidents, and statistics on survivals rates
  • Bachelor’s Degree: The teacher candidate must have a conferred bachelor’s degree.