Maryland

For initial certification in Maryland, all candidates must:

• Earn a bachelor's or higher degree.
• Complete an approved educator preparation program OR complete the coursework and experience requirements outlined in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR).
• Pass the Praxis tests for their certification area or other national, state-approved tests.
• Review the Maryland State Department of Education for complete testing information.

• If you test in Maryland at a test center or at home, and your Praxis profile address is in Maryland, your score report will be sent automatically to the Maryland State Department of Education.
• ETS discontinued paper-delivered testing.
• However, tests will be available in a paper-delivered format as required for ADA accommodations.
• All scores for previously administered paper-delivered tests are reportable for 10 years from the date the test was taken.

• If you test outside Maryland or your Praxis profile address is not in Maryland, your scores are NOT automatically sent to the Maryland State Department of Education. To have your scores sent to the Maryland State Department of Education, you must select the Maryland State Department of Education (state code 7403) as a score recipient when you register.
• For all methods of Praxis testing, to request additional score reports you must select the Maryland State Department of Education (state code 7403) with each additional score report request.
• Maryland requires a Social Security number (SSN) in order to process educator certification paperwork and to get a match to your score report. ETS does not require your SSN for its own purposes, but will submit it to Maryland with your test results. Failure to provide your SSN could delay processing of your certification application.
• The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) requires applicants to provide a copy of their score report with their application. ETS recommends test takers download and save a copy of their score report to submit with their application and for future reference.

• Teacher candidates or those wishing to become certified must take the Praxis tests.
• Prior to entering an educator preparation program at your college or university, you may be required to take the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) tests to demonstrate your qualifications.
• In Maryland, you must take the appropriate Praxis Subject Assessments for each area of certification you seek.

Learn about Maryland's highly qualified teacher status at the Maryland State Department of Education website. All teachers teaching in any core academic subject area must:

• Hold at least a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
• Hold a valid Standard Professional Certificate or Advanced Professional Certificate or Resident Teacher Certificate in the subject area in which they are teaching.
• Satisfy the requirements associated with specific teaching levels and experience.

Teacher quality is also assessed by Maryland's High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE), a state-designed teacher evaluation. Additional options on obtaining highly qualified status are offered, as is information on meeting highly qualified standards in special teaching areas.

The Maryland State Department of Education has assumed responsibility for enlarging the pool of teachers certified through alternative programs, including Maryland Approved Alternative Preparation Programs (MAAPP), which undergoes regular cyclical standards-based state program reviews. Available information includes details for teacher candidates, policy documents, and answers to frequently asked questions about alternative pathways to teaching.

Find answers to frequently asked questions about educator certification in the state of Maryland, including information on:

• how to qualify
• special requirements
• the certification process
• fees involved
• multiple subject certification