North Dakota

For initial licensure in North Dakota, all candidates must:

• Successfully complete a state agency approved bachelor's level educator preparation program, which includes a professional education sequence and general studies. North Dakota requires 26 semester hours or 40 quarter hours of professional education coursework for secondary licensure and 34 semester hours or 50 quarter hours for elementary education licensure.
• Maintain at least a 2.5 overall grade point average.
• Successfully complete at least 10 weeks of full time, supervised student teaching in the certifiable area at the appropriate grade level(s).
• Clear fingerprinting screening for criminal convictions.
• Receive recommendation for licensure by recent supervisors.
• Pay all applicable licensing fees.
• Pass Praxis tests for their certification area.

For comprehensive information on licensing requirements and testing, please visit the Licensure page of the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board.

The North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (NDESPB) has adopted the Teaching Reading: Elementary (5205) test. This test can be used to satisfy a NDESPB plan of study which requires competencies in reading instruction.

• If you test in North Dakota at a testing center or at home, and your Praxis profile address is in North Dakota, your score report will be sent automatically to the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board.
• If you test outside North Dakota or your Praxis profile address is not in North Dakota, your scores are NOT automatically sent to the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board. To have your scores sent to the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board, you must select the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (state code 7848) as a score recipient when you register.
• For all methods of Praxis testing, to request additional score reports you must select the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (state code 7848) with each additional score report request.

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 North Dakota, you must take the appropriate Praxis Subject Assessments for each area of certification you seek.

Out-of-state applicants/reciprocal licensure

North Dakota has conditional reciprocity with other states. To receive interim reciprocal licensure, an applicant must first hold a valid, current regular educator certificate or license from another state, province or similar jurisdiction.

For more information on applying for educator licensure in North Dakota, visit the licensure page of the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board. If you have a certificate or a license from another state, application directions for out-of-state candidates are provided.

The North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB) allows licensed teachers to test into a new content area to become North Dakota qualified. In addition to new content areas, teachers can also test into specialty areas such as special education, early childhood, and gifted and talented, to name a few.

For more details, please call the ESPB office at 1-701-328-9641.