WV certification
West Virginia teacher certification
Teaching credentials in West Virginia
Each row is a credential West Virginia reported to Title II. Initial means a first credential for a new teacher. Years is the length of validity.
| Credential | Initial | Years | Renewable | Grade levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Year Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | 3 | Yes | PK-12, 5-9, 9-12 |
| 5 Year Professional Teaching Certificate | No | 5 | Yes | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
| Alternative Teaching Certificate | Yes | 1 | Yes | 5-9, 5-12 |
| Career and Technical Certificate | Yes | 5 | Yes | 9-12 |
| First Class/Full Time Permit | Yes | 1 | Yes | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
| First Class/Full Time Permit for Career and Technical Education | Yes | 1 | Yes | 9-12 |
| Initial Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | 3 | Yes | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
| Out of Field Authorization | Yes | 1 | Yes | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
| Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate | No | 99,999 | No | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
| Permit for Non-United States Citizen | Yes | 3 | Yes | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
| Provisional Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | 1 | Yes | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
| Substitute Permit | No | 3 | Yes | PK-12, PK-12, PK-12 |
| Temporary Teaching Certificate | Yes | 1 | No | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
Requirements
Yes means the state reports the item as required for that credential. Tests shows only whether tests are required; Title II does not name the tests.
| Credential | Bachelor's | Master's | Education degree | Prep program | Tests | Performance assessment | Clinical | Coursework | Credit hours | Min. GPA | Transcripts | Employment | Mentoring | Recency | Background check | Fingerprint | Police check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Year Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 5 Year Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alternative Teaching Certificate | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Career and Technical Certificate | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| First Class/Full Time Permit | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| First Class/Full Time Permit for Career and Technical Education | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Initial Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Out of Field Authorization | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Permit for Non-United States Citizen | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Provisional Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Substitute Permit | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Temporary Teaching Certificate | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Verify a teaching license in West Virginia
Teaching licenses in West Virginia are verified on the lookup service run by West Virginia Department of Education. Search there by the teacher's name or certificate number to see current status.
PT3 does not verify licenses and holds no records of individual teachers.
Renewal
Renew times is how many times the credential can be renewed; renewal years is the length of each renewal.
| Credential | Renewable | Renew times | Renewal years | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Year Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | 20 | 3 | 6 semester hours of coursework related to the K12 system |
| 5 Year Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | 2 | 5 | Six semester hours of coursework, completed at a regionally accredited college/university, related to the public school program. The coursework must reflect a 3.0 GPA and must have been completed subsequent to the issuance of the certificate being renewed and within the five-year period immediately preceding the date of application and meet one or a combination of the following options: 1) courses relevant to a master’s degree in a curriculum related to the public school program, 2) courses related to improvement of instruction and the applicant’s current endorsement area(s), 3) courses needed to qualify for an additional endorsement, or 4) credit prescribed by the county as a result of an applicant’s evaluation. Must submit official transcripts, application, and processing fees. |
| Alternative Teaching Certificate | Yes | 2 | 1 | First Renewal a. Successfully complete the beginning teacher internship program unless the applicant qualifies for a exemption from the teacher internship requirement on the basis of having at least five years of teaching experience in another state; AND b. Compete at least six hours of the required 18 hours c. Receive satisfactory evaluations and receive the recommendation of the county superintendent. Second Renewal a. Complete the minimum of an additional six semester hours, for a total of 12 semester hours, of the required 18 semester hours AND b. Receive satisfactory evaluations and receive the recommendation of the county superintendent. |
| Career and Technical Certificate | Yes | 99,999 | 5 | a. Six semester hours of appropriate college/university coursework related to the public school program reflecting a 3.0 GPA. The coursework must have been completed subsequent to the issuance of the certificate being renewed and within the five year period immediately preceding the date of application; OR b. Hold a minimum of a master’s plus 30 salary classification based on the awarding of a master’s degree; OR c. Has reached 60 years of age and presents a photocopy of the birth certificate; AND d. If the candidate is currently employed by a county board of education, the candidate must receive the recommendation of the employing county’s superintendent. If the educator is not employed by a West Virginia county school system, then s/he must secure a recommendation from his/her most recent education supervisor provided that such employment severance does not exceed one year. If employment in an educational setting is greater than one year, s/he must secure the recommendation from the current employer or community leader. |
| First Class/Full Time Permit | Yes | 4 | 1 | Continuing employment in the position for which the permit was issued and signature of institutional official from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a state approved program leading to licensure in the area of the permit verifying enrollment and completion of 6 semester hours of coursework taken at that institution. |
| First Class/Full Time Permit for Career and Technical Education | Yes | 4 | 1 | The first renewal of the Career/Technical Education Permit requires passage of the written and performance sections of specific content specialization test AND B. Verification by the designated official at the college or university through which the program is being completed that the applicant has completed six semester hours of college/university credit reflecting a 3.0 GPA within the institution of higher education’s state approved program; AND C. Receive the recommendation of the county superintendent in the county in which the applicant is employed. b. Subsequent Renewal/s: The holder of a Full-Time Career/Technical Education Permit who continues to be employed must submit evidence of satisfying the followings: A. Verification by the designated official at the college or university through which the program is being completed that the applicant has completed six semester hours of college/university credit reflecting a 3.0 GPA within the institution of higher education’s state approved program; AND B.Receive the recommendation of the county superintendent in the county in which the applicant is employed. |
| Initial Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | 99,999 | 3 | Six semester hours of coursework, completed at a regionally accredited college/university, related to the public school program. The coursework must reflect a 3.0 GPA and must have been completed subsequent to the issuance of the certificate being renewed and within the five-year period immediately preceding the date of application and meet one or a combination of the following options: 1) courses relevant to a master’s degree in a curriculum related to the public school program, 2) courses related to improvement of instruction and the applicant’s current endorsement area(s), 3) courses needed to qualify for an additional endorsement, or 4) credit prescribed by the county as a result of an applicant’s evaluation. Must submit official transcripts, application, and processing fees. |
| Out of Field Authorization | Yes | 4 | 1 | (a) Hold a valid West Virginia Professional Teaching Certificate; AND (b) Complete six semester hours of college/university coursework reflecting a 3.0 GPA within an institution of higher education’s state approved program in any or a combination of the specializations for which the Out-of-Field Authorization is granted; AND (c) Obtain the recommendation of the designated official at the college or university through which the program is being completed, verifying that the coursework completed is part of the institution of higher education’s state-approved program; AND (d) Receive the recommendation from the county superintendent in the county in which the applicant is employed. |
| Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate | No | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Permit for Non-United States Citizen | Yes | 99,999 | 1 | Must renew every three years. Every renewal of the Permit for Non-United States Citizen shall require six semester hours of appropriate college/university coursework (from a regionally accredited institution) related to the public school program completed subsequent to the issuance of the Permit for Non-United States Citizen being renewed and within the five year period immediately preceding the date of application for the renewal of such certificate unless the applicant holds a Doctorate degree or has reached 60 years of age and presents a copy of his/her birth certificate. |
| Provisional Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | 2 | 1 | six semester hours or equivalent eligible coursework |
| Substitute Permit | Yes | 99 | 3 | Complete six semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. The coursework must be pertinent to the areas of specialization an completed subsequent to the issuance of the permit being renewed and within the five-year-period immediately preceding the date of application. OR Verification of successful completion of 12 clock hours of in-service training provided or authorized by the employing county to include but not be limited to classroom management and teaching strategies. The 12 clock hours of renewal training may include no more than three clock hours of classroom observation an must be completed subsequent to the issuance of the permit being renewed and within the five-year-period immediately preceding the date of application. |
| Temporary Teaching Certificate | No | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
Emergency and temporary credentials
| Credential | Initial | Years | Renewable | Grade levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative Teaching Certificate | Yes | 1 | Yes | 5-9, 5-12 |
| First Class/Full Time Permit | Yes | 1 | Yes | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
| First Class/Full Time Permit for Career and Technical Education | Yes | 1 | Yes | 9-12 |
| Out of Field Authorization | Yes | 1 | Yes | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
| Provisional Professional Teaching Certificate | Yes | 1 | Yes | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
| Temporary Teaching Certificate | Yes | 1 | No | K-6, 5-9, 5-12 |
Out-of-state teachers
Title II lists no separate out-of-state credential for West Virginia. Ask West Virginia Department of Education how it reviews licenses from other states.
Newly licensed teachers prepared out of state: 374.
Substitute teaching
| Credential | Initial | Years | Renewable | Grade levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substitute Permit | No | 3 | Yes | PK-12, PK-12, PK-12 |
Alternative routes
- General Education (teach while completing)
- Special Education (teach while completing)
About West Virginia certification
West Virginia has a collaborative process for program approval to improve educator preparation providers and potential educators by incorporating program guidelines based on research and best practices. The processes, policies, and guidelines ensure that those who are prepared for employment in the public schools have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to function as entry-level members of the profession. They also ensure that higher education institutions work collaboratively with the public schools in designing and delivering professional educator preparation experiences to increase student achievement. The West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) continuously develops, revises, and adopts the program objectives, assessment instruments, and proficiency levels for the professional preparation of educators through a collaborative effort with many stakeholders: the West Virginia Commission for Professional Teaching Standards (WVCPTS), the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), the stakeholder groups, the governing boards for public and private West Virginia institutions of higher education, public school administrators, and classroom teachers. The West Virginia Department of Education carries out the WVBE policy processes and technical assistance for educator preparation providers for program review and accreditation.
How to become a teacher in West VirginiaWest Virginia teacher preparation providers
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a teaching certificate in West Virginia?
West Virginia reports 13 credentials to Title II, 10 of them initial. 8 initial credentials require a bachelor's degree, 8 require a preparation program and 7 require tests. Apply through West Virginia Department of Education.
How do I verify a teaching license in West Virginia?
Licenses are verified on the lookup service run by West Virginia Department of Education. PT3 does not verify licenses.
Can I renew a West Virginia teaching certificate?
11 of 13 West Virginia credentials are reported as renewable. Renewal details by credential are listed in the Renewal section.
Does West Virginia issue emergency or temporary teaching certificates?
Yes. Title II lists 6: Alternative Teaching Certificate; First Class/Full Time Permit; First Class/Full Time Permit for Career and Technical Education; Out of Field Authorization; Provisional Professional Teaching Certificate.
Can I teach in West Virginia with an out-of-state license?
Title II lists no separate out-of-state credential for West Virginia. Ask West Virginia Department of Education how it reviews licenses from other states.
Is there alternative teacher certification in West Virginia?
Yes. West Virginia reports 2 alternative routes to Title II.