Alternative Licensure Type I

The Type I alternative license applies to candidates who enroll in and complete a pre-service orientation prior to beginning employment in the fall. The candidate will have met content knowledge requirements, will have been admitted to an approved Type I licensure program, will have completed the orientation component of the professional education core, and will have obtained an “intent to hire” statement and recommendation for the Type I license from the employing school system in collaboration with an institution of higher education approved to offer Type I licenses. The candidate may or may not have yet completed all required licensure exams. Type I program participants who have not attained an “intent to hire” statement from a school system upon completion of the orientation component of the program may transition to a post-baccalaureate licensure program for licensure OR they may continue to seek employment under an Alternative License Type I.

In order to qualify for an Alternative Type I License, candidates must have met at least a bachelors degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and content in one of the following three ways:

1. Acceptable major in the endorsement area OR
2. Document that they have at least 24 semester hours in the teaching content area OR
3. Verify that they have passed the required PRAXIS II content exam(s) for the endorsement areas sought.

Once the candidate has met one of the three ways above, additional course work in the academic major WILL NOT be required.

Teachers holding Alternative Type I licenses must demonstrate satisfactory annual progress toward completion of all licensure requirements. Teachers may teach on an Alternative Type I license no more than three years. This three-year limit MAY NOT be exceeded by switching between alternative licensure Types I and II OR by changing teaching positions OR school systems.

When applying for initial issuance of a Type I Alternative License, the school system must submit to The Office of Teacher Licensing an application including:

1. Verification by the institution of higher education that content knowledge requirements have been met;

2. Verification by the institution of higher education of enrollment in and/or admission to the alternative licensure program AND verification that the orientation component of the core is complete;

3. A statement signed by a Tennessee director of schools stating intent to employ the candidate as directed by the Alternative Type I application;

4. Official copies of the candidate’s college transcripts.

Click to obtain renewal information of the Alternative Type I license.

RESOURCE INFORMATION

Alternative Licensure Frequently Asked Questions

Alternative Licensure Policy

Cooperating Tennessee School Systems

Affiliated Tennessee University/Colleges

Acceptable Majors

Appendix - A Revised (8-2007)

Alternative Type I application

An application packet that is missing any one of these items will be returned to the school system with instructions as to which items are missing. This will delay the application process.