Office of Teacher Certification

1. Contact the state office of certification through its Web site, where you may find an application to download,and request application materials for certification.
2. You will be applying for initial certification which is at an entry level. In most states this is a temporary certification with additional conditions that must be met within a certain time period.
3. The application that is returned to you will usually require a signature from the certification officer of the University indicating that you have institutional recommendation for certification. The chief certifying officer for Plymouth State University signs all application forms. All out-of-state applications should be sent to the
   

   Office of Teacher Certification—MSC 41A
   Attn: Certification Application
   Plymouth State University
   17 High St
   Plymouth NH 03264

   along with a self-addressed envelope. The Certification Officer must validate any application before it can be signed; validation can only be done after you graduate.

4. Each state has different requirements for initial certification and a time limit for completion of these requirements. You may find any of the following:
   • State-sponsored competency test: there are many different kinds, including Praxis I and Praxis II, statedeveloped, etc. Some states require that the tests be passed before issuing an initial certificate; other states give you a time limit. NOTE: Praxis I and Praxis II passing scores are not the same in all states. You may have to take Praxis again, if your scores accepted by New Hampshire are lower than those required by another state.
   • Master’s degree within a given number of years: most states allow three to five years for you to finish the master’s degree.
5. Most states require some sort of certification renewal within a certain amount of time—usually every three to five years. The renewal usually involves a certain number of professional development hours in the form of college course work or school district-sponsored workshops. Renewal may also require completion of certain courses leading to an advanced degree.
6. Not all states have certification in the same grade ranges as New Hampshire. For example: New Hampshire elementary certification covers grades K–8. Another state may have elementary certification in grades 1–6; in that state, your K–8 certification will only be recognized as covering grades 1–6.

States are frequently redesigning certification requirements. Make sure any certification information you receive is the most recent.