New to Education

Tennessee offers initial licenses in many areas for individuals interested in working as an educator in Tennessee schools. Visit the Out-of-State Educator page for information on obtaining a Tennessee license if you have a license or completed an educator preparation program outside of Tennessee. Each licensure pathway requires a registered TNCompass account. 

The practitioner license is valid for three years. Tennessee offers a practitioner license in many endorsement areas, allowing individuals to serve as classroom teachers. At a minimum, candidates interested in the practitioner teacher license must:

  • be at least 18 years old;
  • hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university;
  • be enrolled in or have completed an approved educator preparation program, and be recommended for licensure by the program provider;
  • meet all professional assessment requirements as specified by the State Board of Education (required assessment information can be found here);
  • meet requirements in at least one area of endorsement; and
  • ensure that the Department has official transcripts of all degrees earned through a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. The transcript must be submitted by the institution of higher learning to Educator.Licensure@tn.gov through an approved clearinghouse or mailed to 710 James Robertson Parkway, 9th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information, review the Academic Transcripts Operating Procedures.
  • Meet TN Literacy Success Act requirements, if applicable.

The practitioner occupational license is a renewable license that is valid for three years. Tennessee offers a practitioner occupational license in many endorsement areas. At a minimum, educators interested in the occupational practitioner license must:

  • be a high school graduate;
  • be enrolled in or have completed a state-approved educator preparation program, or have completed coursework in classroom management, pedagogy, serving students with disabilities and English Learners from a state-approved educator preparation provider.
  • be recommended by a state-approved occupational educator preparation program;
  • meet endorsement experience requirements; and
  • meet industry certification requirements, if applicable.

Educator preparation providers should receive verification from the department that an applicant meets stated criteria for licensure prior to recommending for licensure.

Additional information about occupational licensure requirements can be found here. For inquiries about whether certain types of experience or industry certification will satisfy requirements, please contact CCTE.Questions@tn.gov.

 

Educators who provide services to students other than instruction (e.g., speech-language pathologists, school counselors, etc.) require specialized training that is significantly different from the training for classroom teachers. The minimum requirements for candidates interested in various school services personnel licensure areas are listed below. All licensure transactions must be submitted in www.TNCompass.org. 

  • Hold an advanced degree in school counseling from a regionally accredited college or university;
  • Have completed an educator preparation program in school counseling as evidenced by one (1) of the following:

–      a digital recommendation for licensure provided by an in-state educator preparation program in TNCompass;- a valid professional level license from a state other than Tennessee; or

–      a recommendation from the out-of-state educator preparation provider where the educator completed the program (see Licensure Forms – Other Forms for the recommendation form)”

•   If applying based on completion of a program approved for licensure by a state other than Tennessee, submit a form completed by the out-of-state EPP where the educator completed a preparation program.

  • Submit qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy 5.105, if applicable. Educators applying with an active out-of-state license are not required to submit assessments for initial licensure but may need them for renewal or advancement and
  • Ensure that the Department has official transcripts of all degrees earned through a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. The transcript must be submitted by the institution of higher education to Educator.Licensure@tn.gov through an approved clearinghouse, or mailed to 710 James Robertson Parkway, 9th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information, review the Academic Transcripts Operating Procedures.
  • Meet one (1) of the following:

–   obtain a digital recommendation for licensure provided by an in-state educator preparation program in TNCompass;

–   submit a valid professional level license from a state other than Tennessee;

–   submit a recommendation from the out-of-state educator preparation provider where the educator completed the program (see Licensure Forms – Other Forms for the recommendation form); or

–  submit a full and valid social worker license issued by the Tennessee Board of Social Workers or the licensing board of a state other than Tennessee.

  • Ensure that the Department has official transcripts of all degrees earned through a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. The transcript must be submitted by the institution of higher education to Educator.Licensure@tn.gov through an approved clearinghouse, or mailed to 710 James Robertson Parkway, 9th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information, review the Academic Transcripts Operating Procedures.
  • Meet one (1) of the following:

–   obtain a digital recommendation for licensure provided by an in-state graduate level educator preparation program in TNCompass;

–   submit evidence of an advanced degree in school psychology (see transcript information below) and a valid professional level license from a state other than Tennessee;

–   submit evidence of an advanced degree in school psychology (see transcript information below) and a recommendation from the out-of-state educator preparation provider where the educator completed the program (see Licensure Forms – Other Forms for the recommendation form); or

–   submit a valid certificate as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist issued by the National School Psychology Certification System.

  • Submit qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy 5.105, if applicable. Educators applying with an active out-of-state license are not required to submit assessments for initial licensure but may need them for renewal or advancement and and
  • Ensure that the Department has official transcripts of all degrees earned through a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. The transcript must be submitted by the institution of higher education to Educator.Licensure@tn.gov through an approved clearinghouse, or mailed to 710 James Robertson Parkway, 9th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information, review the Academic Transcripts Operating Procedures.
  • Meet one (1) of the following:

–   obtain a digital recommendation for licensure provided by an in-state educator preparation program in TNCompass;

–   submit evidence of an advanced degree in speech language pathology (see transcript information below) and a valid professional level license from a state other than Tennessee;

–   submit a recommendation from the out-of-state educator preparation provider where the educator completed the program (see Licensure Forms – Other Forms for the recommendation form);

–   submit a valid license issued by the Tennessee Board of Communication Disorders and Sciences or equivalent out-of-state board; or

–   submit a valid Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (CCC-SLP)

  • Submit qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy 5.105, if applicable. Educators applying with an active out-of-state license are not required to submit assessments for initial licensure but may need them for renewal or advancement and
  • Ensure that the Department has official transcripts of all degrees earned through a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. The transcript must be submitted by the institution of higher education to Educator.Licensure@tn.gov through an approved clearinghouse, or mailed to 710 James Robertson Parkway, 9th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information, review the Academic Transcripts Operating Procedures.

Meet one (1) of the following:

  • submit evidence of an advanced degree in audiology from a state or regionally accredited institution of higher education with a graduate level program approved by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (see transcript information below);
  • submit evidence of an advanced degree in audiology (see transcript information below) and a valid professional level license from a state other than Tennessee; or
  • submit a valid audiology license issued by the Tennessee Board of Communication Disorders and Sciences

Ensure that the Department has official transcripts of all degrees earned through a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. The transcript must be submitted by the institution of higher education to Educator.Licensure@tn.gov through an approved clearinghouse, or mailed to 710 James Robertson Parkway, 9th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information, review the Academic Transcripts Operating Procedures.

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university; and
  • Meet one (1) of the following:

–      Hold a current, nationally recognized certification in educational interpreting which includes a written examination related to ethics and practice;

–      Submit qualifying scores on all required assessments as defined in the Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators Policy; or

–      Submit a full and valid out-of-state educational interpreter license.

Ensure that the Department has official transcripts of all degrees earned through a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. The transcript must be submitted by the institution of higher education to Educator.Licensure@tn.gov through an approved clearinghouse, or mailed to 710 James Robertson Parkway, 9th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information, review the Academic Transcripts Operating Procedures.

  • Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university; and
  • Meet one (1) of the following requirements::

–      submit a current Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Certification (SLPA-C) from the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association (ASHA);

–      provide evidence of a valid registration with the Tennessee Board of Communication Disorders and Sciences as a speech-language pathology assistant;

–      provide evidence of a degree from a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Program (see transcript information below); or

–     provide evidence of a bachelor’s degree with a major or concentration in speech-language pathology, communication disorders, or speech and hearing sciences from a regionally accredited institution of higher education (see transcript information below)

Ensure that the Department has official transcripts of all degrees earned through a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. The transcript must be submitted by the institution of higher education to Educator.Licensure@tn.gov through an approved clearinghouse, or mailed to 710 James Robertson Parkway, 9th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information, review the Academic Transcripts Operating Procedures.”

The license for postsecondary educators (PSE) is issued to applicants who have been a full-time or part-time college professor or instructor in a qualifying subject area. To qualify, the candidate must meet one of the following experience requirements:

  1. Have been a full-time college professor or instructor for at least two of the last five years at a regionally accredited postsecondary institution; or
  2. Have been a part-time college professor or instructor, teaching at least one course per semester, for at least three of the last five years at a regionally accredited postsecondary institution.

The candidate must also provide at least three years of qualifying teaching evaluations that rate the applicant as proficient or better in the subject area in which the applicant is seeking licensure. If the postsecondary institution does not use an aligned evaluation system, the candidate can also obtain a letter from a dean, department chair, or other direct supervisor attesting to the candidate’s performance.

The candidate must also submit qualifying scores on the professional assessments aligned with the desired endorsement area.

The JROTC license is valid for five years and may be issued to active or retired military personnel who will serve as JROTC teachers. Candidates for the JROTC license must:

  • complete an application in TNCompass;
  • upload a copy of a valid JROTC training certificate that includes an expiration date;
  • ensure that the department has official transcripts of all degrees earned through a regionally accredited institution of higher education. The transcript must be submitted by the institution to Educator.Licensure@tn.gov through an approved clearinghouse or mailed to 710 James Robertson Parkway, 9th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243. For more information, review the Academic Transcripts Operating Procedures ; and
  • have the school district of employment submit a verification letter approving the educator’s placement.