A bachelor's degree which fulfills Virginia's undergraduate course requirements is required for a Virginia teaching license. Early education license requirements include completing an approved licensure program with a degree in liberal arts and science from a regionally accredited college, a professional teacher's assessment, endorsement requirements, and a professional studies requirements.
Secondary English and mathematics requirements include graduation from an approved teacher preparation program in the designated subject, or completing a major in the subject with 36 semester hours of coursework. Secondary history/social science requirements include graduation from an approved teacher preparation program in history or social sciences, or completing 51 semester hours of coursework. Secondary science requirements include graduation from an approved teacher preparation program in biology, chemistry, earth science or physics, completion of a major in the designated subject, or completion of 36 semester hours of coursework.
To meet Virginia teaching license requirements, you must complete an accredited teacher education program. You may obtain alternative certification if your bachelor's degree was not in education and you have not earned a teaching certificate. These involve a combination of coursework, including foundational knowledge and skills, student research, and learning experience implementation; and field work, including observations, student teaching, and internships.
You must complete the Virginia teaching license test to become a certified teacher. You must achieve passing scores based on Board of Education requirements in the academic skills assessment, known as the Virginia Communitation and Literacy Assessment (VCLA); content assessment, known as Praxis II; and the Virginia Reading Asessement (VRA). The VCLA measures commincation and literacy skills specific to educators through a reading and writing subtest. Approved scores for the VCLA are a 235 in both writing and reading for a composite score of 470. The Praxis II measures academic achievement and proficiency in your subject area. Depending on the subject test you are taking, Praxis II passing test scores vary. The VRA is required for early, elementary, and special education aspiring teachers and is designed to measure key components for effective reading instruction. For more information on the exams, see Resources.
You may be exempted from taking the Virginia teaching licensure examination if you have three years of full-time teaching experience in an accredited out-of-state school with a valid out-of-state teaching license. The license and documented teaching experience must be submitted with your application for a Virginia teaching license in order to be approved for exemption.