Licensure Reciprocity: Idaho

Analysis of Idaho's policies

Idaho could do more to support licensure reciprocity for certified teachers from other states.

Commendably, Idaho does not grant any waivers on its testing requirements, and all out-of-state teachers, no matter how many years of experience they have, must meet Idaho's passing scores on licensing tests.

However, other aspects of the state's policy may create obstacles for teachers from other states seeking licensure in Idaho. Teachers with comparable out-of-state certificates are eligible for Idaho's professional certificate. There is no state-mandated recency requirement, but transcripts are required for all applicants. It is not clear whether the state analyzes these transcripts to determine whether a teacher was prepared through a traditional or alternate route or whether additional coursework will be required.

Idaho is also a participant in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement; however, the latest iteration of this agreement no longer purports to be a reciprocity agreement among states and thus is no longer included in this analysis.

Citation

Certificate/Credential for Out-of-State Candidates www.sde.idaho.gov/site/teacher_certification/cert_cred.htm

Recommendations for Idaho

Accord the same license to out-of-state alternate route teachers as would be accorded to traditionally prepared teachers.
Idaho should consider discontinuing its requirement for the submission of transcripts. Transcript analysis is likely to result in additional coursework requirements, even for traditionally prepared teachers; alternate route teachers, on the other hand, may have to virtually begin anew, repeating some, most or all of a teacher preparation program in Idaho. Regardless of whether a teacher was prepared through a traditional or alternate route, all certified out-of-state teachers should receive equal treatment.

State response to our analysis

Idaho recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.