Hiring Policy
Emergency License(s) Availability: Ohio allows teachers who have not met standard licensure requirements for a particular endorsement area to teach in that area under a supplemental license. The license must be requested by the employing superintendent and is only issued to those who hold a currently valid Ohio standard certificate "to teach in a supplemental area while they are in the process of obtaining standard licensure for that area." Applicants for this license must pass the applicable Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) content knowledge test in the area of the supplemental license.
Ohio now offers an interim license to teach in core subject areas. This license is available to candidates enrolled in traditional or alternate route preparation programs. Applicants for this license must have a bachelor's degree and previous teaching experience, and pass the applicable content test.
Emergency License Validity Period: Ohio's supplemental license is valid for one year and may be renewed twice. The interim license may be renewed with demonstrated progress toward completing coursework requirements, but it is unclear how many renewals are permitted.
COVID-19 State Policy: Ohio has implemented the following changes to its rules regarding Provisional and Emergency Licensure. The state will issue one-year temporary licenses to applicants who meet all licensure requirements except tests. Candidates may apply for one-year temporary licenses up to 90 days after the end of the state of emergency but not later than December 1, 2020. The state also offers a one-year temporary supplemental license. Teachers can teach outside of their subject area for one year and are not required to pass a content test until prior to the 2021-2022 school year. COVID-19 policies do not
affect the state's grade in
Provisional and Emergency Licensure.
Requirements for Out-of-State Teachers: Because licensure requirements for out-of-state teachers are scored in Requirements for Out-of-State Teachers, only the state's policies regarding emergency/provisional license(s) are considered as part of this goal.
Due to Ohio's strong policies in this area, no recommendations are provided.
Ohio recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.
6B: Provisional and Emergency Licensure
Teachers who have not passed content licensing tests place students at risk. While states may need a regulatory basis for filling classroom positions with a few people who do not hold full teaching credentials, many of the regulations permitting this put the instructional needs of children at risk, often year after year.[1] For example, schools can make liberal use of provisional certificates or waivers provided by the state if they fill classroom positions with instructors who have completed a teacher preparation program but have not passed their state licensing tests. These allowances are permitted for up to three years in some states. The unfortunate consequence is that students' needs are neglected in an effort to extend personal consideration to adults who cannot meet minimum state standards.[2]
While some flexibility may be necessary because licensing tests are not always administered with the needed frequency, making provisional certificates and waivers available year after year could signal that the state does not put much value on its licensing standards or what they represent. States accordingly need to ensure that all persons given full charge of children's learning are required to pass the relevant licensing tests in their first year of teaching, ideally before they enter the classroom. Licensing tests are an important minimum benchmark in the profession, and states that allow teachers to postpone passing these tests are abandoning one of the basic responsibilities of licensure.