Learning from How Five States Designed Tiered Teacher Certifications
What To Do and Not To Do
Tiered teacher certification policies have been emerging in the U.S. for several years, growing in popularity as states look to increase teacher retention. This brief outlines information and requirements for tiered certification from five states – Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Ohio and Wisconsin. This document aims to highlight both what works in these systems and what might require more thought, while suggesting that states recognize what their licensure system values and how ideas from these examples may help facilitate and codify what is most important for a teacher’s career.