Licensure Reciprocity: Alaska

Analysis of Alaska's policies

Commendably, Alaska requires all teachers to meet its passing scores on licensing tests, and out-of-state teachers are allowed one year to meet these testing requirements.

However, other aspects of the state's policy create obstacles for teachers from other states seeking licensure in Alaska. Teachers with valid out-of-state certificates are eligible for Alaska's professional teaching license, but they must submit a transcript showing that six additional semester hours of credit have been earned within the past five years. Further, Alaska requires three credit hours each in Alaska studies and multicultural coursework, and the state does not offer a test-out option for either of these coursework requirements. 

Although 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.

Alaska is also a participant in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, which outlines which other states' certificates will be accepted by the receiving state. This agreement is not a collection of two-way reciprocal acceptances, nor is it a guarantee that all certificates will be accepted by the receiving state, and is therefore not included in this analysis.

The state does not articulate specific certification requirements for out-of-state teachers who teach online courses to Alaska students. 

Citation

Alaska Administrative Code 4 AAC 12.305(b) Professional Teacher Certification http://education.alaska.gov/TeacherCertification/prof.html

Recommendations for Alaska

Offer a standard license to certified out-of-state teachers, absent unnecessary requirements. 

The state should offer standard licenses to certified out-of-state teachers rather than restricting them to provisional ones until they meet Alaska's requirements. Although the state's Alaska studies and multicultural communications coursework requirements are reasonable, it should offer out-of-state teachers a test-out option. The state should also reconsider its recency requirement as a means to judge licensure eligibility. Recent coursework is unlikely to positively affect a teacher's effectiveness, and such a requirement may deter experienced, effective teachers from applying for licensure in the state.

Accord the same license to out-of-state alternate route teachers as would be accorded to traditionally prepared teachers. 

Alaska 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 Alaska. Regardless of whether a teacher was prepared through a traditional or alternate route, all certified out-of-state teachers should receive equal treatment.

Require evidence of effective teaching when determining eligibility for full certification. 

Rather than rely on transcripts to assess credentials, Alaska should instead require that evidence of teacher effectiveness be considered for all out-of-state candidates. Such evidence is especially important for candidates who come from states that make student growth at least a significant factor of a teacher evaluation (see Goal 3-B). 

Ensure that requirements for online teachers are equal in rigor to those for in-state teachers. 

Alaska should ensure that online teachers based in other states are at least equally as qualified as those who teach in the state. However, Alaska should balance the interests of its students in having qualified online instructors with making certain that these requirements do not create unnecessary obstacles for out-of-state teachers. 

State response to our analysis

Alaska asserted that it requires all teachers to pass a basic competency exam, and that it accepts some state-specific basic competency exams. The state also has requirements that out-of-state teachers must meet for professional certification. 

Further, Alaska added that it requires transcripts to establish that the applicant for teacher certification has completed at least a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university. In the case of an individual completing a traditional university program, the transcript is also used to verify the information provided on the institutional recommendation. Alaska also certifies teachers who have completed a state-approved alternate route to certification in another state. The state recommendation form is used to document satisfactory completion of all elements of the state-approved program.

Alaska noted that if a public school district is employing an out-of-state teacher to provide instruction in an online classroom, the teacher must hold an Alaska teacher certificate. 

Last word

The submission of transcripts should be unnecessary for certified out-of-state teachers, unless the state has some reason to suspect that the certifying state routinely licenses teachers who do not have a degree.