Licensure Reciprocity: Michigan

Analysis of Michigan's policies

Michigan does not support licensure reciprocity for certified teachers from other states.

Regrettably, Michigan grants a waiver for its licensing tests to any out-of-state teacher with three years of experience who also satisfies the reading and higher education coursework requirements.

Teachers with valid out-of-state certificates are eligible for Michigan's professional certificate. In addition to three years of teaching experience, applicants who completed a teacher preparation program outside the state of Michigan must meet the state's reading requirement with six semester credit hours of reading methods for an elementary level certificate, or three such hours for a secondary level certificate. They must also have completed 18 semester credit hours in an approved master's program after issuance of the initial license or hold an approved out-of-state master's or higher degree.

Also, transcripts are required for all out-of-state teachers. It is not clear whether the state analyzes transcripts to determine whether a teacher was prepared through a traditional or alternate route, or whether additional coursework will be required.

Michigan 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

Michigan Revised School Code 380.1531 Application for Out-of-State Teachers www.michigan.gov/documents/provprofapp_132156_7.pdf

Recommendations for Michigan

To uphold standards, require that teachers coming from other states meet testing requirements.
Michigan takes considerable risk by granting a waiver for its licensing tests to any out-of-state teacher who has three years of teaching experience and satisfies the reading and higher education coursework requirements. The state should not provide any waivers of its teacher tests unless an applicant can provide evidence of a passing score under its own standards.

Offer a standard license to certified out-of-state teachers, absent unnecessary requirements.
While Michigan's reading requirement is reasonable, it should take steps to ensure that the coursework focuses on the science of reading instruction (see Goal 1-C) and that it inserts flexibility into its policy by allowing a test-out option. Michigan should reconsider its higher education coursework requirement, as it is unlikely to positively affect a teacher's effectiveness, and such a requirement may deter 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.
Michigan 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 begin anew, repeating some, most or all of a teacher preparation program in Michigan. 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

MIchigan was helpful in providing NCTQ with facts that enhanced this analysis.