Elementary Education (45 Hours): Special Education General Curriculum K-6 Add-On – Ohio

Education Requirements

According to the Ohio Department of Education:

The state of Ohio offers the following endorsements.

• Ohio offers Primary (PreK-5) and Primary Intervention Specialist (P-5). Ohio offers SPED as Intervention Specialists in the following grade bands K-12 and P-5. We recommend students enroll in Elementary Education.

  Students will need to obtain their Virginia license first to qualify for reciprocity. 

Additional Requirements

A student must complete the initial reading or phonics coursework and pass the Ohio Assessment for Educators 190 Foundations of Reading Exam. 

Candidates who hold a valid, standard out-of-state teaching license and need to complete the initial reading or phonics coursework requirements for Ohio licensure, must pass the Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) 190 Foundations of Reading exam on the first try. The one-year out-of-state teaching license is nonrenewable. Candidates must take and pass Ohio exams and complete initial reading and phonics coursework requirements before re-applying for the resident educator or professional teaching license. 

As part of the process of becoming a licensed educator in Ohio’s pre-kindergarten through grade 12 system, candidates must pass licensure exams. 

Ohio requires passing scores for both content area exam(s) and a professional knowledge (pedagogy) exam for educator licensure (see the Educator License Exams webpage for more information). Candidates who passed content or professional knowledge exams for the out-of-state license(s) they hold should submit their official score report(s) with their online application for consideration. 

Candidates seeking a Primary Childhood (grades PreK-5), Middle Childhood (grades 4-9), or any Intervention Specialist license (including multi-age and PreK-5), must also pass the Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) Foundations of Reading exam. Please see the Pearson Education website for exam registration. 

Please note that educators adding an area to an existing Ohio teaching license or seeking a new license, who completed a teacher preparation program after July 1, 1991, must meet current exam requirements for the Ohio license even if exams were not required for their out-of-state license. 

Candidates seeking a Primary Childhood (grades PreK-5), Middle Childhood (grades 4-9), or any Intervention Specialist license (including PreK-5, PreK-12 and K-12) in Ohio, must successfully complete teaching of reading coursework through an accredited college or university (coursework must be reflected on an official transcript from that institution). This coursework includes: 

Twelve semester hours in the teaching of reading (3 credit hours in Phonics)

Candidates must have completed at least six of the required 12 semester hours of reading and phonics coursework to be issued a standard teaching license in Ohio. The remaining coursework requirements will be listed as a limitation on their license. License holders must complete the remaining coursework requirements before they may advance or renew their license. 

BED: Reading Courses:

• EDUC 230 – Foundations of Reading and Literacy (Phonics)
• EDUC 315 – Instructional Approaches to Literacy for Children and Adolescents
• EDUC 318 – Teaching Reading to Diverse Learners
• EDUC 319 – Teaching Writing and Language Arts to Diverse Learners

MAT: 45 Hours Reading Courses:

Reciprocity

Candidates who completed an out-of-state licensure program may review important information and steps provided in the link for the online application process. 

Type of Licenses 

Two-Year Resident Educator – Candidates who completed an approved, traditional teacher preparation program through an accredited college or university and have less than two years of teaching experience under a standard or professional out-of-state teaching license may apply for a resident educator license. Candidates may review the list of available teaching licenses before completing the online application. 

Five-Year Professional – Candidates who have taught under a standard or professional out-of-state teaching license for three years or more may apply for a professional license. Candidates may review the list of available teaching licenses before completing the online application. 

One-Year Out-of-State – Candidates employed in an Ohio school may apply for a one-year out-of-state teaching license to allow time to complete the required Ohio licensure exam(s).  Candidates must hold a valid, standard out-of-state teaching license and have met all requirements for a standard Ohio teaching license except for the Ohio licensure exams. Candidates may only apply for the one-year out-of-state license at the request of their employing Ohio school or district after their eligibility has been determined for either the resident educator or professional teaching license (candidates should first apply for the standard license to determine eligibility).