Utah Early Childhood Education Certification and Exam Requirements
Note: While we do our best to give you accurate and up to date information about your state requirements, we are not infallible. State requirements change frequently. It is your responsibility, and in your best interest, to double check certification and licensure requirements with your state’s Department of Education.
LICENSE AND EXAM REQUIREMENTS
Early Childhood Education Certification Available: Early Childhood K - Grade 3
Graduates of a WGU early childhood education teacher preparation program will be eligible for grades K-3 teacher certification in Utah, which will allow them to teach in any multiple subject classroom in that grade range. While WGU's early childhood education teacher preparation program covers teaching children from Birth to Grade 3, K - Grade 3 certification will be awarded in Utah because the UT State Office of Education defines the early childhood certification grade range as K-3.
Early Childhood Education Exams and Requirements:
1. Content Exam for Utah Certification (required to graduate): Choose one of the following:
A. Praxis 5001 Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects
(Praxis 5031 Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects can be accepted if at least one sub-test is passed on or before 8/31/2014 with all four sub-tests passed on or before 7/1/2015)
OR
B. Praxis 5025 Early Childhood Education
(Praxis 5022 Early Childhood: Content Knowledge can be accepted if passed before 9/1/2015)
On September 1, 2014, the Praxis 5001 replaced the Praxis 5031 Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects exam. Utah rules stipulate that individuals who have passed at least one Praxis 5031 sub-test on or before August 31, 2014 may continue to attempt to pass the Praxis 5031. The last administration of the Praxis 5031 will be July 2015. Any individual who has not passed all Praxis 5031 sub-tests by July 2015 must then pass all Praxis 5001 sub-tests in order to be eligible for Utah licensure. The content exam requirement for Utah certification may also be satisfied with the Praxis 5014, Elementary Education: Content Knowledge exam if passed prior to September 1, 2012.
2. WGU ECE Program Requirement (required to graduate for students who matriculated on March 1, 2012 or later. See the WGU Program Requirement for the Early Childhood Education program)
You have four options to satisfy the WGU Program Requirement. You may pass any of these four exams:
A. Praxis 5001, Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects
B. Praxis 5018, Elementary Education: Content Knowledge
C. Praxis 5014, Elementary Education: Content Knowledge
D. Praxis 5031, Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects
To qualify for the early childhood education Grades K-3 license in Utah, you must pass the appropriate content exam as well as meet all other general Utah teacher certification requirements.
REGISTERING FOR EXAMS
Before registering for a Praxis exam, be sure to review WGU's general policies regarding external certification exams. Exam registration is available through the ETS website at www.ets.org/praxis. The ETS website will provide you with the test dates available. The minimum required scores for Utah can be found by reviewing the UT Praxis Exam Requirements.
SUBMITTING SCORES
Submit your exam scores to WGU and the Utah State Office of Education.
STUDENT TEACHER LICENSE
Several months prior to Demonstration Teaching, you must apply to be a student teacher. See the Utah Student Teacher License instructions in this handbook for more information.
CERTIFICATION APPLICATION INFORMATION
Information on how to submit a direct application to Utah for initial teacher certification upon completion of your WGU program is available in the Utah Teacher Certification Application Information article in this handbook.
12/2015
Article Number : 20213, 1944
