Alternative Teacher Certification in Delaware

Delaware alternative certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Delaware Department of Education — Licensure and Certification publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Hold a bachelor’s degree and 24 content credits or Praxis II

   ARTC programs support prospective Delaware public and charter educators who did not complete a traditional program with student teaching. Candidates need at least 24 credits aligned to a PK-12 content area or a passing Praxis II in the content area before teaching, plus a letter of eligibility from a state-approved ARTC program.

   Source: education.delaware.gov

2. 2

   Secure a teacher-of-record job and enroll in an approved ARTC program

   Employment in a Delaware public or charter school comes first. Provide the employer a welcome/eligibility letter from the ARTC provider. DDOE’s 2025–2026 ARTC flyer lists Emergency Certificate programs and Certificate of Eligibility programs for teachers of students with disabilities, including para-to-teacher master’s routes and add-on special education certificates.

   Source: education.delaware.gov

3. 3

   Have the employer request an Emergency Certificate or COE in DEEDS

   The hiring agency requests the Emergency Certificate or Certificate of Eligibility. A COE is issued to an educator in a state-approved alternate route for teachers of students with disabilities who already holds a valid Initial, Continuing, or Advanced License. A COE is valid for one year and may be renewed no more than twice (three years total) with documented progress.

   Source: education.delaware.gov

4. 4

   Finish seminars, assessments, mentoring, and DPAS-II on a two-year clock

   Educators hired as teacher of record under ARTC have two years to complete program requirements that may include seminars, coursework, content assessments, performance assessments, the first two years of school-based mentoring, and two DPAS-II summative evaluations. Apply for the $100 first license in DEEDS if you do not already hold a Delaware license.

   Source: education.delaware.gov

5. 5

   Exit to a Standard Certificate and Continuing License

   Successful ARTC completion substitutes for traditional student teaching in the Standard Certificate definition. You then hold a Standard Certificate that does not expire and continue on the Initial-to-Continuing license timeline. Special education COE requirements must be met within three years.

   Source: education.delaware.gov

ARTC is employer-initiated in DEEDS. A welcome letter from a provider without a district or charter request does not create an Emergency Certificate. HR offices that wait until after the first student day to click the DEEDS request leave the teacher of record unauthorized. Candidates should treat the eligibility letter as something they hand to HR the week they are offered the job, not after orientation.

The 24-credit-or-Praxis gate is the content screen Delaware uses instead of a full undergraduate major. Secondary candidates with a scattered transcript often need Praxis II before they can start, even if an ARTC program has already admitted them. Special education uses a different instrument—the Certificate of Eligibility—and a three-year, twice-renewable clock that is easy to confuse with the two-year general ARTC timeline.

Para-to-teacher ARTC is a two-stage employment design: paraeducator in year one, teacher of record in year two, while completing a master’s in special education. It is not a weekend seminar overlay on a full teaching load from day one. Add-on COE programs are only for educators who already hold a Delaware license and at least one certificate and are adding a disability-area certificate while teaching special education.

Two DPAS-II summative evaluations inside two years means evaluation ratings are part of certification, not only of employment. An ARTC teacher who changes schools mid-program can lose access to the second summative or to mentoring continuity and then miss the Standard Certificate exit. That is a different risk than failing a Praxis retake.

Required exams and fees

Delaware uses Praxis II content assessments (ETS reporting code R7065) and ACTFL where applicable. Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Moving a license to Delaware

ARTC is for candidates who did not finish traditional student teaching and are hired in Delaware. Out-of-state licensed teachers should use DDOE’s out-of-state applicant process. A separate 91 Days in Lieu of Student Teaching option also exists for some district/charter hires as an alternative to a full traditional program.

Official Delaware reciprocity guidance