Alternative Teacher Certification in District of Columbia

District of Columbia alternative certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Office of the State Superintendent of Education — Educator Credentialing publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Enroll in an OSSE-recognized alternative certification program

   One Initial-credential pathway is current enrollment in an approved teacher certification / alternative-route program. Submit a Program Admission Verification Form signed by the program’s certifying official. Hold a completed bachelor’s degree (foreign coursework needs an approved evaluation).

   Source: osse.dc.gov

2. 2

   Pass required content exams and obtain FBI clearance

   Present passing scores for the subject-content exam required for the teaching area (or a degree major / approved program where no exam is adopted). Pedagogy and remaining exam components apply as you move toward Standard. File an FBI Identity History Summary Check or confirm DCPS has released clearance to OSSE.

   Source: osse.dc.gov

3. 3

   Apply for the three-year Initial credential in ECIS

   Upload the admission verification, transcripts, exam pages, and clearance as unaltered PDFs and pay the published fee ($50 on the current classroom-teacher schedule). The Initial credential is valid for three years and is not renewable—it is the employment document while you finish the alternate program.

   Source: osse.dc.gov

4. 4

   Teach in a DC LEA while completing the program

   OSSE also describes LEA-request pathways for novice teachers recruited by a DC LEA who are not enrolled in an alternative program, and for experienced out-of-state teachers. Employed LEA teachers may use the Praxis II content voucher, then must update ECIS within 30 days of passing scores. OSSE’s Apprenticeship in Teaching is a registered apprenticeship that pairs paid school-based learning with cost-free coursework leading to eligibility for a Standard credential.

   Source: osse.dc.gov

5. 5

   Upgrade to the four-year Standard credential

   When the approved program is finished, file the Standard teacher application in ECIS with the in-District or out-of-state program-completer form, remaining Praxis content and PLT scores (or comparable out-of-state scores), and clearance. Non-campus alternate programs that do not issue transcripts must provide a program-detail verification letter describing the sequence of education, testing, and experience.

   Source: osse.dc.gov

Initial-for-enrollees is a countdown, not a renewable intern license. Three years is the entire window to finish the alternate program and upgrade. OSSE will not convert an expired Initial into Standard because you are “almost done.” Candidates in part-time programs need a provider whose sequence actually fits inside that term plus ECIS’s six-week review.

The LEA-request novice option is a different door from program enrollment. It exists so a DC LEA can hire someone who is not in an alternate-route program. That pathway still needs the LEA Request Form, degree, clearance, and content evidence. It is not a way to skip Praxis forever; Standard still expects program completion or another listed Standard option, including demonstrated effectiveness routes OSSE has proposed or adopted for experienced teachers.

Apprenticeship in Teaching is OSSE’s registered-apprenticeship overlay: daytime paid work in a DC public or public charter school under a mentor and evening coursework that OSSE describes as cost-free in exchange for a commitment to teach in DC after completion. It leads to Standard eligibility, not to a separate lifetime credential. It is easy to confuse with a generic “grow your own” slogan; the apprenticeship council approval and on-the-job hours are the legal structure.

Non-campus alternate providers must write a program-detail letter that lists education, testing, and experience in sequence. OSSE’s ECIS guidebook calls that letter out specifically because there is no transcript to stand in. A one-line “this person completed our program” email is not the document. Build that letter into the provider’s exit checklist before the Initial term ends.

Required exams and fees

District of Columbia uses Praxis II subject-content exams and Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching by grade band; comparable out-of-state scores may be reviewed with an application. Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Moving a license to District of Columbia

Alternate-route Initial is for program enrollees and certain LEA-requested novices. Teachers who already hold an active full out-of-state credential should use OSSE’s Out-of-State Credential Holders (Reciprocity) page on the first DC application. Reciprocity cannot be reused on later DC issuances.

Official District of Columbia reciprocity guidance