Alternative Teacher Certification in Wisconsin

Wisconsin alternative certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) — Bureau of Educator Licensing publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Enroll in a nontraditional approved EPP

   Nontraditional educator preparation programs operate at approved nonprofits, school districts, and for-profit entities. Applicants must already hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

   Source: dpi.wi.gov

2. 2

   American Board (ABCTE) statutory pathway

   Complete ABCTE (authorized under Wis. Stat. §118.197; not a DPI-approved preparation program) in offered areas including ELA, Elementary/Middle, Math, Science, Social Studies, or Cross-Categorical Special Education. Apply via Out-of-State [1025] with ABCTE completion certificate and exam results.

   Source: dpi.wi.gov

3. 3

   Tier I Conditional licenses with stipulations

   Conditional Educator Licenses and Permits (Tier I) serve educators who have not completed an approved preparation program in the license area. School district support pathways offer one- and three-year licenses with stipulations.

   Source: dpi.wi.gov

4. 4

   Pass Praxis II and FORT where required

   Meet the same content and Foundations of Reading testing requirements as traditional-route candidates for the license area sought.

   Source: dpi.wi.gov

5. 5

   Apply for Provisional (Tier II) then Lifetime (Tier III) license

   Upon meeting program or ABCTE requirements, apply through ELO for Tier II provisional licensure, then advance to Tier III after six semesters of Wisconsin experience.

   Source: dpi.wi.gov

Wisconsin explicitly distinguishes nontraditional approved EPPs from the American Board statutory pathway. Nontraditional programs at districts, nonprofits, and for-profits are DPI-approved and recommend candidates through standard ELO institutional endorsement. ABCTE operates under Wis. Stat. §118.197 but is not an approved preparation program—completers apply via Out-of-State [1025] with PI-1612 assurances, ABCTE certificates, and ABCTE exam results instead of traditional program recommendation.

Tier I Conditional Educator Licenses with stipulations serve candidates who lack approved preparation in the license area, typically with school district sponsorship. These one- and three-year credentials carry stipulations DPI sets case-by-case, making district advocacy essential. Tier I is a lower rung than Tier II Provisional and should not be confused with the provisional license issued to program completers.

Testing requirements do not relax by route. Nontraditional, ABCTE, and traditional candidates face the same Praxis II and FORT obligations for applicable license categories. ABCTE adds its own Professional Teaching Knowledge and Content Knowledge exams, creating a potential triple-testing scenario for ABCTE elementary candidates who also need FORT.

Financial pathways split at application type: standard in-state processing at $135 versus $190 for out-of-state educator applications on DPI's fee schedule. ABCTE applicants using the Out-of-State [1025] transaction should confirm which fee tier applies to their submission category before paying through ELO.

Required exams and fees

Wisconsin uses Praxis II content tests (ETS) and Foundations of Reading Test for Wisconsin (Pearson NES FORT). Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of August 2026).

Full Wisconsin exam requirements →

Moving a license to Wisconsin

ABCTE and nontraditional EPP pathways are for candidates entering Wisconsin's pipeline. License Based on Reciprocity serves holders of valid out-of-state licenses with one year of experience; out-of-state program completers use separate application types with the $190 fee.

Official Wisconsin reciprocity guidance