Nevada Now Accepts ABCTE As a Route To Teacher Licensure

Washington, D.C. — In February, 2011, the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) received confirmation from the Nevada Department of Education of ABCTE’s ability to help certify new teachers in Nevada. “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with the Nevada Department of Education and local school districts to certify new teachers through our ground-breaking program,” said Shawn McCollough, ABCTE Chief Executive Officer.

Confirmation of the program’s acceptance from the Nevada Department of Education came after the December, 2010 Commission on Professional Standards meeting, in which ABCTE was recognized in the “Alternative Teacher Certification, A State-by-State Analysis” as an approved out-of-state provider, and the Office of Teacher Licensure was granted the flexibility to analyze ARL program completer’s documentation on a case-by-case basis if their specific program was not identified in the guide. “Teacher certification is a very important issue to me and I am happy to see the Department of Education recognizing ABCTE as a route to certification in Nevada. We need to look at innovated ways to recruit career changers into the field of education to help fill positions in hard to staff subject areas and communities and I believe that ABCTE is a great program to do just that,” said, Senator Barbara Cegavske, Clark County.

The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) is a non-profit organization, dedicated to recruiting, preparing, certifying and supporting dedicated professionals to improve student achievement through quality teaching. ABCTE offers an innovative teacher preparation and certification program for highly knowledgeable individuals who want to change careers and become teachers without having to take additional college coursework. The ABCTE certification is accepted as a route to teacher certification in Nevada and ten other states.

A bachelor’s degree is required for acceptance into the program and participants must pass a background check before earning their certification. Candidates enrolled in the program must demonstrate mastery on rigorous examinations that cover both professional teaching knowledge and subject area knowledge. Done almost entirely online, the program gives candidates the flexibility to work towards earning their certification on their own time, with the average candidate taking 8 to 10 months to complete the ABCTE program. In Nevada, new ABCTE teacher candidates will also be required to pass three state required competency tests before becoming eligible for a Nevada Conditional Special Qualifications License, unless the candidate is eligible for an exemption.

ABCTE will be hosting a program launch event on March 29th, 2011, in Carson City, to discuss the program and to thank the various state and education leaders who ultimately worked to finalize ABCTE’s acceptance in the state.
On March 29th through March 31st, the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) will hold live information sessions about its online teaching certification program in Reno and the Las Vegas area. These events are free and open to the public.
The information sessions will include a 45 minute to one hour-long introduction to the program and offer an opportunity to have questions answered in-person by members of the ABCTE staff.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center
Tuscarura Room
1301 Valley Road
Reno, NV 89512
6:00 PM

Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Doolittle Community Center
1950 North J Street
N. Las Vegas, NV 89106
6:00 PM

Thursday, March 31, 2011
Whitney Ranch Community Center
1575 Galleria Dr
Henderson, NV 89014
6:00 PM

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