Alternative Teacher Certification in Idaho

Idaho alternative certification requirements, step by step

Each requirement below is stated as Idaho State Department of Education — Educator Certification publishes it, with the governing source cited.

1. 1

   Hold a bachelor’s degree and choose an Idaho non-traditional program

   Non-traditional routes serve candidates who already hold a baccalaureate degree. Idaho recognizes American Board (ABCTE), College of Southern Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, and Teach For America. Each program has its own content areas, mentoring model, and approximate program cost published on the Be an Educator page.

   Source: sde.idaho.gov

2. 2

   Demonstrate content knowledge

   ABCTE candidates pass ABCTE subject-area and Professional Teaching Knowledge assessments. CSI, LCSC, and TFA candidates typically pass Praxis II in the subject they will teach, or meet CSI/LCSC content-qualifier rules (bachelor’s in the content area, Praxis, or the Uniform Standard for Evaluating Content Competency rubric).

   Source: sde.idaho.gov

3. 3

   Apply for the three-year non-traditional Interim Certificate

   Submit the Idaho Educator Certification Application, $100 fee, Background Investigation Check, official transcripts showing a baccalaureate degree, and the program-specific letter or ABCTE certificate. During the three-year interim, you must be an Idaho teacher of record in a certified assignment.

   Source: sde.idaho.gov

4. 4

   Complete mentoring, ICLC, and any MTI/TMT conditions

   Complete a two-year State Board–approved mentor program with successful evaluations, the Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Course or Assessment, and Teaching Mathematical Thinking if your endorsement requires it. Meet every condition printed on the interim credential within the three-year validity period.

   Source: sde.idaho.gov

5. 5

   Apply as an Interim Certificate Completer for the five-year renewable certificate

   After all interim conditions are met, apply as an Interim Certificate Completer with the $75 fee, mentor recommendation, and literacy/math documentation. A new background check is not required for this conversion.

   Source: sde.idaho.gov

Idaho’s alternative pipeline is unusually explicit about being a teacher of record. The Interim Certificate for Non-traditional Candidates page states that during the three-year validity period the applicant must be an Idaho teacher of record in a certified assignment and meet every condition listed on the credential. That employment tie distinguishes Idaho from states that issue a provisional license before a job is secured. Districts that hire a candidate still finishing ABCTE are steered toward Alternative Authorization–Content Specialist rather than the non-traditional interim.

The four recognized providers are not interchangeable. ABCTE is a self-paced online sequence ending in ABCTE subject and Professional Teaching Knowledge tests and a Classroom Ready Certificate, followed by clinical experience under a mentor in the first interim year. CSI and LCSC build Individualized Learning Plans, Praxis or rubric-based content proof, pedagogy modules, and Idaho’s Common Summative Assessment. Teach For America adds a summer bootcamp, two Boise State courses in year one, and six graduate credits or equivalent in year two. The Be an Educator page publishes approximate program costs for ABCTE, CSI, and LCSC; those are provider tuition figures, not Idaho certification fees.

State-specific coursework is a hard conversion gate. All interim candidates must complete the Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Course or Assessment. All Subjects K–8, special education, and mathematics endorsements also carry Mathematical Thinking for Instruction / Teaching Mathematical Thinking. The signed District/Charter and Mentor Recommendation for Non-Traditional Completers must accompany the five-year application. Missing either the mentor documentation or the literacy/math condition keeps the educator on interim status until the three-year window closes.

Fee structure splits the alternate path from the traditional graduate path. Non-traditional interim applications are $100; converting as an Interim Certificate Completer is $75 and does not require a new background check. Traditional Idaho program graduates pay $75 at the outset. Alternative Authorizations for Content Specialist, pupil service, and Teacher-to-New routes are published at $100 on the 2026–2027 Alternative Authorizations packet. Candidates should not assume the first fee they pay covers conversion to the five-year renewable certificate.

Required exams and fees

Idaho uses ETS Praxis content and performance assessments (Idaho State Board–approved). Fees and cut scores appear only when published by the cited source (as of September 2026).

Moving a license to Idaho

Non-traditional interim certificates are Idaho employment-and-program pathways, not a transfer of another state’s alternate credential. Out-of-state licensed teachers use the separate Certificate for Out-of-State Applicants page. Educators who cannot renew an expired out-of-state certificate may enter ABCTE, CSI, LCSC, or Teach For America to obtain an Idaho interim.

Official Idaho reciprocity guidance