LATERAL ENTRY TEACHERS
The Licensure Section of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is pleased to assist candidates for lateral entry with information on how to enter the teaching profession. Lateral entry is an "alternate" route to teaching for qualified individuals outside of the public education system. Lateral entry allows qualified individuals to obtain a teaching position and begin teaching right away, while obtaining a professional educator's license as they teach. The NC Dept of Public Instruction authorizes lateral entry professional educator's licenses on a provisional basis in licensure areas that correspond to the individual's academic study.
Graduates of approved education programs who are not recommended for professional educator's licensure by their college or university are not eligible for a lateral entry professional educator's license. However, a person who has satisfied all major degree requirements but has a minor deficiency or technical requirement can apply for a lateral entry professional educator's license if employed by a school system. Such a deficiency cannot exceed six semester hours and must be corrected during the first year of professional educator's licensure.
STEPS FOR OBTAINING LATERAL ENTRY:
1. The individual must first qualify as a lateral entry teacher to be able to seek a position with a school system.
2. The individual is hired by a school system, which recommends the individual to the NC Department of Public Instruction for a lateral entry professional educator's license. The individual is issued a three year lateral entry provisional professional educator's license.
3. Upon being issued the initial provisional lateral entry professional educator's license, the individual affiliates with a college or university with an approved teacher education program in the license area, or with one of the Regional Alternative Licensing Centers (RALC) in North Carolina. An individual plan of study is prescrived for the lateral entry teacher.
4. The individual follows their plan of study prescribed by the college or university or the RALC. A minimum of six semester hours per year from the plan of study must be taken until the plan has been completed. All coursework and the Praxis II exam for their licensure area must be completed within three years.
5. When the individual completes the required coursework prescribed by the college, university or RALC and satisfies professional educator's licensure testing requirements, he/she is recommended for professional educator's licensure by the institution or RALC. This recommendation is sent to the NC Department of Public Instruction where it is evaluated and if the individual has met all their requirements, they are issued a Standard Professional 1 Professional Educator's License.
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