The following information summarizes the requirements currently necessary to begin work in the public school system as an:
Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist
This information has been collected by researching individual state department of education regulations and policy documents, state administrative code provisions and by contacting each state department of education. Please be advised that regulations and policy may change at any time, so always check with your state department of education for the most up-to-date information.
Audiologist
Professional School Service Personnel License
Candidates applying for a professional school service personnel license as a school audiologist shall satisfy one of the following:
- Applicants new to the field seeking initial professional school services personnel licensure should complete a graduate degree in audiology from a state or regionally accredited institution of higher education with a graduate level program approved by ASHA.
- Valid license issued by Tennessee or an out-of-state licensing Board of Communication Disorders and Sciences or who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA upon application. There are no additional requirements.
- Audiologists who have a graduate degree in audiology and hold a valid out-of-state educational credential issued before September 1, 2000, may be issued the professional school service personnel license upon application. Applicants with valid credentials issued on or after that date shall pass the examination required by the State Board of Education (Praxis-Audiology).
Continuing Education Requirement
Professional licenses must be renewed every ten years. All educators holding a professional license based on a master's degree or higher and have accrued five years of acceptable experience during the ten year validity period are not required to complete any additional requirements. Those without five years experience during the ten year validity period must earn 90 renewal points.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Professional School Service Personnel License
The professional school service personnel license requires at least a bachelor's degree and is issued to an applicant who has met the requirements for an endorsement as a school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, school food service supervisor, school speech-language pathologist and school audiologist. Candidates applying for a professional school service personnel license as a school speech-language pathologist shall satisfy one of the following criteria:
- A graduate degree in speech-language pathology from a state or regionally accredited institution of higher education with a speech-language pathology graduate level program approved by ASHA, a passing score on the Praxis examination in speech-language pathology.
- Valid license issued by Tennessee or an out-of state licensing Board of Communication Disorders and Sciences or who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA. There are no additional requirements.
- Speech language teachers who have a graduate degree or master's equivalence in speech-language pathology and hold a valid Tennessee teacher license with a speech language endorsement.
- Fully licensed bachelor's level speech-language teachers employed prior to July 1, 2000 may apply for the professional school services personnel license upon completion of the requirements for the master's equivalence. Candidates must earn at least five graduate level semester hours each year and must complete all program requirements prior to July 1, 2010.
- Speech-language pathologists who have a graduate degree in speech language pathology and hold a valid out-of-state educational credential issued before September 1, 2000 may be issued the professional school service personnel license upon application. Applicants with valid credentials issued on or after that date shall pass the examination required by the State Board of Education (SLP Praxis).
Continuing Education Requirement
The professional license must be renewed every ten years. All educators holding a professional license based on a master's degree or higher and who have accrued five years of acceptable experience during the ten-year validity period are not required to complete any additional requirements. Those without five years experience during the ten-year validity period are required to earn 90 renewal points.
Emergency Certification
Teachers with a bachelor's degree may be issued a permit only in those school systems which have made a good faith effort to hire the most qualified teachers and have determined that there is an insufficient number of teachers with master's degrees in speech-language pathology. Teachers under this provision must make satisfactory progress toward achieving a master's degree within three years.
Support Personnel
Candidates seeking licensure as a school speech-language teacher working under the direction of a school speech-language pathologist must hold a minimum of a bachelor's degree and meet one of the following requirements:
- Current teacher license earned through an approved teacher preparation program, completion of an endorsement program of studies in speech-language including 100 hours of supervised clinical practice, and recommendation by an institution of higher education
- Completion of an approved teacher preparation program for teacher of speech-language including 100 hours of supervised clinical practice, and recommendation by an institution of higher education. These candidates are eligible for a School Speech-Language Teacher (Pre-K) (A) license.
- Complete a bachelor's level program in speech-language, speech-language disorders or communications disorders, including 100 hours of supervised clinical practice, recommendation by an institution of higher education and verification of meeting Tennessee Teacher Licensure standards. These candidates are eligible for the Special Education School Speech-Language Teacher (Pre-K) (B) license; the holder may only teach courses as part of a speech-language program and may not add another endorsement.