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Alternative Early Childhood and Elementary Program

The Alternative Early Childhood and Elementary Program provides an opportunity for individuals with non-teaching degrees and classroom experience in Oklahoma accredited schools (or a terminal degree) to teach in general Early Childhood or Elementary Education.

Guidelines

Certification Areas Eligibility and Guidelines

Early Childhood

Elementary Education

FAQs: Alternative Early Childhood and Elementary Program

  • No. While an Elementary Education certificate does allow a person to teach in middle grades (not for high school credit, not 7th or 8th grade math), the only certification areas available via the Alternative Early Childhood and Elementary Program are Early Childhood or Elementary Education.
  • You must go through the Alternative Placement Program for secondary/PK-12 areas.

  1. Complete a bachelor’s degree.
  2. Complete one of the following: 
    • Two years of experience in a classroom at an accredited school in the area requested (e.g. as a paraprofessional). Have the D2 Form (parts A and B) completed by the employing school district; or
    • A terminal degree (e.g. PhD, EdD, MD, DO, JD, DVM, MFA, MLIS).
  3. Obtain a job offer with an Oklahoma public school district willing to facilitate this program.
  4. Complete a certification or dual background check (if not currently certified in Oklahoma). Instructions are available here.
  5. Your employing school district must submit an online request for the Year One certificate. They will upload your official transcripts and, if a terminal degree is not held, the D2 Form.
  6. Apply online in OECS through the Educator Application Wizard for your provisional certificate.
  7. Once your application has been processed, a certificate and advisement letter will be issued in OECS and available in the Print History tab. You will receive an email notifying you when something is available to view.
  8. Each year, the district will submit an online request and upload the required documention, followed by you applying online.

  1. Log in to your OECS account.
  2. Click My Credentials along the top, then click Print History on the left.
  3. Click View to the left of the letter received with your provisional certificate.
  4. All requirements will be listed in your letter.
  5. A preview of program requirements is listed on the Eligibility and Guidelines documents in the table above. In short, you must complete the following:
    • Year 1: OSDE Reading Training, 6 semester hours of professional education college courses (classroom management and reading instruction), and one year of mentorship/instructional coaching
    • Year 2: Subject area test for the certificate held (Early Childhood or Elementary), 6 semester hours of professional education college courses (child development and math instruction), and one year of mentorship/instructional coaching
    • Year 3: Foundations of Reading (FOR) assessment, professional education assessment (APK/PPAT/OPTE), 6 semester hours of professional education college courses, and one year of mentorship/instructional coaching

  1. Your employing school district must submit an online request for the standard certificate. They will upload your official transcripts.
  2. The C2 Form can be completed by the college education department where coursework is completed to ensure a smooth application process.
  3. Apply online in OECS through the Educator Application Wizard for your standard certificate. The completed C2 Form can be uploaded during the application process.

  • No. For this pathway, your district will upload all required transcripts.

  • No. All applications for the Alternative Early Childhood and Elementary Program are online.
  • Apply online in OECS through the Educator Application Wizard.

  1. Create a Single Sign-On (SSO) account to access the Oklahoma Educator Credential System (OECS).
  2. If you have never submitted an application to Teacher Certification before, Step 3 will ask, “Would you like to access your Oklahoma certification records?” You must select the third option and enter your full social security number to create an SSO log in AND an OECS file. If you receive a red banner stating that a record already exists, then you will select the second option to link your new SSO log in with your existing OECS file.
  3. Once you are in your SSO account, click EDU-Educator under OECS.
  4. Then the application will appear on your OECS home page as a new button. If the button is not available, the district has not submitted the request yet.

  • Yes, it is possible. 
  • The C2 Form can be completed by the college education department where coursework is completed to ensure a smooth application process.

  • Yes, it is possible.
  • The C2 Form can be completed by the college education department where coursework is completed to ensure a smooth application process. For out-of-state coursework especailly, it is recommended that you provide the C2 Form to the college education department before enrolling in any courses.

  • When applying for a provisional certificate, classroom experience at an accredited school counts. It can be public or private, in-state or out-of-state.

  • Either one. Experience in 1st, 2nd, and/or 3rd grade can be used for either Early Childhood or Elementary Education. To qualify for both areas, you must have two full years of experience, such as 3 years teaching in 2nd grade.

  • State law requires teachers to complete an educator preparation program (EPP) for Early Childhood, Elementary Education, or Special Education (traditional program with student teaching) in order to add Early Childhood or Elementary Education by testing alone. Exceptions were made in law for the Career Development Program and Alternative Early Childhood and Elementary Program.
  • Traditionally certified teachers have previous education coursework to cover many of the semester hours, sometimes leaving them needing only the 3-semester-hour course covering reading instruction in reference to the coursework requirement.

  • OSDE Connect and other similar Professional Development are not college credit courses, therefore they do not count.
  • LETRS has previously helped facilitate a way to receive graduate credit for completion of LETRS units. NOTE: OSDE does not facilitate the process of having LETRS training transferred to graduate credit.
Last Modified on Feb 27, 2026