North Carolina Special Education Certification & Requirements (2024)

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Special Education in North Carolina

According to the National Center For Education Statistics, 12.4 percent of North Carolina’s students have an Individualized Education Program, nearly equal to the United States average of 13 percent. The U.S. Department of Education gives North Carolina’s special education services its highest rating of “Meets Requirements.” The state employs 10,325 special educators to serve 115 public school districts consisting of 2,592 public schools and 96 charter schools. North Carolina also has 574 private schools. The Exceptional Children Division is part of the Public Schools of North Carolina’s Department of Instruction (NCDPI), which oversees state educational policies.

Licensure Requirements

For Undergraduates

You must graduate from a state-accredited teacher preparation program to qualify for teaching licensure in North Carolina. This teacher preparation program can be part of a bachelor’s degree course of study or a stand-alone certification program.

For Graduates

A special or general education certificate-only program can qualify a college graduate to teach in North Carolina. However, if you pursue a master’s degree in a relevant content area or specialization, you can qualify for a higher salary.

Types of Licenses

Beginning teachers who have completed an approved teacher preparation program and have less than two years of classroom experience can apply for the Standard Professional 1 (SP1) Professional Educator’s License. After obtaining three years of teaching experience, educators can graduate to the Standard Professional 2 (SP2) Professional Educator’s License. The lateral entry provisional professional educator’s license allows candidates who have relevant experience outside of public classroom teaching or who have significant college credits in education to begin teaching while completing the requirements for a Standard Professional License.

Reciprocity

The NCDPI does not offer 100 percent reciprocity with any state; that said, candidates holding valid, comparable licenses from accredited out-of-state institutions can apply to the NCDPI for consideration. These candidates must submit official transcripts, verification of teacher preparation or licensure, North Carolina test scores (or proof of highly-qualified status) and verification of any K-12 teaching experience. Educators seeking international reciprocity must meet the above requirements and also provide an analysis of their credentials from an international education evaluation service to determine equivalency.

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Special Education Teaching Degrees in North Carolina

The Work 4 NC Schools webpage features a list of approved teacher education programs in North Carolina. The state offers a unique course of study through its community college system to help undergraduates qualify for North Carolina teaching licensure; participating institutions and programs include the Appalachian Learning Alliance, Western Carolina University’s Western 2Step Program, East Carolina University’s Partnership East and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Of the nearly 40 accredited universities with special education degree options in North Carolina, the Special Education Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is offered on one of the largest, most urban campuses. This university’s College of Education awards a bachelor’s degree in special education with a focus on general curriculum or adapted curriculum, as well as a dual license program in Special Education (General Curriculum) and Elementary Education (K-6). Current educators can pursue specialization through the university’s Adapted Curriculum Licensure Plus Project. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte also offers a course of study that qualifies participants for a license in adapted or general curriculum, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching in special education, a Master of Education in special education and a research-intensive doctorate degree in special education. Students interested in working with the deaf and hard of hearing should consider the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, which offers a Bachelor of Science Degree with various concentrations including Interpreter Preparation and Advocacy & Services for the Deaf.

For profiles of all the schools in North Carolina that offer master’s in special education programs, click here.

Alternatives to Certification

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction offers information on alternative preparation pathways to certification.

Special Education Teaching Jobs in North Carolina

Public schools

The Work 4 NC Schools website features up-to-date information about job prospects in North Carolina public and charter schools.

Private schools

Greensboro’s Noble Academy operates a day school and provides support services to assist students with learning disabilities in meeting academic goals. In Charlotte, The Fletcher School and its outreach program, The Rankin Institute, serve students with learning disabilities or ADHD.

Other programs

The NCDPI’s Office of Charter Schools provides contact information for charter schools in the state.

Professional Development

The North Carolina State Improvement Project is an NCDPI-endorsed network of trainings and support services designed to improve the academic success of students with disabilities in North Carolina.
The NCDPI sponsors an annual Conference on Exceptional Children and an annual Collaborative Conference for Student Achievement as part of its professional development offerings.
Other NCDPI projects for professionals include the Directors’ Institute and Summer Institutes in several areas of special education and general education.
The North Carolina Association of Educators offers in-person and online trainings to help educators refine their teaching practices.

North Carolina Special Education Teacher Groups

The North Carolina Association of Educators represents employees of public education institutions as well as retired educators and students in teacher preparation programs. The Council on Educational Services for Exceptional Children consists of community stakeholders from special education and disability advocacy groups. It meets regularly to discuss and interpret policy pertaining to special education.