Virginia Teaching Licensing Requirements 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Virginia agency is responsible for issuing teaching licenses?
- Virginia Department of Education (Correct answer)
- Virginia State Board of Examiners
- Virginia Professional Standards Commission
- Virginia Higher Education Authority
Correct answer: Virginia Department of Education
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is the state agency that issues all teaching licenses in Virginia.
Question 2: A teacher holds a Collegiate Professional License in Virginia. How long is this license valid?
- 2 years
- 3 years
- 5 years (Correct answer)
- 10 years
Correct answer: 5 years
The Collegiate Professional License in Virginia is valid for 5 years and can be renewed.
Question 3: What is the minimum number of credit hours of coursework in special education required for a Virginia teaching license?
- 0 hours — it is not required
- 3 semester hours (Correct answer)
- 6 semester hours
- 12 semester hours
Correct answer: 3 semester hours
Virginia requires at least 3 semester hours of coursework in special education as part of teacher preparation.
Question 4: Which test must most Virginia teacher candidates pass to demonstrate reading instruction competency?
- Praxis Core Academic Skills
- Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA)
- Virginia Reading Assessment (VRA)
- Praxis Reading for Virginia Educators (RVE) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Praxis Reading for Virginia Educators (RVE)
The Praxis Reading for Virginia Educators (RVE) test is required for most teacher candidates to demonstrate reading instruction skills.
Question 5: A teacher wants to add a new endorsement area to an existing Virginia license. What is generally required?
- Completing a new bachelor's degree in the endorsement area
- Passing the Praxis content exam and meeting coursework requirements for that endorsement (Correct answer)
- Reapplying for an entirely new license from scratch
- Completing one year of teaching in the desired endorsement area
Correct answer: Passing the Praxis content exam and meeting coursework requirements for that endorsement
To add an endorsement, teachers typically must meet the coursework requirements and pass the applicable content-area Praxis exam.
Question 6: What happens to a Virginia teacher's license if they fail to complete the required renewal professional development hours before expiration?
- The license automatically renews for one additional year
- The license lapses and the teacher cannot legally teach until it is reinstated (Correct answer)
- The teacher receives a warning letter and a 90-day grace period
- The teacher is placed on a probationary license automatically
Correct answer: The license lapses and the teacher cannot legally teach until it is reinstated
An expired Virginia teaching license lapses, making the teacher ineligible to teach until the license is reinstated.
Question 7: Virginia requires teacher candidates to complete coursework in child abuse recognition and intervention. Who mandates this requirement?
- The local school division
- The Virginia Board of Education (Correct answer)
- The federal No Child Left Behind Act
- The Virginia Department of Social Services
Correct answer: The Virginia Board of Education
The Virginia Board of Education mandates that all teacher preparation programs include training in child abuse recognition and intervention.
Virginia Teaching Licensing Requirements 2
Which Virginia agency is responsible for issuing teaching licenses?