Provisional or temporary certificates are issued while the applicant is completing the requirements for full certification. All states have separate certification for teachers, administrators, and other school professionals such as librarians, vocational educators, reading specialists, and counselors. Most states offer certification specific to subject area and grade level, although the range of categorized grade levels often varies among states. Some states allow alternative teacher certification for people who have not completed college or university teacher education programs. Increasingly, states also offer provisional or probationary certificates for teacher graduates who participate in sponsored induction or internship programs.
Some states specify a minimum number of credit hours to be earned in certain academic subjects.
Most require a recommendation from the applicant's undergraduate institution and notarized copies of college transcripts and of any previously issued teacher certificates. California requires fingerprints. Requirements for certification renewal also differ among the states and may include satisfactory completion of a beginning teacher induction program, a specified number of graduate credit hours, or specified advanced coursework. Twenty-six states require examinations for certification. Twelve states have mandated examination requirements for certification that must be implemented no later than 1989.