Essentially, they all have the same meaning: Documented approval from a state licensing agency to teach a specific subject and grade level in a public school. Generally speaking, “certification” is the older term while “licensure” is newer, and states are roughly split 50/50 on their use of each. In Kansas, we switched from certification to licensure in the early 2000s. Meanwhile, the license refers to the type of license (initial, temporary, provisional, substitute, professional, etc.), while the endorsement is the subject and grade level listed on the license.