Licensure Call Center Alert: Starting June 15, 2020, the Educator Licensure Call Center will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. To reach a licensure team member, call 601-359-3483. Due to the anticipated high volume of calls, we encourage you to continue to visit the Educator Licensure section of mdek12.org/covid19 and mdek12.org/licensure before calling the office or emailing questions to the teachersupport@mdek12.org email address. Answers to most questions we receive are addressed on those webpages.
A tool you can use to stay updated on your licensure request is the Application Support landing page. This page shows which week the Division of Educator Licensure is currently processing. This page is updated regularly. If the request that you submitted is after the date shown, it is likely that the team has not gotten to your application yet and may need more time.
New Policy Related to Licensure Preparation and Other Programs Completed Outside the State of Mississippi
Effective February 22, 2021, prospective and practicing educators seeking to obtain initial licensure in the state of Mississippi by way of completion of a program outside of Mississippi, shall first be licensed in the state where the preparation occurred. Upon obtaining the out-of-state license, the candidate shall submit an application with required supporting documentation to the MDE Division of Educator Licensure for the purpose of determining eligibility to obtain a Mississippi license via Reciprocity guidelines in effect on the date the complete application is received by the MDE.
Application Process to Include Verification of an Applicant's Lawful Presence in the United States of America.
New Requirement: On December 17, 2020, the Mississippi Board of Education granted approval to amend the current licensure application process to include procedures for verifying an applicant's lawful presence in the United States.
Effective with applications received January 1, 2021 and thereafter, Citizens of the United States are required to submit appropriate documentation for verification once during their next most immediate licensure application submission. Non-US citizens are required to submit appropriate documentation for verification with each licensure application submission, or when their United States Citizenship and Immigration Services documents expire, whichever comes first. Licensure application(s) shall not be processed if the applicant fails to answer the request for documentation required for verification of lawful presence in the United States.
Any initial or renewable license issued to an applicant who is not a United States citizen shall expire in accordance with the appropriate validity date required by a particular license type but, shall not exceed the expiration date of the applicant's authorized stay in the United States, whichever is the lesser period of time. A change in a Non-US citizen’s lawful presence status will affect his/her ability to receive or continue to hold a Mississippi educator license.
It shall be the responsibility of the prospective or practicing educator to obtain and provide the MDE with required documentation regarding his/her United States citizenship or lawful presence status. Required forms and additional information found therein, can be accessed via the following web link: https://www.mdek12.org/OEL/Forms.
Division of Educator Licensure Update 03/24/2020: Those educators holding a standard Mississippi educator license that is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2020, may request a one-year extension by printing and completing a paper Licensure Application for renewal. Please upload the application to your Educator Licensure Management System (ELMS) account for processing.
This extension applies only to standard Mississippi educator licenses held by administrators, teachers, and instructional support personnel that will expire on June 30, 2020. Those educators who have already completed all requirements for licensure renewal are encouraged to complete the application process for obtaining their five-year license.
Division of Educator Licensure Update 03/18/2020: One Year Licensure Renewal Extension
Effective with licensure renewal applications received Monday, March 23, 2020 and thereafter, a one-year extension will be granted to those educators holding a standard Mississippi educator license that is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2020 only. Educators can begin submitting the licensure renewal application requests via their Educator Licensure Management System (ELMS) account on Monday, March 23, 2020.
This extension applies only to standard Mississippi educator licenses held by administrators, teachers, and instructional support personnel that will expire on June 30, 2020. Those educators who have already completed all requirements for licensure renewal are encouraged to complete the application process for obtaining their five-year license.
Evaluation Systems Group of Pearson Update 03/17/2020: The Evaluation Systems Group of Pearson have decided to temporarily close their company-owned U.S. and Canada-based Pearson Professional Centers (PPCs) starting March 16, 2020 for at least 30 days, until April 16, 2020 or whenever conditions are deemed safe to re-open. Pearson began candidate cancellation notifications during the afternoon of March 16 (CDT), which provide instructions for scheduling new appointments on or after April 16, 2020. Pearson will continue to monitor the situation and notify states of any additional changes, if necessary.
Educational Testing Services (ETS) Update 03/17/2020: Please use the following link to access information related to the ETS Prometric Test Center Closures. You can monitor other ETS Praxis test related updates on the ETS website.
Division of Educator Licensure Update 03/16/2020: The Division of Educator Licensure will be experiencing some interruptions in processing applications and supporting documentation that are received through postal mail at this time. To avoid delays in application processing, educators' are encouraged to submit their applications and any supporting documentation through their Educator Licensure Management System (ELMS) account when possible.
Please note that official sealed copies of an applicant's transcript(s) must be mailed to the Mississippi Department of Education, Division of Educator Licensure, P. O. Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771 or submitted electronically directly from the respective college/university. Licensure test score results must be submitted directly from the administering testing company.
Important Updates
Below are important updates related to educator licensure policies and/or procedures. Should you have questions, please contact a member of our team at teachersupport@mdek12.org.
2020 Updates
2019 Updates
- 2019-2020 United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) Memo - August 2019
- Special Non-Renewable License One Year Reprieve Memo - July 2019
- Memorandum Notice of Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators Assessments Changes - June 2019
- Praxis Core Assessments General Information Test Preparation Flyer - June 2019
- Division of Educator Licensure Updates-Reminders Memo - March 2019
- OTL Division Updates for HR Directors-EPPs - February 2019
- ELMS Enhancements Launch Memo - January 2019
2018 Updates
- WK Kellogg Grant - Proposed Teacher Licensure Pathways Pilot Studies - December 2018
- OTL Division Updates HR Directors - EPPs - October 2018
- Discontinuation of Educator Licensure Application Drop off - Walk in Service - August 2018
- Mathematics 5161 Passing Score Adjustment Memo - May 2018
- Notice of Acceptance of CEUs Earned During Certain Renewal Cycles Memo - March 2018
- Notice of Change in Division of Educator Licensure Call Center Hours of Operation Memo - February 2018
2017 Updates
- Special Non-renewable License Revisions Memo - November 2017
- Discontinuation of Walk-In Service and Local District Licensure Renewal Role Memo - June 2017