Educator Certification: Deficiency Removal

Allowable deficiencies must be corrected by the due date identified on your certificate(s). If the deficiency is not corrected by the due date, your Arizona Educator Certificate will be placed on a non-disciplinary suspension until the deficiency has been corrected.

To determine the exact deficiency for your certificate, please refer to your certificate, or log into the AzEDCert Portal, or search the Arizona Department of Education Public Portal.

Once you have met the requirement for your specific deficiency you will need to apply to remove the deficiency. You now may apply online at AzEDCert Portal, or by completing the Application to Remove a Deficiency and mail it to the address on the form along with a $20 (check or money order).

If the requirements have been met, an updated certificate will be mailed to you. If additional information is needed you will be notified by mail.

Certificate holders have 2 options to correct the AZ/U.S. Constitution deficiency.

Pass the exam: "Constitutions of the United States and Arizona" (AZ033) and request that the results be submitted to the Arizona Department of Education. Please visit the Testing Information page for additional information. OR
Take the appropriate course(s) through an accredited institution. Upon completion of the course, request that your university/college submit official transcripts to the Certification email inbox at [email protected]

Those holding a Subject Matter Expert OR a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Certificate and need to correct the Professional Knowledge Exam - Secondary Education deficiency may meet this requirement with one of the options below.

Select Option A, B, C, or D:

Option A: Take and pass the NES or AEPA Assessment of Professional Knowledge: Secondary exam. Please visit Testing Information for additional information.
Option B: Submit an official score report documenting that you passed a substantially similar Professional Knowledge Secondary examination from another state or agency. Please visit Testing Information for a list of out-of-state equivalent exams.
Option C: Hold a valid, comparable certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Submit a photocopy of the certificate.
Option D: Three years of full-time teaching experience in any state, including Arizona, in grades 6-12. Submit a Verification of PreK-12 Teaching Experience form signed and completed by the District Superintendent or Personnel/HR Director to verify teaching experience. Teaching experience in a foreign school or substitute teaching does not meet this requirement. Have the HR Department submit the form to [email protected].

Those holding a Career and Technical Education Certificate OR a School Counselor Certificate must take the appropriate course work through an accredited institution or complete an approved professional development (CTE holders only). Please visit the CTE website for more information on available professional development.

CTE Certificate holders:

Up to fifteen (15) semester hours of courses in professional knowledge in career and technical education, to include any of the following areas: principles/philosophy of career and technical education; developmentally appropriate instructional delivery, facilitation, and methodologies; instructional technology; instructional design, and lesson planning to include modifications and accommodations, assessing, monitoring, and reporting progress; the learning environment to include classroom management; teaching students with exceptionalities; or professional responsibility and ethical conduct.

Fifteen semester hours may be obtained through Board or Department-CTE-approved professional development. Fifteen clock hours of approved professional development equals one semester hour.

Note: Professional Development provided by your district may not meet this requirement.

Counselor Certificate holders:

Completion of appropriate semester hours, please refer to your evaluation for specific course topics. Have your university/college submit official transcripts directly to [email protected].
A practicum in school counseling OR submit the Verification of PreK-Administrative and Professional Non-Teaching Experience form to your HR Department and request that they complete and submit the form to [email protected].

If you are deficient in Phonics, Reading Intervention, and/or Ethics the following will be accepted:

Standard Professional Early Childhood and Standard Professional Elementary Certificates:

Science of Reading (Phonics): Three (3) semester hours or 45 clock hours from an accredited institution in research-based systematic phonics, including language and literacy development.
Reading Intervention (Dyslexia): Three (3) semester hours from an accredited institution in research-based instructional strategies for delivering differentiated reading instruction, assessment, intervention, and remediation to support readers of varying ages and ability levels, including students with dyslexia. (A list of courses/trainings will be added once it becomes available.)
- Please follow the link for a list of approved trainings.
Ethics: A course from an accredited institution that covers professional responsibility and ethical conduct.

Standard Professional Middle Grade, Secondary, and all Special EducationTeaching Certificates:

Phonics: A college/university course or an approved training in research-based systematic phonics.
Dyslexia: A research-based instructional strategies course from an accredited institution for delivering differentiated reading instruction, assessment, intervention, and remediation to support readers of varying ages and ability levels, including students with dyslexia.
Ethics: A course from an accredited institution that covers professional responsibility and ethical conduct.

Subject Matter Expert Certificates issued after 9/24/2022:

This is an allowable 2-year deficiency.

Ethics: Completion of Board-approved training in professionalism and ethics.
- Currently, there is only one Board-approved training available and it is through NASDTEC, please follow the link for more information, Ethics Training.

Educator Certification: Deficiency Removal

From the Educator Certification Blog