Georgia has a system that allows teachers to add certifications to their license based on a test (and a test alone). As a special education teacher, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) puts a lot of pressure on me to collect certifications. If I teach math to a 6th grader with a learning disability, I have to be “highly qualified” in learning disabilities and in middle school math. If I teach social studies to a 9th grader with a disability, I have to be “highly qualified” in that disability area and in high school social studies.

At the moment there are alternatives to full certification in the different content areas, but eventually “highly qualified” will require full certification in a content area.

I’ve taken a number of tests in Georgia and transferred the certifications I earned there back to my West Virginia license. If you’re interested in doing the same thing, the first step is to get a Georgia license. Start by applying for a Georgia license to teach. The application fee was $20. They’re going to want transcripts. You can find the application here: Certification Forms and Applications

To get a Georgia license of any kind today you have to pass the technology exam. It’s a one hour diagnostic test on Word, Access, Excel, Windows, and the Internet. It was free when I took it. You take it at a Georgia RESA office, by appointment.

Georgia uses its own content area tests, the GACE tests. You can register for a GACE online here: http://www.gapsc.com/TeacherTesting.asp.

After you have the certification you want in Georgia, fill out the paperwork to get it recognized in your own state.

In the past year or so, I’ve gotten certified in Georgia (and then in West Virginia) in elementary education (including preK), middle school math, middle school social studies, reading (preK-adult), and a variety of special education areas (including autism). On my next trip to Georgia I’ll take the tests for high school English and middle school language arts.