Iowa Special Education Teacher Certification

Special Education Endorsements Have Extra Requirements

Getting endorsed to teach special education in Iowa involves more than adding a subject area to your existing license. The Board of Educational Examiners (BoEE) applies endorsement-specific requirements. Special education and reading endorsements have an additional Foundations of Reading Test requirement.

If you're planning to enter one of these fields — whether as a new teacher or an experienced educator adding credentials — here's what Iowa specifically requires.

Special Education Endorsement

Iowa's special education endorsements authorize instruction across specific disability categories and grade bands. To add a special education endorsement to your Iowa teaching license, you need:

Coursework: Completion of an approved special education preparation program or passage of a BoEE transcript review showing you've met the coursework standards for the specific special education endorsement you're pursuing. Courses must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.

Clinical experience: Check the specific requirements for the special education endorsement; clinical requirements are endorsement-specific.

Foundations of Reading Test: Candidates seeking special education endorsements must pass the Pearson Foundations of Reading Test (Test 890). This applies regardless of whether you graduated from an approved Iowa teacher education program — the 2022 testing exemption for Iowa TEP graduates does not eliminate the FoRT requirement for special education endorsements.

The FoRT is a 4-hour computer-based exam: 100 multiple-choice questions (80% of the score) and two open-response items (20%). The passing score is 240, and the fee is $139 per attempt, with a 30-day mandatory wait between retakes.

The HF 255 Restriction

This is the rule that catches alternative pathway candidates off guard. Under House File 255, candidates who complete an approved non-university alternative certification program receive a Temporary Initial Teaching License — but that license explicitly prohibits teaching special education.

Even if your alternative program covered special education content, you cannot teach special education students until you complete a specialized clinical practicum in a special education setting. The HF 255 classroom-experience requirement is separate from this special-education practicum requirement.

If your goal is a special education career, this makes the traditional route or the Teacher Intern Program pathway significantly more practical than HF 255.

ESL (English as a Second Language) Endorsement

Adding an ESL endorsement follows the same general process as other endorsement additions, but with specific coursework in second language acquisition, linguistics, cultural foundations, and ESL-specific teaching methods.

You can add the endorsement through two paths:

Option 1 — Institutional program: Complete an approved ESL endorsement program through an Iowa college or university. The institution submits a recommendation to the BoEE. Fee: $50 for the endorsement addition.

Option 2 — Direct transcript audit: Submit your transcripts to the BoEE for a course-by-course review against the state's ESL endorsement standards. If your existing coursework covers the requirements, the endorsement is added. Fees: $50 endorsement fee plus $60 transcript evaluation fee ($110 total).

ESL is consistently one of Iowa's highest-demand endorsement areas. Districts across the state — particularly in meatpacking and agricultural regions with growing immigrant populations — actively recruit ESL-endorsed teachers.

Reading Specialist/Reading Endorsement

The reading endorsement authorizes specialized reading instruction and intervention. Like special education, it requires passing the Foundations of Reading Test (Test 890, score of 240 or higher), even for Iowa TEP graduates.

Reading endorsement coursework typically includes foundations of literacy, diagnostic assessment of reading difficulties, content-area reading instruction, and supervised practicum in reading intervention. The BoEE requires that coursework be completed through an approved program or meet the minimum standards verified through a transcript audit.

Adding Endorsements to an Existing License

If you already hold an active Iowa teaching license and want to add any of these endorsements:

1. Complete the required coursework (through an institution or by self-verifying against BoEE standards)
2. Pass the Foundations of Reading Test if your target endorsement requires it
3. Apply through the BoEE portal to add the endorsement
4. Pay the $50 endorsement addition fee (plus $60 evaluation fee if using the direct transcript audit route)

The endorsement addition is processed separately from your license renewal — you don't need to wait for a renewal cycle to add a new endorsement.

The Class B Shortcut for High-Need Areas

If a district needs you in a special education or ESL classroom now and you've completed at least 50% of the endorsement coursework, the district can request a Class B Conditional License on your behalf. This two-year, non-renewable credential lets you teach in the new endorsement area while finishing the remaining coursework.

The key Class B eligibility conditions are the district job offer and the 50% coursework threshold. The Class B path is designed for educators already progressing toward the new endorsement.

For a step-by-step breakdown of endorsement addition procedures, testing requirements by endorsement area, and the Class B application process, the Iowa Teacher Certification Guide walks through each scenario with the specific forms, fees, and portal steps involved.

See more Iowa guides →