To become a math teacher in Delaware, you need a bachelor’s degree, an approved educator preparation program or alternative route, and a passing Praxis score: Middle School Mathematics (5164) at 155 for grades 6-8, or Mathematics (5165) at 152 for grades 9-12. You then apply for an Initial License and a math Standard Certificate together in DEEDS.
Your first decision is the grade band. Delaware issues a Middle Level Mathematics Teacher certificate for grades 6-8 and a Secondary Mathematics Teacher certificate for grades 9-12, and the secondary certificate also lets you teach grades 6-8. That choice decides which Praxis test you take.
Delaware uses two terms on purpose. Your license (Initial, Continuing or Advanced) is your permission to teach in a Delaware public school, and your Standard Certificate names the subject and grades you’re cleared for. You apply for both at once through the Delaware Educator Data System (DEEDS), run by the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE). Here’s how to become a math teacher in Delaware in four steps. They follow the steps every state shares, with Delaware’s own tests, scores and timelines.
- Choose Your Grade Band and Complete an Educator Preparation Program
- Pass the Praxis Mathematics Test for Your Grade Band
- Apply for Your Initial License and Math Certificate in DEEDS
- Move to a Continuing License and Keep It Current
Step 1. Choose Your Grade Band and Complete an Educator Preparation Program
If you’re starting college, the most direct route is a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from a Delaware-approved educator preparation program, or from a program approved by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) or another state. On the traditional route, your degree includes at least 30 semester hours of middle level or secondary mathematics education coursework, plus student teaching, which your program arranges in your final semesters. That’s one of several routes Delaware’s math certificate rules recognize. The others include a Department-approved preparation program, an alternative route, National Board certification and the 91-day option covered below (14 DE Admin. Code 1542, checked October 2026).
Coursework You Can Expect
The math side of your degree usually includes:
- Calculus and linear algebra
- Geometry and trigonometry
- Analysis and differential equations
- Statistics
The teaching side usually covers:
- Methods for teaching mathematics and problem solving
- Educational psychology and adolescent development
- Teaching students with diverse needs
Student teaching is the supervised classroom placement at the end of your program. If your program places you in a Delaware public school, you’ll need a fingerprinted Delaware State Bureau of Identification (SBI) and FBI background check, plus a Child Protection Registry check, first (14 DE Admin. Code 746).
If You Already Have a Bachelor’s Degree
Career changers have two state routes that replace a traditional program with student teaching.
- Alternative Routes to Certification (ARTC): You need at least 24 credits in math, or a passing Praxis math score before you start teaching, plus a letter of eligibility from a state-approved ARTC program. Once hired as the teacher of record, you have two years to finish the program’s seminars, coursework, assessments and mentoring, and to earn two satisfactory DPAS-II summative evaluations. DPAS-II is Delaware’s educator evaluation system.
- 91 Days in Lieu of Student Teaching: A Delaware district or charter school hires you as a long-term substitute as part of a planned hiring process, and at least 91 days of substitute teaching in one or no more than two math assignments stands in for student teaching. Before you start, you need a bachelor’s degree, plus either 24 math credits with a 3.0 GPA or a passing Praxis math score, and you finish the 91 days within two consecutive school years. Once you receive an Initial License and a math Emergency Certificate, you complete 15 approved education credits, at least 6 in pedagogy, to earn the Standard Certificate (14 DE Admin. Code 1510). A separate option counts 91 days a year for three years as a permanent, full-time substitute.
The DDOE lists the approved ARTC programs for the current year on its Alternative Routes to Certification page (checked October 2026).
Teaching Math in the Elementary Grades
Delaware doesn’t issue a separate elementary math certificate. Elementary teachers earn the Elementary Teacher certificate and teach math alongside other subjects. That certificate’s Praxis requirement includes the Elementary Education: Mathematics Subtest (5003) at a score of 157 (14 DE Admin. Code 1521).
Step 2. Pass the Praxis Mathematics Test for Your Grade Band
You take one Praxis Subject Assessment, chosen by your grade band. These are the minimum scores in Delaware’s regulations as of October 2026:
| Certificate | Grades | Praxis Test | Minimum Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Level Mathematics Teacher | 6-8 | Middle School Mathematics (5164) | 155 |
| Secondary Mathematics Teacher | 9-12, also valid for 6-8 | Mathematics (5165) | 152 |
Sources: 14 DE Admin. Code 1532 and 1542. Each test costs $130 through ETS as of October 2026, separate from Delaware’s $100 license fee.
The same regulations also list two older tests: Mathematics: Content Knowledge (5161) at 160 for secondary, and Middle School Mathematics (5169) at 165 for middle level. If you’re relying on an older score report, confirm with the DDOE that it’s still accepted.
If you’re not sure which band you want, take 5165. It qualifies you for grades 6-12, so you won’t have to retest if you move between middle and high school.
Delaware removed the general knowledge exam from its Initial License regulation in 2018, so you don’t need Praxis Core for a middle level or secondary math certificate. Some educator preparation programs still use Praxis Core or SAT and ACT scores for admission, so check your program’s own rules.
If you miss the passing score, you have two fallbacks. Praxis Bridge lets you complete a $50 learning module instead of retaking the test, but only if you scored within one standard error of measurement (SEM) of Delaware’s passing score. ETS lists both 5164 and 5165 for Delaware effective October 1, 2025, with retroactive eligibility for qualifying candidates who tested from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2025 (ETS Delaware requirements, checked October 2026). The state also lets you show content knowledge another way under 14 DE Admin. Code 1519, Multiple Measures for Demonstrating Content Knowledge.
When you register, add the Delaware Department of Education (code 7065) as a score recipient. ETS sends scores automatically only if you test in Delaware and your Praxis profile address is in Delaware.
Step 3. Apply for Your Initial License and Math Certificate in DEEDS
You apply online through DEEDS, which you reach through an EdAccess account. If a Delaware district or charter school already employs you, sign in through your employer’s single sign-on instead of creating a separate EdAccess account. Apply for the Initial License and your math Standard Certificate in the same application. Delaware won’t issue an Initial License unless you also qualify for a certificate. Your file needs:
- Official transcripts showing your bachelor’s degree and student teaching, sent electronically by your college or employing district, or as sealed paper copies (the DDOE doesn’t accept photocopies)
- Your official Praxis score report
- Your criminal conviction history, which you must disclose on the application
- A one-time, non-refundable $100 fee for your first Delaware license
The fee itself isn’t refundable. If you then secure full-time employment in a Delaware public school district or charter school, you may be eligible for a $100 reimbursement from the DDOE (DDOE Fees and Reimbursements, checked October 2026).
When a district or charter school names you a final candidate, you’ll complete a fingerprinted Delaware and FBI background check through the SBI, along with a Child Protection Registry check (14 DE Admin. Code 745).
A new teacher’s Initial License generally runs four years. If you aren’t working in a Delaware public school yet, it’s placed on inactive status, and you can ask the DDOE to make it active once you’re hired (DDOE Initial License).
If You’re Licensed in Another State
Delaware recognizes a valid, current math license from another state for the matching certificate. Your experience decides the license tier. With fewer than four years of teaching, you’ll start on an Initial License with a shorter term: three years if you have one year of experience, two years with two, and one year with three (14 DE Admin. Code 1510). With four or more years, you can apply directly for a Continuing License (14 Del.C. §§1210-1211). Temporary, emergency and expired out-of-state certificates don’t count.
Step 4. Move to a Continuing License and Keep It Current
A new teacher’s Initial License lasts four years, or less if you arrived with out-of-state experience, and it can’t be renewed. Before it expires, you complete the mentoring and professional learning in your district’s state-required induction program (14 Del.C. §1210 and 14 DE Admin. Code 1503). You’ll qualify for a Continuing License if you’ve had no more than one unsatisfactory annual evaluation during those four years.
Renewing Your Continuing License
A Continuing License lasts five years. To renew it, you need 90 clock hours of approved professional development completed during that five-year term (DDOE License Renewal, checked October 2026). Clock hours mean actual time spent, and college credit converts like this:
- One semester hour equals 15 clock hours
- One quarter hour equals 10 clock hours
- One CEU equals 10 clock hours
Not every workshop counts. Each activity must be on the state’s approved list, completed during your current Continuing License term and documented, and you’re responsible for getting your employer’s approval before you take part (14 DE Admin. Code 1511). You log your hours in the Clock Hours tab of your DEEDS dashboard. Your math Standard Certificate doesn’t need renewing. It stays valid as long as your license does.
The Advanced License
If you hold National Board certification and a Delaware Standard Certificate, you qualify for an Advanced License. Its term matches the time left on your National Board certificate, up to 10 years, and you renew it by renewing your National Board certification. If you don’t renew, you must notify the DDOE and apply for a Continuing License to keep teaching, and the 90 clock hour renewal rule then applies (14 DE Admin. Code 1512).
Math Teacher Resources in Delaware
Two statewide groups connect Delaware math teachers:
- Delaware Council of Teachers of Mathematics (DCTM), the state affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, which runs a math league and offers a grant toward professional development
- Delaware STEM Council, the Governor’s council of educators and employers that runs the annual Delaware STEM Educator Awards
Once you know your certificate, see what math teachers earn in Delaware.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pass Praxis Core to teach math in Delaware?
Not for a middle level or secondary math certificate. Delaware removed the general knowledge exam from its Initial License regulation in 2018, so you only need the Praxis math test for your grade band. Some educator preparation programs still require Praxis Core or SAT and ACT scores for admission, so check with yours.
Can I teach math in Delaware without an education degree?
Yes. With a bachelor’s degree and at least 24 math credits, or a passing Praxis math score, you can enter through an Alternative Routes to Certification program once a Delaware school hires you. You teach as the teacher of record and have two years to finish the program.
How long is a Delaware Initial License valid?
A new teacher’s Initial License generally runs four years. If you’re licensed in another state with one to three years of experience, the term is shorter. If you aren’t teaching in a Delaware public school yet, the license is placed on inactive status until you’re hired and it’s made active.
Which Praxis test should I take if I’m not sure about grade level?
Take Praxis Mathematics (5165). Delaware’s minimum score is 152, and the Secondary Mathematics Teacher certificate it leads to covers grades 9-12 and can also be used in grades 6-8.
What if I fall just short of the Praxis passing score?
If you scored within one standard error of measurement (SEM) of Delaware’s passing score, you may qualify for Praxis Bridge, a $50 learning module ETS offers for both 5164 and 5165 in Delaware as of October 1, 2025. Delaware also offers Multiple Measures for Demonstrating Content Knowledge under regulation 1519.
- Pick your band first: Middle School Mathematics (5164) at 155 leads to grades 6-8, and Mathematics (5165) at 152 leads to grades 9-12 and also covers 6-8.
- No basic skills test: Delaware doesn’t require Praxis Core for a middle level or secondary math certificate, though some programs still use it for admission.
- One application in DEEDS: You apply for the Initial License and math Standard Certificate together and pay a one-time, non-refundable $100 fee, which the DDOE may reimburse once you’re employed full time by a Delaware public school.
- Four years, then five-year cycles: A new teacher’s Initial License generally runs four years, and each five-year Continuing License renewal takes 90 clock hours of professional development.
- Career changers have a route: ARTC lets you teach as the teacher of record while you finish a state-approved program within two years.
If you’re heading for the Secondary Mathematics certificate, compare programs on how they handle student teaching in Delaware schools and whether they prepare you for Praxis 5165. The schools listed on this page include online options for working adults who already hold a degree.