To become a math teacher in Kansas, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, a state-approved educator preparation program, a passing score on the Praxis content test for your math endorsement, and a fingerprint check. KSDE then issues a two-year initial license. Career changers with a math degree can start teaching sooner on a restricted license.
Kansas licenses math teachers at two levels: grades 5-8 and grades 6-12. The level you prepare for decides which Praxis content test you take. Kansas educator licenses are issued under the authority of the Kansas State Board of Education, under rules in K.A.R. 91-1, and administered by the Teacher Licensure team at the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE). The steps follow the same basic pattern as how states certify math teachers nationally, with Kansas rules on top. Here’s how to become a math teacher in Kansas, in four steps.
- Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete an Approved Educator Preparation Program
- Pass the Praxis Content Test for Your Math Endorsement
- Apply for Your Initial Kansas Teaching License
- Upgrade to a Professional License and Keep It Renewed
Step 1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete an Approved Educator Preparation Program
You need a bachelor’s degree and a completed teacher education program from an accredited institution. KSDE’s list of approved educator preparation programs shows 20 Kansas colleges and universities with an approved grades 6-12 math program and eight with a grades 5-8 math program (as of October 2026).
Choose your grade band before you choose a program. Kansas offers three math endorsements (as of October 2026, per K.A.R. 91-1-202):
- Mathematics, grades 5-8: the middle school endorsement
- General mathematics, grades 6-12
- Advanced mathematics, grades 6-12
An endorsement is the subject and grade range printed on your license. You can only be assigned to teach what it covers.
Every approved program combines education coursework with field experience, then student teaching. You’ll also complete a teacher work sample, a performance assessment in which you plan, teach and assess a unit. Your Kansas college or university verifies it when you apply for your license.
If you majored in math but not education, you don’t need a second bachelor’s degree. You can finish the education requirements through a post-baccalaureate program or a Master of Arts in Teaching. If you want to start teaching first, see the alternative routes later on this page.
Step 2. Pass the Praxis Content Test for Your Math Endorsement
Kansas requires a passing score on the Praxis content assessment for each endorsement on your license. It does not require Praxis Core for licensure, although some programs ask for Praxis Core scores before admission, so check with yours.
Kansas also removed the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam requirement in September 2023. KSDE said at the time that the PLT measured the same competencies as the teacher work sample that every Kansas candidate completes. You still need the work sample.
Here are the tests and qualifying scores ETS lists for Kansas math endorsements on its Kansas test requirements page (checked October 2026):
| Endorsement | Praxis Test | Kansas Qualifying Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics, grades 5-8 | Middle School Mathematics (5164) | 157 |
| General mathematics, grades 6-12 | Mathematics (5165) | 152 |
| Advanced mathematics, grades 6-12 | Mathematics (5165) | 159 |
Both 6-12 endorsements use the same test, Mathematics (5165), but Kansas sets two cut scores. A 155 qualifies you for general mathematics but not advanced mathematics. Each test costs $130, and you can take it at home or at a test center.
Register through ETS. If you test outside Kansas, or your Praxis profile lists an out-of-state address, add the Kansas State Department of Education (code 7270) as a score recipient. Otherwise KSDE won’t receive your scores. Add your college as a recipient too.
If you meet every initial-license requirement except the Praxis content assessment, you may qualify for a temporary nonrenewable license, valid only through June 30 of the school year it’s issued. You apply for it through the same initial license application.
Step 3. Apply for Your Initial Kansas Teaching License
Start with your background check. You can have your fingerprints taken on LiveScan by a Kansas law enforcement agency that submits them digitally to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (give the officer KSDE code 902KS1600), or on an FBI FD-258 card that you mail to KSDE. KSDE charges a $57 fingerprint processing fee (as of July 1, 2024), and the agency that takes your prints may charge its own fee on top. The KSDE fingerprint page explains both routes. Your license won’t be issued until your background check clears.
Then apply online through the Kansas Licensure Application System (KLAS), linked from KSDE’s license information and application page. Kansas program completers use Form 1, and the fee is $60.
Initial-license applicants must also document eight semester hours of credit earned within the six years before applying (K.A.R. 91-1-203 and 91-1-200). Coursework from a program you finished in that window counts. Separate requirements apply to later renewals.
The initial teaching license is valid for two years from the date it’s issued.
Moving to Kansas From Another State
Apply through KSDE’s out-of-state application (Form 2, $70). KSDE asks for official transcripts, a copy of your current standard out-of-state license, evidence of a Praxis or comparable content assessment, verification of your approved teacher preparation program, and proof of at least one year of teaching in the past two years. Your out-of-state license must be in good standing, and the Kansas license you apply for must match the endorsements on it. The same process applies to every state. If you’re licensed next door, our guides to Missouri math teacher certification, Colorado math teacher certification and Oklahoma math teacher certification cover each state’s own exams and license types.
Step 4. Upgrade to a Professional License and Keep It Renewed
While you hold your initial license, you complete a two-year mentoring program approved by the Kansas State Board of Education, teaching in your endorsement area in an accredited school. Once it’s done, apply to upgrade to the professional teaching license on Form 21 ($60). If you haven’t finished mentoring when your initial license expires, renew the initial license on Form 20 instead.
The professional license expires on your fifth birthday after it’s issued. To renew it, you’ll show one of these during the license term (KSDE, as of October 2026):
- 160 professional development points, at least 80 of them from college credit, if you don’t hold an advanced degree
- 120 professional development points if you hold an advanced degree
- Eight credit hours in an approved program, or completion of an approved program
- National Board certification, or completion of every component of the National Board assessment
- Three years of recent accredited experience, if you hold an advanced degree (you can use this option twice)
- Half the required professional development points, if you participate in an educational retirement system in Kansas or another state
For approved professional development, one clock hour of learning generally earns one knowledge-level point. More points can be awarded when you document applying what you learned, or its impact on students (K.A.R. 91-1-218). One semester hour of college credit equals 20 points. File your individual development plan with your district’s professional development council before you start earning points. KSDE’s professional development page explains plans and points. The professional renewal fee is $70.
Once you’re licensed, see what the job pays on our Kansas math teacher salary page.
Alternative Routes for Career Changers
If you already have a degree and want to start teaching math before you finish an education program, Kansas has three main routes. Each one needs a job offer from a Kansas district first.
| License | Who Qualifies | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted teaching license | A degree in math or equivalent coursework, a 2.75 GPA on your last 60 credit hours, and a passing Praxis content score | Secondary math only, at the approved hiring district, one school year at a time, reissued for up to two more years if annual progress reports are filed |
| STEM license | A degree in math and at least five years of full-time professional work in the field | Math only, grades 8-12, valid through June 30 and renewed each year with your district |
| Limited-use teaching license | Any bachelor’s degree plus proof of math knowledge: a math degree, a math major’s worth of coursework, a passing content score, or 4,000 hours of work in the field | The subject and grade level on the license, grades 6-12, at the employing district only, reissued at the district’s request |
The restricted teaching license is the route most career changers take. KSDE offers it only for secondary subjects and a few all-level ones, so it covers 6-12 math, not 5-8. You teach under a mentor with at least three years of experience, and a Kansas college gives you a written plan to finish your education coursework in two years and supervises you on-site. Eight Kansas universities run it (as of October 2026). You must pass the Praxis content test before KSDE issues the license, and the Form 9 application fee is $65. Each year before July 1, your college must report that you’ve completed at least half your plan and kept a 2.75 GPA in it, or the license isn’t reissued.
The limited-use license puts the training on your district. It must deliver pedagogy coursework from an approved program and assign you a mentor. The license is limited to your specified assignment and employing district.
The STEM license (Form 10, $60) skips the education coursework entirely, but it’s tied to the district that hired you and only lets you teach math. If you might move districts or states, the restricted route ends in a standard license. If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree yet but work in a school, Wichita State University’s Teacher Apprentice Program includes middle level mathematics, grades 5-8. KSDE lists every route on its nontraditional pathways page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kansas require the Praxis Core for math teachers?
No. KSDE requires only the Praxis content test for your math endorsement. Some Kansas educator preparation programs still use Praxis Core scores for admission, so check your program’s requirements.
Do I still need to pass the PLT in Kansas?
No. The Kansas State Board of Education removed the Principles of Learning and Teaching exam requirement in September 2023. You still complete a teacher work sample, verified by your Kansas college or university.
Can I teach math in Kansas without an education degree?
Yes. With a math degree and a job offer, you can teach grades 6-12 on a restricted teaching license while you finish a two-year education plan through a Kansas college. With five years of full-time math work experience, the STEM license is also an option for grades 8-12.
How long does a Kansas initial teaching license last?
Two years from the date of issue. You upgrade it to a professional license after completing two years of approved mentoring, or renew the initial license on Form 20 if mentoring isn’t finished.
What does it cost to get a Kansas teaching license?
Plan on the $57 KSDE fingerprint processing fee, any collection fee the fingerprinting agency charges, the $60 Form 1 application fee, and $130 for your Praxis content test. Later, the upgrade to a professional license costs $60 and each professional renewal costs $70.
- Grade band first: Kansas endorses math for grades 5-8 and, at grades 6-12, for general or advanced mathematics.
- One test: You need Middle School Mathematics (5164) at 157 for grades 5-8, or Mathematics (5165) at 152 for general or 159 for advanced 6-12 math, and Kansas requires neither Praxis Core nor the PLT.
- Background check: Submit fingerprints by LiveScan or FD-258 card with the $57 KSDE fee, then apply for the two-year initial license in KLAS.
- Professional license: Two years of approved mentoring upgrades you to a five-year license that you renew with professional development points or another approved option.
- Career changers: The restricted teaching license lets you teach 6-12 math while you finish a two-year education plan.
If you’re weighing the restricted route, compare programs by whether they’re approved in Kansas and how they deliver the two-year plan while you teach full time. The schools listed here include online and hybrid math education programs for working adults.