Your math teaching license is closer than you think.
The MathTrack Institute Transition to Teaching Program is a flexible, self-paced certification program that supports you every step of the way. If you already have your bachelor’s degree, this ~12 month math teacher certification program is a perfect pathway to become a licensed secondary math teacher.
Apply today!
How to Become a Math Teacher
Step One: Have your Bachelor's Degree.
To earn your Initial Practitioner's license in Indiana, you will first need to earn your bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university. Educators seeking to become teachers in their community are usually required to take a pedagogy and a mathematics content exam that corresponds with the grade level that they wish to become licensed in, regardless of the field of study for the bachelor's degree.
Step Two: Complete Coursework or a Transition to Teaching Program.
Once you have determined the pathway you wish to take toward becoming a teacher, it's essential to enroll in the appropriate coursework or a transition to teaching program. This step is crucial as it equips you with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for effective teaching. In states like Indiana, a residency must be completed after certain qualifications are met in order to fully complete the coursework portion of obtaining your license.
Step Three: Pass the appropriate state content and pedagogy tests.
States like Indiana recognize elementary generalists for elementary school math teachers and secondary mathematics for middle-school and high-school math teachers. While Indiana also has a middle school certification, it can only be obtained after obtaining an elementary generalist license. Check your state's requirements to see what the required content test scores are to become licensed.
Indiana Praxis Score Requirements:
- Elementary Generalists (K-6)
- Praxis Elementary Education Content Test 5006
- Score: 160 for Reading/Social Studies and 158 for Math
- Principles of Learning and Teaching (K-6) Pedagogy Test 5622
- Score: 160
- Praxis Elementary Education Content Test 5006
- Secondary Mathematics (5-12)
- Praxis Secondary Mathematics Test 5165
- Score: 159
- Principles of Learning and Teaching (7-12) Pedagogy Test 5624
- Score: 157
- Praxis Secondary Mathematics Test 5165
Step Four: Apply for Licensure.
The final step is to apply for licensure in the state that you will be working in. Most state departments of education have an online application or portal to fill out the required information to get your license.
Licensure can be complicated. But it doesn’t have to be.
Today’s teachers face different challenges than ever before, and they need programs and supports that flex to fit their lives. Many educators cannot afford to stop working in order to pursue their own education. With MathTrack Institute (MTI), there’s a better way.
About our Transition to Teaching Program*
Online Coursework
Online courses mean you can complete licensure requirements on your own time, so it’s possible to reach your goals while working full time.
Flexible Residency
An in-class experience is a licensure requirement, and with MTI you can complete your residency where you’re already working. We’ll pair you with a mentor teacher at your school who will complete your classroom observations.
Test Prep Included
MTI will support you every step of the way as you prepare for and take the tests for both pedagogy and mathematics content. Need help transferring your license to another state? We’re here for that, too.
How does MathTrack's Transition to Teaching Program work?
Enrollment
A quick and free 15-minute application kicks off enrollment. You'll be asked to submit an official college transcript as part of the enrollment process. MathTrack experts will reach out to ensure this program is a good fit for you, and identify possible funding sources to cover as many program costs as possible. A majority of our students participate in MathTrack programs at little to no cost to them.
Pre-residency courses
Your MathTrack experience begins with essential courses covering safety requirements, and the most important teaching skills you will need to be successful as a classroom teacher. Like all MathTrack curriculum, these courses are self-paced, but it is recommended to set aside at least 10 hours a week for 4 weeks to ensure you are on track to complete the whole program within 12-15 months.
Pedagogy courses
Finishing the pre-residency course unlocks the rest of the courses in the program. Each of these will be shorter than the pre-residency course, with a recommendation to set aside 5 hours per week to work on them. You can work on one course at a time, or hop around. Self-paced means it’s up to you!
Residency
Residency requirements are laid out in more detail in the online courses. Since these can vary by state, your success coach helps you kick off this phase by working with you to build and approve a residency plan and identify a mentor teacher at your school. During your residency, your mentor teacher will observe you and share feedback about your teaching as you go.
Tests
Some candidates take these tests earlier in the program, and others wait until the end. Which tests are required to graduate will vary by state. Either way, MathTrack provides study materials designed to help you prepare for and pass both math content and pedagogy tests. Not all programs provide support for these tests, but MathTrack is with you every step of the way until you get licensed.
Graduation
The program is designed to help you graduate and become licensed secondary math teacher within 12-15 months of enrollment.
Congratulations! You are now ready to embark on your new career as a certified teacher.
For candidates looking to get licensed outside of Indiana, MathTrack will hep you identify the specific steps required to transfer your license.
“This is a life-changing opportunity for me. I wasn’t sure I could teach math, but with MathTrack I’m now leading all Middle School classes in my school.”
— Erica Baker, MathTrack Candidate Teacher
(Previously a substitute teacher)
Why choose MathTrack?
Dedicated success team
With MTI, you’ll never have to go it alone on your journey to licensure. Your MathTrack success team will be assigned after enrollment and will be with you throughout the program. Your team will help you navigate the program, understand state requirements, and encourage you along the way.
Self-paced courses
Our online program is completely self-paced, meaning you will never be penalized for late work and you can work as leisurely or as fast as you want. You will learn both theory and actual strategies to use in the classroom. It’s also asynchronous, so you can navigate to the lessons most applicable to what you’re teaching in your classroom.
Math-specific training
Teaching math requires a specific skillset that is different from other content areas. With MathTrack, you will learn math-specific teaching strategies to set you up for success teaching grades 5-12 math both during and after the program.
Job-embedded learning
Our program is designed to be completed while you work full time in your school. This means you can continue to earn an income while you learn. It also makes it possible to apply your new teaching knowledge right away!
Additional program information
Credits and degree details
This program is a non-credit-bearing, non-degree-issuing program designed for those who already have a degree and are working toward meeting state licensure requirements.
If you are interested in finding out how to earn college credit and finish a bachelor’s degree, check out our Apprenticeship-Based Bachelor’s Program.
Program costs
Tuition costs are $5,000 per candidate. Additionally, candidates are responsible for 3rd party fees to cover costs such as test fees, CPR, and school safety training (see FAQ below for more information).
Common Questions
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to contact us!
What are the admission requirements? Who is and is not eligible?
There is a pathway for everyone who is interested:
- If you have a bachelor’s in Math (or at least 31 credit hours in math) you can be a full candidate.
- If you have a bachelor’s, but not in math, you can be a provisional candidate until you pass the math content exam. Upon successful completion of this exam, you’ll be a full candidate.
- If you do not have a bachelor's, the Apprenticeship-Based Bachelor’s Degree could be perfect for you.
What actually happens in the program?
MathTrack is a combined Transition to Teaching program and digital curriculum platform that provides job-specific instruction, licensure and blended-learning tools to train you to be an effective math teacher. Within that, you’ll get
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Virtual, self-paced, online classes
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Videos, modules/lessons, online assignments, interactive discussions
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Support from community of fellow educators
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Support and interaction with instructors
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Real world practice along with online training (on the job training/ apprenticeship)
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Support from content experts in learning math
Proprietary sequencing of mathematical concepts to help you learn the math you will need to know to be an effective math teacher in the shortest amount of time possible!
What support will I have along the way?
You’ll have support from a number of different places! We have a great team of coaches, instructors and teaching assistants to help answer your questions, you will have access to the community of other aspiring teachers who are going through the program with you, and other resources like help centers, private math tutoring, teaching tools, and more.
Ultimately, the program is tailored to you! We help you set your learning goals to meet your needs, then set up a timeline to match your needs. We will help you “fill your back-pack” with all the tools you will need to be a successful teacher.
Is this program synchronous or asynchronous?
MathTrack's Transition to Teaching Program is primarily asynchronous though the candidate has support from MathTrack instructors and tutors.
What tests do I need to pass? How many times can I take them?
You’ll need to pass two Praxis tests: Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 (5624) and Mathematics (5165). The tests can be taken multiple times, but you must wait 30 days between not passing the test and taking it again. MathTrack will help you prepare for both!
Can I teach while enrolled?
You will be able to teach with either a provisional license or an emergency license. That makes you the full teacher of record for the classes you are teaching. You will be required to have a mentor teacher in the building with you and will have observations. The emergency license or provisional licenses are only good for one year at a time and then must be renewed. There are certain requirements that must be met in order to renew.
What can I teach after I pass the licensure tests?
After you are licensed, you are now a full teacher! MathTrack is an Indiana Department of Education approved Education Preparation Program for secondary mathematics (grades 5-12). The Indiana leaching license has reciprocity with 47 other states. Teacher license reciprocity allows educators who hold a teaching license in one state to earn a license in another state, subject to meeting state-specific requirements. If you live in a different state, we will help you understand any steps that may be necessary to apply to have your new teaching license transferred to your state of residence.
What other costs are associated with the program?
There are some third-party fees for parts of the T2T program and licensure that are not covered by the tuition. These fees are typically around $500 and may include CPR training, QPR (suicide prevention) training, the costs of the licensure exams, or other fees that vary by state.
What happens if I don't finish?
Your progress will be saved and you are more than welcome to pick it back up anytime in the future, should you be interested again.
What if I already have a degree? What if I don't have a degree?
Any candidates who have a bachelor’s already can be accepted into the Transition to Teaching program at provisional (non-math bachelors) or full (bachelor’s in math) status. After competing the online modules and passing the content exam you will be a fully licensed math teacher.
If someone has a master’s degree in math, they do not need a T2T program. They can follow the advanced degree path to licensure. If the person has a master’s degree in another field, their path is the same as for provisional candidacy.
If you do not have a bachelor's, MathTrack can help you finish, you can consider the MathTrack Apprenticeship-Based Bachelor’s Degree Program.
What does job placement look like after I complete the program?
It somewhat depends if your school is sponsoring you and if you have an agreement with them. We do not currently place candidates in teaching jobs after they’ve completed our program. The good news for you is that there is high demand for math teachers across the nation!
How is MathTrack different than other Transition to Teaching programs?
Unlike other T2T programs who provide a generic approach to licensure, MathTrack is specific to math and provide ongoing math content, teaching practice, and test prep supports.
Can I complete residency hours before I'm enrolled in the residency course? I've already been a teacher for a while.
No, pre-residency courses must be completed prior to any teaching hours being counted towards residency. Once you reach the residency course, you will be provided additional information about your residency hours.
What are the GPA requirements to be accepted?
Per state requirements, a minimum 2.5 GPA is required to be considered into the Transition to Teaching Program. If your GPA is less than 2.5 but you're still interested, please contact us!
“I feel like you all took everything I was trying to learn about teaching math on my own and put it into one program!"
— Natural Baptiste, Educator
