West Virginia Alternative Teacher Certification

1) Earn your Bachelor's Degree.

During enrollment, we will ask for a copy of your official transcript. MathTrack reviews these transcripts to check that your degree is finished, you have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and the degree-issuing institution is regionally accredited.

2) Pass the content assessment.

Before being officially admitted into an alternative certification program, you must first pass the content exam for the subject you wish to teach. MathTrack Institute provides a variety of test supports including 5165 preparation!

There may be other exams, like the Core Combined 5752 Praxis Test if your bachelor's degree has less than a 3.0 GPA prior to working in a classroom.

Learn from leading experts in math education.

MathTrack is dedicated to the improvement of the math education space, including solving the math teacher shortage. We specialize in math because the subject requires unique skills and solutions that are often missed in general education training. Our team is dedicated to serving math educators through specialized training, innovation, and strategies that can be adapted to your needs. You can read more about our approach to training and related research in our blog.

Get support to pass licensure tests during the program.

It is common for transition to teaching or other alternative certification programs to require the passing of these tests before enrollment, leaving you to tackle one of the biggest barriers to licensure on your own. MathTrack is with you every step of the way, including preparing for, scheduling, and taking licensure exams. MathTrack support provides practice tests, personalized advising, content tutoring, and more while you are enrolled in our teacher training.

Enrollment

Kick off the licensure process with our free 15-minute MathTrack application.

You'll need to turn in an official college transcript as part of the enrollment process and MathTrack experts will reach out to ensure this program is a good fit for you. We will also work with you to identify possible funding sources to cover as many program costs as possible.

Note that you may begin the program under provisional enrollment before passing the math content test.

*Please note that you must pass the 5165 Mathematics Praxis test before being officially accepted into the program.

Pre-Residency Courses

This phase includes 3 courses, which covers the essential information you need before you are eligible for residency. Like all MathTrack programs, these courses are self-paced and available online, 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. You can expect classroom safety requirements, such as mandatory reporting, and CPR to be turned in during this phase, along with essential classroom management skills for new teachers.

Mathematics

This phase includes both a mathematics course and taking the Praxis 5165 test. This content is available right away upon enrollment. Some programs require candidates to study for, and take the math licensure test, the Praxis 5165, all on their own. MathTrack includes both of these elements in the program itself. You'll learn both valuable skills for how to think about math differently as a teacher, and you will also have access to several resources to help you pass the test.

Residency

This phase involves working with a mentor teacher and teaching real students at your school. MathTrack will work with you to draft a residency plan once you complete pre-residency courses.

A West Virginia-based master teacher will serve as your mentor throughout your residency.

Pedagogy Courses

Either during or around residency there are several other courses you will need to complete as part of the MathTrack program. These self-paced courses cover deeper pedagogy knowledge such as classroom data, student engagement strategies and more.

Graduation

Once you have completed the all previous program requirements, including residency and state tests you will be eligible to apply for graduation. MathTrack will verify your work and help you apply for licensure, including any steps relating to state reciprocity.

Acceptance Eligibility

MathTrack Transition to Teaching can only accept candidates with an existing bachelor's degree, but your degree does not have to be in math.

During enrollment we will ask for a copy of your official transcript. MathTrack reviews these transcripts to check that your degree is in fact finished, you have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and the degree-issuing institution is locally accredited. If you are concerned about your degree meeting these expectations feel free to contact us to learn more. If there is anything MathTrack can do to help you get licensed, we will do our best find a way.

Program Length

The MathTrack Transition to Teaching program was designed to be completed in 12-15 months. This is so you have time to complete online coursework prepare for tests, and meet residency requirements. However, every candidate is different and the program is ultimately self-paced. This means that:

There are no due dates for coursework, but MathTrack may send you reminders or nudges to help keep you motivated.
Program milestones will unlock automatically as you complete coursework.
Residencies can begin whenever your residency plan is approved and you have passed the Praxis mathematics content exam.
You can prepare for and take licensure exams anytime during the program.

What are the admission requirements? Who is and is not eligible?

If you have a regionally-accredited bachelor’s degree, you can be provisionally enrolled in the West Virginia Alternative Professional Teaching Certification Program. Upon the completion of the math content exam you will receive full acceptance status.

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

Virtual, self-paced, online classes
Videos, modules/lessons, online assignments, interactive discussions
Support from community of fellow educators
Support and interaction with instructors
Real world practice along with online training (on the job training/ apprenticeship)
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?

What tests do I need to pass? How many times can I take them?

Can I teach while enrolled?

What can I teach after I pass the licensure tests?

After you are licensed, you are now a full teacher! MathTrack is a West Virginia Department of Education-approved Education Preparation Program for Secondary (grades 7-12) mathematics licensure.

What other costs are associated with the program?

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 does job placement look like after I complete the program?

How is MathTrack different than other Transition to Teaching programs?

Can I complete residency hours before I'm enrolled in the residency course? I've already been a teacher for a while.

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.

West Virginia Alternative Teacher Certification Program

MathTrack Institute offers an innovative, self-paced, Option-3 alternative certification program for those with a bachelor's aiming to become licensed 5 to Adult math teachers. This supportive program guides you through every step to become a teacher in West Virginia.

West Virginia teacher certification can be complicated. But it doesn’t have to be.

How to Become a Teacher in West Virginia

MathTrack Institute's Alternative Certification Program merges digital curriculum with practical, job-specific instruction, providing a comprehensive pathway to math teacher licensure and teaching excellence.

1) Earn your Bachelor's Degree.

2) Pass the content assessment.

3) Complete a Teacher Certification Program, including residency

4) Apply for Licensure.

“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.”

Why choose MathTrack's West Virginia Certification Program?

Learn from leading experts in math education.

Get support to pass licensure tests during the program.

Complete residency at the school you want to work at.

Online courses mean you can make progress anytime, and anywhere.

Explore MathTrack's West Virginia Teacher Certification Program

Additional licensure program information

Credits and degree details