Navigating the Alternative Resident Educator License Requirements
The Alternative Resident Educator license serves as an accelerated route into classroom teaching, enabling schools and communities to leverage the unique expertise and real-world experience of professionals from diverse backgrounds. This pathway recognizes the value of content-related knowledge, life experience, and successful career experience that candidates bring to the teaching profession. Ohio aims to ensure a high-quality teacher in every classroom by inviting professionals to share their talents and expertise in schools.
Recent Changes to the Resident Educator Program
With the passage of Ohio House Bill 96 on July 1, 2025, a significant change has been implemented: the Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA) has been eliminated from the Ohio Resident Educator (RE) Program. This means that resident educators are no longer required to complete the RESA to advance their licenses.
However, it is important to note that resident educators in their first and second year of teaching must still be registered in the RE Program and complete all other requirements set forth by the state and their employing local district. Educators who have fulfilled all other Resident Educator Program completion criteria, with the exception of RESA, are now eligible to advance their resident educator license to a professional license through their CORE Dashboard.
Registration and Program Requirements
The registration window for the Resident Educator Program in CORE opens on August 1, 2025, and closes on November 15, 2025. The following license holders are eligible and, in some cases, required to register:
- Resident Educator License
- Alternative Resident Educator License
- One-year out-of-state license
- Interim RE license
Those who hold a supplemental license with a Resident Educator license and the two-year provisional STEM license are also eligible. Failure to register eligible resident educators could result in a delay in advancing their license to a professional educator license.
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Mentor Academy Training
To become certified state mentors, all new mentors must successfully complete the Mentor Academy training. These training events are scheduled by local Educational Service Centers (ESCs) and listed in STARS. Registration and fees are required and vary by location. Training is provided both in-person and virtually. Virtual training includes two required components: synchronous and asynchronous. Dates for virtual synchronous sessions are listed in the registration information.
Resources for Program Coordinators and Resident Educators
Several resources are available to support program coordinators and resident educators:
- Updated PowerPoint Presentation: A PowerPoint presentation has been updated for the 2025-2026 school year to present the Resident Educator Program to new resident educators and staff.
- Interim RE License: A new license has been added for eligibility for registration in the Resident Educator Program: the Interim RE license. Those who hold this license are required to be registered in the Resident Educator Program.
- Resident Educator Program Webpages: The Resident Educator Program webpages have been updated to reflect the change in the RE Program.
- Program Coordinator Orientation LMS Course: The Program Coordinator Orientation LMS course is currently under revision.
Additional resources include:
- Ohio Resident Educator Program Orientation
- Resident Educator Program Coordinator User Manual
- 2-Year Resident Educator Program Mentor Updates (includes a detailed overview and outlines the requirements for the 2-Year Resident Educator Program)
Alternative Licensure Program Details
The Alternative Resident Educator license program is designed to be flexible and accessible for working professionals. Here are some key features:
- Online and Self-Paced: The fully online, self-paced format allows candidates to balance coursework with full-time teaching responsibilities.
- Competency-Based Curriculum: Coursework focuses on demonstrated mastery of instructional practice, classroom management, assessment design, and student engagement.
- Supports Ohio Licensure Requirements: Completes the coursework component required for teachers pursuing the Ohio Professional Teacher License through the Alternative Resident Educator pathway.
- Practice-Focused Learning: Students strengthen skills in classroom procedures, communication, accommodations for diverse learners, and effective instructional strategies.
- Pathway to Graduate Study: The alternative resident educator graduate certificate features a competency-based curriculum focused on effective classroom practice for working educators.
Coursework and Requirements at Ohio University
The Ohio University Patton College of Education is approved by ODHE as a provider of the Professional Development Institute, which meets the requirements to advance the Alternative Resident Educator License to the Professional License.
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Due to the time commitment required to complete coursework while teaching, it is recommended to take no more than two courses in the fall and spring, but more can be taken in the summer if your schedule allows.
Candidates must achieve a C+ or better in every course AND maintain a 3.0 GPA to earn the certificate of completion. The basic program is 15 credit hours, consisting of the following courses:
- PCOE 5915 Student Development and Learning (3 credits)
- PCOE 5916 Teaching Methodology (3 credits)
- PCOE 5917 Classroom Management and Student Assessment (3 credits)
- PCOE 5918 Reading: Foundations, Instruction, Diagnosis, and Intervention, & Reading in the Content Areas (3 credits)
- PCOE 5919 Curriculum and Instruction (3 credits)
A 3-credit-hour phonics course (PCOE 5270 Phonics and the Structure of Language) is also offered, which is only required for some licensure areas (AYA Language Arts and Intervention Specialists).
Admissions Requirements for Ohio University's Professional Development Institute
To complete the Professional Development Institute, prospective students will need to apply to Ohio University as non-degree students. Applicants must have:
- Completed either the Intensive Pedagogical Training Institute (IPTI) or the Alternative Resident Educator Institute (AREI).
- Completed a bachelor’s degree.
- Have a temporary teaching license issued by the Ohio Department of Education.
Additional Opportunities for Program Coordinators
The State Board of Education hosts virtual meetings to bring program coordinators together to engage with colleagues, share insights and strategies for program implementation, and hear from the agency's Resident Educator Program staff. Two dates were scheduled to allow for smaller numbers of participants per meeting. In the spring of 2025, a survey was sent to all registered resident educators and mentors.
Read also: Defining Alternative Education Complexes
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