Oklahoma special education certification: the four areas, the OSAT tests and the routes

1. Oklahoma’s special education certificate areas

OSDE’s Teach Oklahoma page on special education puts it simply: “There are two primary areas of focus within special education: Mild/Moderate and Severe/Profound.”

OSDE’s full list, Current Certification Areas (January 2026), has four special education areas, each for grades PK–12:

The State Board of Education’s rule on subject-matter competencies for licensure and certification (OAC 210:20-9-172(31), as OSDE reprints it) agrees that “four areas of disabilities have been identified within the overall field of special education” and names the same four. None of them carries the list’s mark for areas that are not eligible for out-of-state reciprocity.

The list also has two special education entries marked for grading purposes only: 1006 Early Childhood Special Education and 1601 Elementary Special Education. OSDE’s special education manual explains that these appear on the certificate of a special education teacher who passes the Early Childhood or Elementary test without matching coursework, and that “Use of this certification is expressly limited to only a special education setting.”

A fifth name: Special Education Comprehensive

OSDE’s 2026 Oklahoma Special Education Policies and Procedures uses different names. It says: “Older certifications are category specific (e.g., Specific Learning Disability, Other Health Impaired, etc.), whereas more recent certifications are indicated as Mild-Moderate, Severe-Profound, Special Education Comprehensive, Visually Impaired or Blind, or Deaf or Hard of Hearing.” In its pathway tables it lists the Special Education Comprehensive Assessment first, adding that Mild-Moderate and Severe-Profound are older certifications that “are still available.” The January 2026 list names none of the older category areas.

As we read them, the two OSDE documents disagree: the January 2026 list has no Special Education Comprehensive area. This guide names the four areas on the list. If the Comprehensive test matters to you, ask OSDE’s Office of Teacher Certification which certificate area it leads to.

2. The OSAT tests for special education

The Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA) runs Oklahoma’s certification tests. OSDE’s Certification Assessments page says that OEQA, “a separate agency of state government, is authorized by law to develop and administer the competency-based teacher tests.” Candidates register through the testing program’s site, CEOE (Certification Examinations for Oklahoma Educators). These are its special education tests, with the passing scores and fees its test pages showed in October 2026:

The OSAT versions are 80 selected-response questions and 1 constructed-response assignment. For Blind/Visual Impairment and for Deaf/Hard of Hearing, CEOE offers a second version from its National Evaluation Series and says: “Both versions assess the same critical content areas to ensure readiness for teaching in the corresponding field.” Among these tests, only the Mild-Moderate and Comprehensive pages say: “Online proctoring is available for this test. You may test remotely, including from home.”

Which test for which area. CEOE does not match tests to certificates. Its page What Tests Do I Need to Take? says: “For information about the certification tests required for teacher certification in Oklahoma contact the Teacher Certification Division of the Oklahoma State Department of Education at 405-521-3337 or TeacherCertification@sde.ok.gov.” Every special education OSAT page adds: “If you are alternatively certifying, please contact the OSDE before registering for this test.”

Praxis. Teach Oklahoma says: “Subject area tests can be taken through Praxis (ets) or Pearson (CEOE).” OSDE’s special education manual adds: “In some cases, the corresponding Praxis Subject Assessment, such as the school psychologist, special education, and speech-language pathologist, may be substituted for the Oklahoma Subject Area Test.” This guide lists only the CEOE tests; ask OSDE which Praxis test it accepts for your area.

A master’s degree in special education. OSDE’s special education manual says such a candidate “is possibly eligible to forgo taking the special education OSAT by submitting a transcript, university degree plan and course descriptions to the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA).” The manual adds that the Assessment of Professional Knowledge (APK) and the Foundations of Reading (section 3) must still be passed. The statute allows this exception for an advanced degree “substantially comparable” to a subject test’s content (70 O.S. § 6-187(F)), and OSDE’s Certification Assessments page links to OEQA’s Master’s Degree Comparability Review.

3. The other tests for a first certificate

OSDE’s Certification Assessments page says: “Two assessments are currently required for Oklahoma teacher certification: a subject area test and the professional education assessment.” It also lists a reading test: “The Foundations of Reading (FOR) assessment is now required for all individuals seeking standard certification in Early Childhood, Elementary, or Special Education.” Teachers with a standard license from another state can apply through OSDE’s out-of-state reciprocity; asked about added tests or college courses, OSDE answers: “No, not for the area(s) reciprocated.” CEOE’s Foundations of Reading page says to contact OSDE “to determine if you need to take this test.” Our Oklahoma teaching certificate guide covers reciprocity.

The Assessment of Professional Knowledge (APK) replaced the earlier professional test, the PPAT, on June 3, 2025. For the Foundations of Reading, OEQA offers a scholarship: “This is a one-time scholarship for candidates who register for the Foundations of Reading exam through June 30, 2027, or when the funds expire.” With it, after agreeing to its eligibility terms, you register with a $50 deposit, refunded once you have taken the test. CEOE says the deposit is forfeited if you are absent, do not withdraw under its registration policies, or do not take the test within one year of registering.

Renewing does not mean retesting. The State Board’s testing rule says: “Such testing requirement also does not apply to the renewal of Oklahoma teacher certification credentials” (OAC 210:20-13-1(c)). Renewal steps are in our Oklahoma teaching certificate guide.

4. Adding special education to a certificate you hold

The statute that governs certification tests allows it for teachers who came through a preparation program: “Any teacher who becomes certified to teach through completion of an accredited teacher preparation program or becomes alternatively certified to teach through the Troops to Teachers program may be certified in special education upon meeting the requirements provided in law and successful completion of the appropriate subject area portion of the examination” (70 O.S. § 6-187(C)(2), as compiled through November 18, 2025).

Teach Oklahoma says the same in plain words: “If you want to add special education to your teaching certification and you completed a traditional EPP including student teaching, then you can take the Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT) and apply for special education certification.” (An EPP is an educator preparation program.) OSDE’s special education manual adds a condition in its pathway table: the “Standard Teacher Certificate obtained through the traditional pathway must be in a core subject area” to test in a special education area.

One OSDE FAQ is narrower

OSDE’s credential areas FAQ, which ties its rule to a law “Effective November 1, 2009,” says: “Traditionally certified early childhood, elementary or special education teacher can add any of the three preceding areas by test only. Any person alternatively certified through the Troops to Teachers program may add special education by testing only. In all other cases the applicant must complete a full university program, receive a recommendation from the certification officer at the university and pass the appropriate subject-area test.” As we read it, that leaves out a teacher traditionally certified in a secondary core subject, whom the statute, Teach Oklahoma and the manual allow to add special education by test.

If you were certified through an alternative route, OSDE’s pages also disagree

• Pages that allow it. OSDE’s Alternative Placement Program FAQ says a teacher certified in a secondary or PK–12 area through that program “must pass a subject area test for a core area (if not already done), then must pass the Foundations of Reading (FOR) assessment and the subject area test to add special education.” OSDE’s special education manual says: “Any general education teacher who becomes certified to teach a core subject area through the Alternative Placement Program may take an Oklahoma approved special education subject area assessment.”
• Pages that say a test alone is not enough. In the pathway table quoted above for the core-subject condition, OSDE’s special education manual also says that “Individuals who sought an ‘alternative pathway’ to become certified as a general education teacher are not allowed to only test in a special education subject area (OSAT) to become certified as a special education teacher (See Alternative Placement Program).” The credential areas FAQ (above) names only one alternative route that may add special education by test: Troops to Teachers.

So ask before you register, however you were certified. OSDE’s special education staffing page says the same to every certificate holder: “If you currently hold an Oklahoma Teacher Certification in any area, please contact the Office of Teacher Certification,” to confirm whether you can add Mild/Moderate or Severe/Profound by test (Non-Traditional Route to Special Education Teacher Certification).

Passing the test does not add the area

The credential areas FAQ: “No, additional areas are not added automatically. You must apply to have the additional area(s) added to your certification.” You apply online in OECS, the Oklahoma Educator Credentialing System: OSDE’s Forms and Applications page lists “Most Add Area applications after passing the subject area test, if that test is the only requirement” among its online applications, and says: “Paper applications are no longer available.” The FAQ also describes a paper form with a $25 processing fee; the online fee is not stated on the pages we read. The Alternative Placement FAQ (above) includes the Foundations of Reading test, and OSDE requires that test for standard certification in special education (section 3), but the pages we read do not say plainly whether it applies when a traditionally prepared teacher adds special education. Ask OSDE if it applies to you.

Already certified in special education? The special education manual says that once a teacher holds a standard certificate in a special education area, they “may take and pass any special education subject area test to add to their certificate except for Speech-Language Pathologist.”

Certified in Oklahoma through out-of-state reciprocity? Asked whether you can add other areas, OSDE’s reciprocity FAQ says: “Secondary/PK-12 areas, including Special Education, can be added after passing the Oklahoma subject area test. If the professional education assessment (APK/PPAT/OPTE) is not required in Oklahoma for the area(s) received through reciprocity, then it must be passed prior to adding these areas.”

5. Severe-Profound by micro-credential

A teacher who holds a standard Mild-Moderate certificate has a second way to add Severe-Profound. OSDE’s Micro-Credential Route to Severe-Profound Certification page says the State Board issues “a two-year provisional certificate in the endorsement area of severe/profound disabilities to any individual who has obtained a standard certificate in mild/moderate disabilities.”

• “The application process for micro-credential will start with the district’s Superintendent or Human Resource Officer.” The statute behind it, 70 O.S. § 6-122.10, requires that the teacher has “Been recommended for a certificate in the area of severe-profound disabilities by a school district board of education.”
• “Within two years, complete the micro-credential program and apply for standard certification in the endorsement area of severe/profound.”
• “The state content area assessment (OSAT) is not required.” The statute allows either the State Board’s micro-credential program or the subject area test.

OSDE’s Alternative Pathways page lists the route as “Available to teachers who hold a five-year certificate in mild-moderate disabilities.”

6. Without an education degree: the Boot Camp

One OSDE route for people whose degree is not in education is the Non-Traditional Special Education (Boot Camp) Program, which its Alternative Pathways page marks “only for special education.” OSDE’s program page says it “provides an opportunity for individuals with non-teaching degrees to complete a Boot Camp training and teach Special Education in Oklahoma accredited schools.” The steps, from OSDE’s BOOT Requirements (January 2026):

1. Complete a bachelor’s degree.
2. Complete a “150 clock hour boot camp (120 hours training, 30 hours field experience) with an approved provider (Oklahoma college or Oklahoma school district).”
3. Apply in OECS for the first one-year provisional certificate ($50 fee), with a background check if you are not already certified in Oklahoma.
4. Each school year, complete at least 6 hours of special education coursework approved by the college (the C3 Form) and renew the provisional certificate, at no fee. There are three one-year provisional certificates in all; the third is the final one.
5. Finish 18 hours of special education college courses. The requirements say: “A master’s degree in special education waives the college approval requirement (C3 Form).”
6. Pass a special education subject area test (the Special Education Comprehensive Assessment, Mild/Moderate Disabilities or Severe-Profound/Multiple Disabilities), the Foundations of Reading and the APK.
7. Apply for the standard certificate ($50 fee).

Boot Camps are run by OSDE’s partner colleges and school districts, and OSDE’s FAQ notes: “Each partner may have their own eligibility requirements.” OSDE’s special education manual describes the route with more conditions than the BOOT Requirements: a bachelor’s degree “with a 2.75 or higher GPA,” acceptance into “a master’s degree Special Education program,” and “18 graduate hours in special education.” As we read them, the two OSDE documents differ, so ask your Boot Camp provider or OSDE which conditions apply. The program rests on 70 O.S. § 6-122.7, which calls for “a one-hundred-fifty-clock-hour special education program prescribed by the Board.”

OSDE’s Teacher Certification Data Report counts the certificates issued through this pathway: 474 in fiscal year 2020 and 729 in fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025).

Two other routes. OSDE’s Career Development Program (“only for early childhood, elementary, and special education”) “provides an opportunity for individuals with non-teaching degrees and classroom experience in Oklahoma accredited schools to teach in Early Childhood, Elementary Education, or Special Education.” The Alternative Placement Program is “not for early childhood, elementary or special education,” though teachers certified through it may later add special education (section 4).

7. Oklahoma emergency certification: none for special education

OSDE’s 2026 special education manual says, in its section on emergency certification for general education content areas:

“There are NO emergency certificates for special education. It is expressly prohibited under IDEA.”

Just before that note, the manual says: “Above information is a summary only and is not meant to replace or supersede information from the Oklahoma State Department of Education Office of Certification.” OSDE’s Emergency Certification Guidance page, written for districts, does not mention special education.

How emergency certificates work in other subjects. A district asks for them. The manual: “In order to be certified in a general education core content area, superintendents may request an emergency certification under certain conditions.” The statute adds that “prior to the issuance of an emergency certificate, the district shall document substantial efforts to employ a teacher who holds a provisional or standard certificate” (70 O.S. § 6-187(G)(1)). OSDE’s data report defines an emergency certificate as “One school year given, limited to the school district which requested it.”

OSDE issued 4,487 emergency certificates in fiscal year 2025, after 4,937 in fiscal year 2024 and 3,261 in fiscal year 2020. None of the 15 areas in either of its charts of the most-issued emergency certificate areas, fiscal years 2020 to 2025, is a special education area.

Long-term substitutes. When a district cannot find a certified special education teacher, it may use a long-term substitute who completes OSDE’s training modules. OSDE’s long-term substitutes page says: “The Long-Term Substitute cannot serve as the special education Teacher of Record (TOR).”

8. Is special education short of teachers in Oklahoma?

The two official sources we found say different things, and this guide gives both.

• The federal listing. Oklahoma’s federal Teacher Shortage Area listing for 2026-27 does not include special education. The U.S. Department of Education’s listing showed Oklahoma special education (all exceptionalities, pre-K–12) for 2019-20 through 2022-23, and not since. The listing has stated limits. Its About page says: “States are not required to report all teacher shortage areas.” It also says: “This website only displays the top 5 percent of teacher shortage areas.”
• OSDE’s own words. OSDE’s overview of its 2025-2026 Teacher Signing Bonus opens: “Oklahoma faces a persistent shortage of Special Education Classroom Teachers certified in Mild/Moderate or Severe/Profound Special Education, which impacts districts’ ability to provide quality services to students with disabilities.”

We found no current official Oklahoma shortage list for special education. Under state law, the agencies named in the statute “shall conduct an educator supply-and-demand study every three (3) years,” and “The study shall identify areas of teacher shortage and make recommendations for addressing the areas of most critical need” (70 O.S. § 6-211). We did not find a recent edition.

9. SpecialEdResource’s requirement, in its own words

SpecialEdResource hires special education teachers of any subject and grade level. Its hiring site states the requirement this way: “Special education certification and a current teaching license from any US state.” Its phone script adds: “Licenses and special education certification from any US state are welcome.” Oklahoma is one of the 14 states where SpecialEdResource can currently employ tutors, so Oklahoma residents can apply.

If your license has expired or is inactive, the application’s license question says: “Answer Yes if your license is current, or if it has expired or is inactive and you’ll renew it before you start.” It adds: “We check licenses before the first interview.” Renewal steps are in our Oklahoma teaching certificate guide.

The hiring site also describes the students: “Some students are nonspeaking and communicate with AAC or other supports, and some have multiple or more significant disabilities.”

The job’s other requirements, including where tutors must live, are on the job page.