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Read. Follow. Verify.North Carolina eliminates standardized testing requirements for teacher licensure
Last action · April 17, 2025: Serial Referral To State and Local Government Stricken (House action)Sponsors: Tricia Cotham and 7 others
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What This Bill Would Do
North Carolina repeals all statutory standardized testing prerequisites for obtaining a teacher license and bans the State Board of Education from creating new exam mandates for applicants. The measure applies to anyone applying for a teacher license on or after the date the act becomes law.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Teacher license applicants
State Board of Education
The Board is prohibited from adopting any rules or policies requiring standardized examinations for teacher license applicants.
Local boards of education
Local boards may request limited licenses for teachers without the requirement that applicants fulfill previous examination requirements.
Key Facts
- Repeals G.S. 115C-269.15(a), G.S. 115C-269.25(g), and G.S. 115C-270.15 regarding licensure testing requirements.
- Adds G.S. 115C-270.15A to prohibit the State Board of Education from requiring a standardized examination as a condition for receiving a teacher license.
- Amends G.S. 115C-270.20(4a) to prohibit the State Board from requiring individuals to demonstrate preparation through achieving a prescribed minimum score on a standardized examination for a limited license.
- Takes effect upon becoming law and applies to applications submitted on or after that date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this bill eliminate testing requirements for existing teachers who already hold a license?
Can the State Board of Education still require tests for limited licenses?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- Apr 17, 2025HouseSerial Referral To State and Local Government Stricken
- Apr 1, 2025HouseRef to the Com on Education - K-12, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
- Apr 1, 2025HousePassed 1st Reading
- Mar 27, 2025HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Removal of Statewide Testing Gatekeepers
The legislation shifts North Carolina teacher credentialing policy away from mandatory standardized testing toward local board evaluation and affidavits for limited licenses.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.ncleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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