State Grade Levels Name of Middle Level Certification/ License/ Endorsement *Grade Level Spans That Include Middle Grades 5-9 Subject Areas Included in Middle Level Certification/ Licensure
Alabama 4-8 Middle Level K-6, 4-8, 6-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Alaska 5-8 Middle School K-5, K-8, 5-12, 7-12, 9-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Arizona 5-9 Middle Grades 5-9 Endorsement K-8, 5-8, 7-12 Endorsement not subject specific
Arkansas 4-8 Middle Childhood K-6, 4-8, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
California NA No Middle Level License PK-12 Self Contained and PK-12 Departmentalized No middle level license
Colorado NA No Middle Level License K-6, 7-12 No middle level license
Connecticut 4-8 Middle School Education K-6, 4-8,7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Delaware 6-8 Middle Level K-6, 6-8,9-12 (9-12 certified teachers can teach in grades 6-8 in middle schools) Language arts, math, science, social studies
District of Columbia 4-8 Middle School 1-6, 4-8, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Florida 5-9 Middle Grades Education K-6, 5-9, 6-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Georgia 4-8 Middle Grades Education P-5, 4-8, 6-12 Reading, language arts, math, science, social studies
Hawaii 5-9 Level 5-9 License K-6, 5-9, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, languages, and other content areas
Idaho NA No Middle Level License K-8, 6-12 No middle level license
Illinois 5-8 & 6-8 Middle School Education K-9, 5-8, 6-8, 6-12, 9-12 Twenty-eight different areas including core subjects
Indiana 5-9 Middle School Education K-6, 5-9, 5-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Iowa 5-8 Middle Level Endorsement K-8, 5-8, 5-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Kansas 5-8 Late Childhood/ Early Adolescence Grades 5-8 K-6 (new),K-8 (old), 5-8, 6-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Kentucky 5-9 Middle School Education K-5, 5-9, 8-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Louisiana 4-8 Middle Grades Education 1-5, 4-8, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Maine 5-8 Middle Level Education K-8, 5-8, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Maryland 4-9 Middle School 1-6, 4-9, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Massachusetts 5-8 Middle School PreK-6, 1-6, 5-8, PreK-8, 5-12, 8-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, humanities, English, and other areas
Michigan 5-9 Middle Level Education K-8, 5-9, 6-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, art, family and consumer science, music, foreign languages, and other areas
Minnesota 5-8 Middle Level Endorsement K-6, 5-8, 5-12 Communication arts and literature, math, science, social studies
Mississippi 7-8 Middle Grades Education K-6, 7-8, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Missouri 5-9 Middle School Education 1-6, 5-9, 9-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Montana NA No Middle Level License K-8, 5-12 No middle level license
Nebraska 4-9 Middle Grades Education K-6, K-8, 4-9, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, art, foreign languages, physical education, technology, and other areas
Nevada 7-9 Middle School K-8, 7-9, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
New Hampshire 5-8 and 5-9 Mathematics, Social Studies, Language Arts 5-8 and Science 5-9 K-6, K-8, 5-8, 5-9, 5-12, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
New Jersey 5-8 Elementary with Subject Matter Specialization K-5, 5-8, P-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, foreign languages
New Mexico 5-9 Middle Level Education K-8, 5-9, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, languages, reading, and other areas
New York 5-9 Middle Childhood Education 1-6, 5-9, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, foreign languages , generalist
North Carolina 6-9 Middle Grades Education K-6, 6-9, 9-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
North Dakota 5-8 Middle School Pedagogical Endorsement 1-6, 5-8, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Ohio 4-9 Middle Childhood Education PK-3 with grades 4-5 endorsement, 4-9, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Oklahoma 6-8 Middle Level 1-8, 6-8, 6-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, and other areas
Oregon 5-9 Middle Level Education Endorsement PK-8, 5-9, 9-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, multiple subjects
Pennsylvania 4-8 Elementary/ Middle 4-8 PK-4, 4-8, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Rhode Island 5-8 Middle Grades Education 1-6, 5-8, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, foreign languages
South Carolina 5-8 Middle Level Education PK-6, 5-8, 9-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
South Dakota 5-8 Middle Level Education K-8, 5-8, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Tennessee 4-8 Middle Grades Education K-6, 4-8, 7-12 STEM and generalist
Texas 4-8 Middle Grades Education PreK-6, 4-8, 7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Utah NA No Middle Level License K-6, 1-8, 6-12 No Middle Level License
Vermont 5-9 Middle Grades Education K-6, 5-9,7-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Virginia 6-8 Middle Level Education PK-6, 6-8, 6-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies
Washington 4-9 Middle Level Education K-8, 4-9, 5-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, humanities
West Virginia 5-9 Middle School Education PK-K, K-6, 5-9, 5-adult, 9-adult Language arts, math, science, social studies , foreign languages
Wisconsin 5-8 Early Adolescence-Regular Education K-8, 1-8, 5-8, 5-12, 6-12, 7-12, 9-12 Subject specific in selected subject areas such as language arts, math, science, social studies
Wyoming 5-8 Middle Level Endorsement K-6, 5-8, 6-12 Language arts, math, science, social studies, health, reading, and other areas

*Licensure configurations that do not include some combination of grades 5-9 are not included, for example grades PK-3. Additionally, teaching areas that typically include all grade levels like instrumental music are not included in this column.

Note: Surveys inquiring about middle level teacher licensure regulations were sent to the certification/licensure offices of all states and the District of Columbia. Responses were received from 41 states and data from these responses were incorporated into the information provided. For the remaining states, data were collected from licensure/certification resources posted on state departments of education websites. State licensure regulations change frequently and some of the information provided here may no longer be accurate. Persons interested in more detailed information should contact each respective state.

Submitted by C. Kenneth McEwin, Member
AMLE Professional Preparation Advisory Committee
mcewinck@appstate.edu