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The State Board of Education in Ohio has developed and approved the standards and requirements to license teachers in the state. PE teachers in Ohio are licensed to teach K-12 and must follow these steps to obtain a PE teaching position in the state:
Physical education (PE) has been linked to improved cognition and quality of life for students at all grade levels. Because of this, the Ohio State Board of Education provides content standards for PE teachers. They include the following six standards:
- Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness
- Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities
- Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities
- Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction
- Exhibits responsible personal behavior and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings
- Participates regularly in physical activity
Licensed PE teachers in Ohio are expected to train their students in the appropriate grade level content so that they can master all of these standards as they progress from kindergarten through grade 12.
Step 1. Complete a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete a PE Teacher Prep Program
Residents of Ohio need at least a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for PE teacher jobs in the state. The standard route is to obtain a bachelor’s degree in PE teaching.
You can become a PE teacher in Ohio through several alternate routes as long as you have a bachelor’s degree related to health and fitness.
Four-Year Resident Educator License
Ohio is no longer issuing the Two Year Provisional License. Instead, your initial PE teaching license must be a Four Year Resident Educator License.
You can qualify for this type of license by obtaining a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Physical Education Teaching and Coaching from an Ohio institution of higher education. You can find a list of approved Ohio teacher’s education programs by downloading the Excel spreadsheet of schools. To find PE programs, search column G for “physical education” and then determine which schools offer teaching degrees in this field.
Alternative Resident Educator License
If you have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, you may be able to apply for the Alternative Resident Educator License. Having 24 semester hours in PE with a GPA of at least 2.5 will qualify you to obtain this license. You may also be considered for this license if you have extensive work experience directly related to PE.
Your first step towards obtaining this type of license is to submit your application. You will have to complete several requirements in order to apply to the Intensive Pedagogical Training Institute (IPTI).
- Evaluation of your transcripts and coursework
- Background checks (both BCI and FBI)
- Taking the OAE PE exam
The IPTI involves completing three self-paced modules cover:
- Classroom management
- Curriculum development
- Pupil assessment procedures
- Student development and learning
- Teaching methodology
You must complete these modules within six months of being accepted into the program. Once you have completed these requirements, you can get the Alternative Resident Educator License to teach in Ohio. One additional requirement is that you have to take an additional OAE exam during your second year of teaching.
Five-Year Professional Educator License
The Five Year Professional Educator License is what you will upgrade to from a Four Year Resident Educator Program or from the following steps:
- Four years of successful teaching under the Alternative Resident Educator License
- 12 semester/18 quarter hours of coursework in professional education from an approved school
- Passing the appropriate OAE exam
Supplemental Teaching License for Endorsement Areas
If you have a current Ohio standard teaching certificate or license and your school requests it, you can obtain a license to teach PE. The initial requirements include the following:
- A current standard Ohio license or teaching certificate
- Appropriate prerequisite credential
- 6 semester hours in PE
Your school district will assign a licensed PE teacher as a mentor while you are performing your supplemental teaching.
If you want to apply for a full license to teach PE, you have two options. The first involves meeting the following requirements before you submit an application:
- Completing 20 semester hours of PE coursework
- Obtaining verification from your superintendent that you have been successfully teaching PE for at least two years
The second option is to complete an approved PE teaching program and submit an application through your institution.
Step 2. Take the Physical Education Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Exam
The new Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) replaced the Praxis II series of exams for general professional teaching knowledge and PE in 2013. There are two different OAE exams that you may have to take depending on which license you apply for.
OAE Physical Education
If you are getting your Four Year Resident Educator License, you need to take the OAS PE 034 test. This three-hour computer based exam includes 150 multiple-choice questions. You can find preparation materials and buy a practice assessment for $29.95 that is good for 30 days.
The State Board of Education of Ohio requires that you get a score of 220 to pass this exam. You will also need to take this exam as part of the Alternative Resident Educator License Program or to renew your Supplemental Teaching License.
OAE Assessment of Professional Knowledge; Multi-Age (PK-12)
You will have to take this exam for either of these Ohio teacher’s licenses:
- Alternative Resident Educator License (during your second year of teaching)
- Professional Educator License
Step 3. Apply for Your Ohio PE Teacher’s License
You must apply for your initial license at the Board of Education’s educator licensure application website. All new and renewal applications must be completed online. You can find detailed information on the online application process here. If your application requires the electronic signature of a college or university official, he or she must be an e-signer before you can submit your application online.
Step 4. Meet the Requirements to Renew Your Ohio PE Teacher’s License
Five-Year Professional License
If you have a Five Year Professional License and are currently employed in an Ohio School, you need to design an Individual Professional Development Plan. You must complete the following in accordance with this plan:
- 6 semester hours related to classroom teaching and/or PE
- 18 continuing education units (CEUs)—180 contact hours
- Approved equivalent activities related to classroom teaching and/or PE
You can combine these three types of activities to use towards your license renewal.
If you are not currently employed, but have this type of license, you need to complete 6 semester or nine-quarter hours of coursework relevant to classroom teaching and/or PE. If you do not complete your coursework by September 1st of the year your license expires, the renewal requirement increases to 9 semester/13.5 quarter hours.
Two-Year Provisional License
Although the Two Year Provisional License is no longer being issued, you can still renew yours if you take coursework that is relevant to classroom teaching and/or PE:
- Valid license: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours
- Lapsed up to 5 years: 6 semester/9 quarter hours
- Lapsed over 5 years: 9 semester/13.5 quarter hours
Supplemental Teaching License for PE Endorsement
You must have the following for the first renewal of your Supplemental Teaching License for PE Endorsement:
- A current and valid standard teaching certificate or license from Ohio
- 6 semester hours of PE coursework (completed after your initial supplemental license)
- Completion of the OAE PE test
A second renewal requires the following:
- A current valid standard teaching certificate or license from Ohio
- 6 semester hours of PE coursework (completed after the issue date of the license that you are renewing)
Phys Ed Teacher Salary in Ohio
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, through its online Labor Market Information portal, reports a median phys ed teacher salary in Ohio of $50,394. The highest-paying area in the state is the Toledo region where the median salary is $58,800. Just behind Toledo is Nelsonville, which is in the southeast region of Ohio, where the median is $55,763.
Here is a look at some of the median phys ed teacher salaries by city:
- Cincinnati MSA: $45,735
- Dayton MSA: $32,939
- Dayton Region (West Ohio): $39,265
The Cleveland School District offers the following salary schedule to phys ed teachers:
“A” Level (By Years of Experience)
- 0-2 Years: $34,390
- 5 Years: $35,875
- 10 Years: $38,350
- 15 Years: $40,825
- 20 Years: $43,300
- 25 Years: $47,835
- 30 Years: $50,310
- 35 Years: $52,785
“AA” Level (By Years of Experience)
- 0-2 Years: $37,280
- 5 Years: $39,260
- 10 Years: $42,560
- 15 Years: $45,860
- 20 Years: $49,160
- 25 Years: $54,520
- 30 Years: $57,820
- 35 Years: $61,120
“AAA” Level (By Years of Experience)
- 0-2 Years: $38,694
- 5 Years: $40,875
- 10 Years: $44,510
- 15 Years: $48,145
- 20 Years: $51,780
- 25 Years: $57,475
- 30 Years: $61,110
- 35 Years: $64,745
“AAAA” Level (By Years of Experience)
- 0-2 Years: $40,108
- 5 Years: $42,490
- 10 Years: $46,460
- 15 Years: $50,430
- 20 Years: $54,400
- 25 Years: $60,430
- 30 Years: $64,400
- 35 Years: $68,370
Further salary information, as provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is contained in the following table: