Statement of Eligibility (SOE) Requirements
- Christine Zinkand
An issued Statement of Eligibility informs a New Hampshire employer that you have met the minimum requirements to be hired in the role of the endorsement sought and begin the Site-Based Licensing Plan process.
General Information
First-Time Applicants
Criminal History Record Check Clearance now required for First-Time Applicants
Employment
A New Hampshire Senior Educational Official may hire a candidate who holds a Statement of Eligibility (SOE) to fill a position in the endorsement area for which they hold the SOE and continues employment while pursuing full licensure under an Intern Authorization.
An SOE is NOT an authorization for continued employment or a full license. A Beginning of Plan must be submitted/approved and an Intern Authorization issued for continued employment.
SOE’s are often not appropriate for long-term subs (more than 20 consecutive days/less than 1 year) or 1 year positions as the process is time/effort intensive and a plan will likely not be able to be completed during a long-term sub/1 year position.
Completing a Plan
An SOE is only valid for 3 years. If full licensure is not completed under an Intern Authorization for the endorsement of the SOE during this time, a new SOE must be applied for/issued.
While an applicant may apply for as many SOE endorsements as eligible to increase employment opportunities, once hired a candidate may only participate in one endorsement SBLP at a time.
Refer to the Step by Step Site-Based Licensing Plan Instructions for an explanation of the process for licensure after the SOE has been issued.
Additional subject testing may be required while under an Intern Authorization for full licensure.
The Site-Based Licensing Plan (SBLP) process leads to the same license as completion of an approved educator preparation program and should be as rigorous.
Requirements for all SOE’s
Candidates applying for an SOE must:
hold at least a conferred Bachelor’s degree (some endorsements require advanced degrees), AND
have successfully met the Basic Academic Skills Assessment (if required)
Career and Technical Education Specialty Area endorsement requirements differ. Please see below for further information.
Meet specific endorsement requirements (see below)
To submit:
Transcript(s) with registrar’s signature
Documentation of meeting Basic Academic Skills Assessment (if required)
Specific endorsement requirements (documentation required if applicable)
Experience: employer verified letter
“Experience” means full-time employment in a specific educator role, or equivalent to full-time, and does not include time in a role requiring a credential if the educator did not hold the required credential.
Educator experience used to qualify to utilize this pathway must have been in a jurisdiction that is subject to US education and special education laws and regulations. Such jurisdictions include any US state, US territories, and DoDEA schools.
Coursework and degrees: transcript with registrar’s signature
Test Scores: test score report with applicant’s identifying information
From your ETS-Praxis account, use the EPP Test Requirements link to display all tests available through ETS. For tests being used only to obtain an SOE that are not required for full licensure, do not choose NHDOE as a recipient of scores otherwise the test will not show up on the list. Instead, obtain a PDF of your test score report once available from ETS and upload the PDF to your myNHDOE/EIS account.
Specific Endorsement Requirements for an SOE
Endorsements Available and Requirements use as reference to review competency requirements for coursework required below as applicable
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Specialty Areas (SOE/CTESA)
Critical Shortage (SOE/SHORT)
Student Loan deferment and cancellation:
Endorsements eligible for deferment and cancellation of some student loans can be found here: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.html
Elementary Education (K-6) and Early Childhood Education (N-3) (SOE/EEECE)
Elementary Education (K-8) (SOE/EEK8)
New Endorsements (5 years from effective date of a new endorsement rule) (SOE/NEWEND)
Currently there are no NH endorsements that meet this criteria.
Teacher, Specialist, Administrator Endorsements (SOE/CLGCRS)
Complete list of endorsements
SOE/CLGCRS is not available for:
Assistant Principal
Principal
District Administrator
Assistant Superintendent
Superintendent
Requirement for all endorsements:
Passed 15 college-level credits in the endorsement area
No Other Available Pathway (SOE/NOPATH)
Currently there are no NH endorsements that meet this criteria.