ASPIRING TEACHERS
IPS offers several pathways to become a licensed teacher – and we’ll support you along the way. Join Team IPS and Prove What’s Possible for our 30,000+ students
and community.
Pre-Service Teachers: Classroom Experiences
IPS Registered Teacher
Apprenticeship Program (RTAP)
Launched in Fall 2025, the inaugural cohort of IPS RTAP apprentices represents an exciting first “on ramp” in what is a range of professional educator pathways (PEPs) within IPS. Apprentices pursue a Bachelor's degree through a combination of job-embedded experiences and Marian University online coursework. Candidates for this opportunity include current IPS non-licensed classified staff who are interested in becoming classroom teachers at a greatly reduced or no cost.
Partner: Marian University & Ivy Tech Community College
Requirements:
Apprenticeship (On-Ramp 3): Associate’s Degree or 60 Transferable Credits
Pre-Apprenticeship (On-Ramps 1 & 2): High School Diploma or Equivalent/No Prior College/University Coursework Needed
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Elementary Education: Yes
Secondary Content Areas: No
Early Childhood Education: No
Special Education: No
Teaching English as a New Language (ENL): No
THANK YOU Powers & Sons Construction
for supporting the first IPS
RTAP scholarship!
IndyTeach Apprenticeship
The IndyTeach Apprenticeship is a no-cost, paid, fully classroom-embedded educator training program offering
a path to teaching for aspiring teachers who have already completed a prior undergraduate degree. Candidates for this program include current IPS employees or those who wish to pursue a new career in education after starting in other careers.
Partner: Christel House Indianapolis
Requirements: Bachelor's Degree (min 3.0 GPA or 2.50 GPA + 5 years of related work experience)
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Elementary Education: Yes
Secondary Content Areas: Yes
Early Childhood Education: No
Special Education: No
Teaching English as a New Language (ENL): No
Early College Teacher Program (ECTP)
The Early College Teacher Pathway (ECTP) at Arsenal Technical High School, starting Fall 2024, provides an opportunity for IPS high school juniors to earn dual credit and gain work-based learning in education. Sophomores in the Education Professions pathway can apply to the two-year Butler ECTP to earn dual credit, learn from college professors, and experience campus life. ECTP prepares students to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Education at Butler University and return to teach in IPS, while including an academic articulation path and additional supports.
Partner: Butler University
Requirements: Junior at Arsenal Technical High School
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Elementary Education: Yes
Secondary Content Areas: No
Early Childhood Education: No
Special Education: No
Teaching English as a New Language (ENL): No
Licensure Testing Support Pathway for IPS Emergency Permit (EP), Transition to Teaching (T2T) Permit, and
Alternative Special Education
(Alt SpEd) Teachers
IPS provides testing support by paying for costs related to Passage Preparation (PP) study coursework and required Praxis assessment(s) for teachers hired into certified teaching roles at high-need schools or in high-need subject areas.
PP courses are aligned to content measured on the Praxis licensure exams required by the Indiana Department of Education and include embedded practice quizzes and tests throughout the modules and following course completion.
Partner: Passage Preparation and ETS/Praxis
Requirements: Current IPS Teachers who:
Are pursuing full licensure in a high-need subject area (Special Education, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science) OR
Are employed by IPS at a high-need school or in a high-need subject area, AND
Have evidence of prior attempt(s) to pass Praxis test(s) corresponding to area of licensure in which currently teaching
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Elementary Education: Yes
Secondary Content Areas: Yes
Early Childhood Education: Yes
Special Education: Yes
Teaching English as a New Language (ENL): Yes
“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.”