1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
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2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
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3|HOUSE BILL 2072 By: Caldwell (Chad) |
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5| |
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6| AS INTRODUCED |
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7| An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021, |
| Section 5-106, which relates to school district |
8| boards of education; prescribing minimum education |
| requirement for superintendents; authorizing board to |
9| establish additional requirements and qualifications |
| for superintendents; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section |
10| 6-189, which relates to superintendent and principal |
| certification; modifying certification requirements |
11| for superintendents; deleting alternative |
| certification for superintendents; providing an |
12| effective date; and declaring an emergency. |
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13| |
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14| |
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15|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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16| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 5-106, is |
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17|amended to read as follows: |
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18| Section 5-106. A. The governing board of each school district |
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19|in Oklahoma is hereby designated and shall hereafter be known as the |
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20|board of education of such district. Except as otherwise provided |
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21|in this section, the superintendent of schools appointed and |
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22|employed by the board shall be the executive officer of the board |
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23|and shall perform duties as the board directs. A superintendent of |
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24|schools appointed and employed by the board shall possess, at a |
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1|minimum, a baccalaureate degree. The board may establish additional |
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2|requirements and qualifications for superintendent candidates as it |
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3|deems necessary to fulfill the duties of employment. |
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4| B. The board may contract with a superintendent for a term as |
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5|mutually agreed upon but not to exceed three (3) years beyond the |
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6|fiscal year in which the contract is approved by the board and |
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7|accepted by the superintendent. The contract shall include all |
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8|other terms and conditions as agreed upon in writing by the board |
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9|and the superintendent. |
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10| C. The boards of two or more school districts may contract with |
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11|one superintendent to serve as superintendent of the school |
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12|districts as provided in Section 4 5-106A of this act title. |
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13| D. No board of a school district having average daily |
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14|membership (ADM) of fewer than five hundred (500) pupils shall be |
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15|prohibited from allowing a superintendent to serve simultaneously as |
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16|a principal. |
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17| E. The chief executive officer of the board of education of a |
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18|district in which a public developmental research school is |
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19|established shall be the director of the school appointed as |
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20|provided in Section 1210.577 of this title. |
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21| SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-189, is |
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22|amended to read as follows: |
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23| Section 6-189. A. The certification system required by the |
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24|Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act as part of the new teacher |
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1|preparation system shall be competency-based. The competencies for |
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2|certification shall be integrated with competencies specified in |
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3|Section 6-185 of this title. By July 1, 1996, the State Board of |
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4|Education shall adopt general competencies for certification, and by |
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5|January 1, 1997, the Board shall have adopted full competencies and |
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6|implemented the certification system as required in this act. No |
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7|higher education courses or credit hours may be specified by the |
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8|State Board of Education in rules for certification. Nothing in the |
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9|certification rules adopted by the Board shall prohibit the Oklahoma |
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10|State Regents for Higher Education from adopting policies and |
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11|procedures it deems appropriate for coursework, grade point average, |
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12|or credit hours for teacher preparation at institutions in The |
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13|Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. |
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14| B. The certification requirements for a school principal not |
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15|alternatively certified under subsection D of this section shall |
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16|include not less than: |
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17| 1. Completion of a standard master's degree; |
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18| 2. Completion of a program in education administration approved |
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19|by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation with an emphasis |
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20|on curriculum, instruction and building-level leadership skills. |
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21|The requirement in this paragraph shall not apply to any person who |
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22|has completed a master's degree program in education that included |
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23|competencies that are substantially equal to those listed in this |
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24|paragraph and if the degree was completed prior to July 1, 2005; |
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1| 3. Any other professional education and requirements as may be |
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2|fixed by the State Board of Education; |
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3| 4. A passing score on the subject area competency examination |
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4|required in Section 6-187 of this title; and |
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5| 5. A minimum of two (2) years of successful teaching experience |
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6|in public or private schools accredited by the State Board of |
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7|Education or by the proper accrediting authority of another state of |
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8|the United States. |
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9| C. The certification requirements for a superintendent of |
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10|schools not alternatively certified under subsection D of this |
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11|section shall include not less than: |
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12| 1. Certification as a school principal or completion of the |
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13|certification requirements for a school principal as set forth in |
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14|subsection B of this section; |
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15| 2. Completion of a program in education administration approved |
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16|by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation with an emphasis |
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17|on district-level leadership skills, and which shall include the |
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18|following competencies: |
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19| a. instructional leadership, |
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20| b. organizational leadership, including education |
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21| finance, education law, and risk management, |
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22| c. collaborative and community leadership, and |
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23| d. ethical leadership. |
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1| The requirement in this paragraph shall not apply to any person |
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2|who has completed an Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation |
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3|approved Master's Degree in Education Administration or has |
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4|completed a program in education that included competencies that are |
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5|substantially equal to those listed in this paragraph, and if the |
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6|degree or program was completed between the effective date of this |
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7|act and July 1, 2005; |
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8| 3. Any other professional education and requirements as may be |
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9|fixed by the State Board of Education; |
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10| 4. A passing score on the subject area competency examination |
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11|required in Section 6-187 of this title; and |
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12| 5. A minimum of two (2) years of administrative experience in |
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13|public or private schools accredited by the State Board of Education |
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14|or by the proper accrediting authority of another state of the |
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15|United States, at a minimum, completion of a baccalaureate degree. |
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16| D. 1. The standards for alternative certification for |
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17|superintendents of schools and principals shall include: |
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18| a. the completion of a standard master's degree, |
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19| b. two (2) years of relevant work experience in a |
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20| supervisory or administrative capacity, |
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21| c. a passing score on the subject area competency |
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22| examination required in Section 6-187 of this title, |
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23| and |
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1| d. filing with the director of teacher education at an |
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2| Oklahoma accredited institution of higher education a |
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3| plan for completing an alternative administrative |
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4| preparation program within three (3) years. Relevant |
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5| work experience and coursework may be considered and |
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6| applied to complete the plan. |
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7| 2. An alternative certificate for superintendent of schools and |
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8|principals shall not exceed three (3) years and shall not be |
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9|renewable. |
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10| 3. Upon successful completion of an alternative administrative |
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11|preparation program by a participant, the State Board of Education |
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12|shall issue a standard certificate for superintendent or principal, |
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13|as applicable, to the applicant. |
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14| 4. Any person participating in an alternative certification |
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15|program for superintendent of schools and principals on the |
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16|effective date of this act shall be subject to the program |
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17|requirements in effect prior to the effective date of this act. |
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18| E. The certification requirements for a superintendent of a |
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19|technology center school district shall include not less than a |
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20|standard master's degree, any other professional education |
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21|requirements as may be fixed by the State Board of Education, and a |
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22|minimum of four (4) years teaching, supervisory or administrative |
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23|experience, which may include teaching of full-time adult students, |
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24|in a technology center school district. A person meeting the |
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1|requirements set forth in subsection C of this section shall be |
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2|eligible for a certificate for superintendent of a technology center |
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3|school district. |
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4| F. The State Board of Education and the State Board of Career |
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5|and Technology Education shall promulgate rules for a certification |
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6|system option specifically for teachers and instructors in the |
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7|technology center school districts. The teacher preparation system |
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8|shall be competency-based. The competencies for certification shall |
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9|be integrated with competencies of this title, as well as reflect |
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10|industry-based skills, standards and certifications. |
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11| G. Certificates issued by the State Board of Education may be |
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12|revoked by the State Board of Education for willful violation of any |
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13|rule of the Board or of any federal or state law or other proper |
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14|cause but only after sufficient hearing has been given before the |
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15|Board. |
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16| H. Teaching in a Head Start program or programs shall be used |
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17|for renewal of a standard teaching certificate. |
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18| SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. |
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19| SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation |
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20|of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby |
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21|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and |
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22|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. |
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23| |
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24| 59-1-7053 EK 01/16/23 |
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