ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 3658 By: Sterling, Phillips, Talley, and Randleman of the House
and
Pemberton
and Hicks of the Senate
An Act relating to teacher certification; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Sections 6-122.3 and 6-122.11, which relate to alternative teacher
certification; removing requirement to pass the general education portion of
the competency examination; deleting general education examination requirement;
amending 70 O.S. 2021, Sections 6-182 and 6-187, which relate to the Oklahoma
Teacher Preparation Act; modifying definition for competency examination;
removing requirement to pass the general education portion of the competency
examination; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-189.2, which relates to school
psychologist or psychometrist certification; striking reference to the general
education portion of the competency examination; and declaring an emergency.
SUBJECT:
Teacher certification
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF
SECTION 1.
AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-122.3, is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-122.3 A. The State Board of Education shall grant an
alternative placement teaching certificate to a person who makes application to
the Board and meets the following criteria:
1. a. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
institution whose accreditation is recognized by the Oklahoma State Regents for
Higher Education and has attained a retention grade point average of not less
than 2.50 on a 4.0 scale, or
b. has
successfully completed a terminal degree, such as a doctorate of philosophy, a
doctorate in education, professional doctorates, a master of fine arts degree
or a master of library science degree, from an institution accredited by a
national or regional accrediting agency which is recognized by the Secretary of
the United States Department of Education.
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall be consulted to
verify other terminal degrees, or
c. holds
at least a baccalaureate degree from an institution whose accreditation is
recognized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has qualified
work experience in a field that corresponds to an area of certification as
determined by the State Board of Education, and
d. in
addition to the requirements of subparagraphs a, b and c of this paragraph, has
demonstrated competency or completed a major in a field that corresponds to an
area of specialization for an Elementary-Secondary Certificate or a Secondary
Certificate as determined by the State Board of Education or a
vocational-technical certificate as recommended by the Oklahoma Department of
Career and Technology Education;
2. Declares the intention
to earn standard certification by means of an alternative placement program in
not more than three (3) years. The State
Board of Education shall determine the subject matter and the number of clock
or semester hours required for the professional education component for each
person making application for an alternative placement teaching certificate
based on the criteria of paragraph 1 of this subsection.
The State Board of Education shall establish a core minimum of
six (6) semester hours or ninety (90) clock hours and a maximum of eighteen
(18) semester hours or two hundred seventy (270) clock hours for the
professional education component.
The requirements set forth in this
subsection shall exclude all student teaching requirements pursuant to the
provisions of subsection E of this section;
3.
Has passed the general education and subject area portions
portion of the competency examination required in Section 6-187 of this
title in the area of specialization for which certification is sought; and
4.
Either presents a document from an accredited public school district in
this state offering employment in the area of specialization for which
certification is sought on condition that the person enroll in an alternative
placement program approved by the State Board of Education or declares the
intention to seek employment as a teacher at an accredited public school
district in this state. The certificate
granted pursuant to this subsection shall be considered a "valid
certificate of qualification" for the purposes of Sections 6-107 and 6-108
of this title, and the holder of the certificate shall be considered an
inductee for the purposes of Section 6-195 of this title.
B.
An alternative placement teaching certificate shall be renewed for not
more than a maximum of three (3) years upon presentation of a document from an
accredited public school district in this state offering renewed employment in
the same area of specialization and a document from a teacher education
institution verifying satisfactory progress in an appropriate alternative
placement program.
C.
Persons enrolled in an alternative placement program shall:
1.
Have never been denied admittance to a teacher education program
approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools and by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher
Preparation to offer teacher education programs, nor have enrolled in and
subsequently failed courses necessary to successfully meet the minimum
requirements of the program, except those persons who hold a certificate;
2.
Have on file with the director of teacher education at an Oklahoma
institution of higher education a plan for meeting standard certification
requirements within three (3) years; and
3.
Participate in an induction program as required in Section 6-195 of this
title and have the same duties and responsibilities as other inductees.
D.
The State Board of Education may grant an exception to the requirements
for certification and, upon demonstration by an individual of specific
competency in the subject area of specialization, may grant a certificate to
the individual. The State Board may
establish other requirements necessary to grant exceptions.
E.
The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability, may grant an exception to the
requirement to complete a subject area examination for initial certification in
a field which does not require an advanced degree pursuant to this section if
the candidate has an advanced degree in a subject that is substantially
comparable to the content assessed on a subject area examination. The degree shall be from an institution
accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency which is recognized by
the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. The Commission shall provide the Board with
the necessary information to determine comparability.
F.
Student teaching and a prestudent teaching field experience shall not be
required of alternative placement program participants for standard
certification.
G.
The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules authorizing adjunct
teachers who shall be persons with distinguished qualifications in their
field. Adjunct teachers shall not be
required to meet standard certification.
Adjunct teachers shall be limited to two hundred seventy (270) clock
hours of classroom teaching per semester.
H.
Each teacher education institution shall provide the Oklahoma Commission
for Teacher Preparation an annual report of information as specified by the
Commission regarding participation in the alternative placement programs
offered by the institution.
I.
The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall not accredit,
renew the accreditation of, or otherwise approve any teacher education program
of any institution of higher education in this state that has not implemented
alternative placement programs in at least four areas of specialization,
including mathematics, science and a foreign language. Each institution shall allow individuals who
meet the criteria of subsections A and C of this section to be:
1.
Admitted to an alternative placement program without further qualification;
and
2.
Offered the opportunity to complete the requirements for standard
certification set forth in subsection A of this section during the summer
preceding and the summer following the first year of teaching with an alternative
placement teaching certificate. Any
person seeking standard certification through an alternative placement program
shall be permitted to take necessary courses during regular semesters if
offered.
J.
The criteria specified in subsection I of this section can be met through
a cooperative arrangement entered into by two or more institutions of higher
education.
SECTION 2.
AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-122.11, is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-122.11 Notwithstanding
any other provision of the law, the State Board of Education shall issue a
one-year alternative teacher certificate, renewable for up to three (3) years,
to teach early childhood education or elementary education to any qualified
candidate who:
1. a. has successfully completed a terminal degree,
such as a doctorate of philosophy, a doctorate in education, professional
doctorates, a master of fine arts degree or a master of library science degree,
from an institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency
which is recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department of
Education. The Oklahoma State Regents
for Higher Education shall be consulted to verify other terminal degrees, or
b. holds
at least a baccalaureate degree from an institution whose accreditation is
recognized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has two (2)
years post-degree-completion qualified work experience in a field that
corresponds to early childhood education or elementary education; and
2. Declares the intention
to earn standard certification by means of the early childhood and elementary
education alternative certification program in not more than three (3) years
and has:
a. within
the first year satisfactorily completed six (6) credit hours in classroom
management and reading instruction from an educator preparation program
approved and accredited by the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability, completed the required State Department of Education approved
training on cognitive science of how students learn to read and participated in
a yearlong mentorship or instructional coaching in reading and classroom
management provided by the employing school district prior to the renewal of
the provisional certificate for a second year,
b. within
the second year satisfactorily completed six (6) credit hours in child
development and math instruction from an educator preparation program approved
and accredited by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability,
participated in an additional yearlong mentorship and/or instructional coaching
in child development and math instruction provided by the employing school
district prior to the renewal of the provisional certificate for a third year,
and successfully completed the general education and subject area portions
portion of the competency examination required in Section 6-187 of Title
70 of the Oklahoma Statutes this title in the area of specialization
for which certification is sought, and
c. within
the third year satisfactorily completed six (6) additional credit hours of
professional education coursework from an educator preparation program approved
and accredited by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability,
participated in an additional yearlong mentorship and/or instructional coaching
provided by the employing school district, and successfully passed the
professional knowledge portions of the competency examination required in
Section 6-187 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes this title in
the area of specialization for which certification is sought.
SECTION 3.
AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-182, is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-182. As used in
the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act:
1.
"Board" means the State Board of Education;
2.
"Commission" means the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability;
3.
"State Regents" means the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education;
4.
"Professional development program" means the program mandated
by the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act for the continuous improvement and
enrichment of the certified and licensed teachers of this state;
5.
"Teacher education professional development committee" means
the committee created in Section 6-186 of this title for the continuous
improvement and enrichment of higher education faculty in teacher education
programs in institutions of higher education;
6.
"Department" means the State Department of Education;
7.
"Induction" means a program that provides support, mentorship
and coaching to educators at the beginning of their careers or as they
transition to new roles within a school or district. Induction programs work with inductees to
assist in all matters concerning classroom management and professional
development for that teacher. Induction
programs may involve a committee of one or more mentor teachers, the principal
or an assistant principal of the employing school, one or more administrators
designated by the school district board of education, a teacher educator in a
college or school of education of an institution of higher education or an
educator in a department or school outside the institution's teacher education
unit;
8.
"Teacher" means a person defined as a teacher in Section 1-116
of this title;
9.
"Inductee" means any certified teacher who is employed in an
accredited school to serve as a teacher and the school district has elected to
place under the guidance and assistance of a mentor teacher or induction
committee. Inductees shall include those
individuals having completed the program of the college or school of education
of the accredited institution of higher education from which the person has
been graduated, and shall have successfully completed the competency
examination in areas of approval in which the inductee seeks certification,
those individuals eligible for the alternative placement teaching certificate
according to Section 6-122.3 of this title, and those individuals issued an
emergency or provisional certificate according to Section 6-187 of this
title. All teachers working in a new
role, including classroom teachers transitioning to a new role, shall be
considered inductees for purposes of induction programs;
10.
"Certified teacher" means any teacher who has been issued a
certificate by the Board in accordance with the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation
Act and the rules of the Board;
11.
"Mentor teacher" means any teacher who has been appointed to
provide guidance, support, coaching and assistance to an inductee employed by
the school district. A mentor teacher
shall be a current or former classroom teacher and have a minimum of two (2)
years of classroom teaching experience as a certified teacher.
When possible, a mentor teacher
shall have participated in mentor teacher professional development and have
expertise in the teaching field of the inductee;
12.
"Higher education faculty" means any individual who is
employed in a teaching capacity in an institution of higher education, approved
or accredited by the Commission for the preparation of education personnel; and
13.
"Competency examination" means the assessment required in the
Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act for certification as a teacher and shall
consist of tests over general education, professional education and
subject areas as defined by the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability.
SECTION 4.
AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-187, is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-187. A. Prior to July 1, 2014, a competency
examination shall be adopted by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation
and beginning July 1, 2014, a competency examination shall be adopted by the
Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability for the general
education, professional education and vario
The Commission, consistent with the purposes of this section,
shall promulgate rules and procedures to guarantee the confidentiality of
examinations.
B. No teacher candidate
shall be eligible for certification until successfully completing the
competency examination except those candidates who make application to the
State Board and meet the criteria for the alternative placement program
pursuant to Section 6-122.3 of this title.
Certification shall be limited to areas of approval in which the
certified teacher has successfully completed the examination. Subject to the provisions of subsection C of
this section, testing for certification for subjects in which a teacher
candidate or teacher is seeking a minor teaching assignment or an endorsement
to teach shall be limited to the specific subject area test.
A teacher candidate or teacher may take the general
education, professional education or subject area portions of the
examination subject to any limit imposed by the Commission.
C. 1. Except as otherwise provided for in this
subsection, a teacher may be certified in as many areas as the teacher meets
the necessary requirements provided by law and has successfully completed the
subject area portion of the examination.
2. Except as otherwise
provided for in this paragraph, certification in early childhood, elementary,
or special education shall require completion of an appropriate teacher
education program approved by the Commission.
Any teacher who is certified to teach elementary education may
be certified in early childhood education upon meeting the requirements
provided in law and successful completion of the appropriate subject area
portion of the examination. Any teacher
who is certified to teach early childhood education may be certified in
elementary education upon meeting the requirements provided in law and successful
completion of the appropriate subject area portion of the examination. Any special education teacher who becomes
certified to teach through completion of an accredited teacher preparation
program may be certified in early childhood or elementary education upon
meeting the requirements provided in law and successful completion of the
appropriate subject portion of the examination.
Any teacher who becomes certified to teach through completion of an
accredited teacher preparation program or becomes alternatively certified to
teach through the Troops to Teachers program may be certified in special
education upon meeting the requirements provided in law and successful
completion of the appropriate subject area portion of the examination. Any special education teacher who has not
completed a Commission-approved teacher education program in elementary
education or early childhood education but who has successfully completed the
subject area portion of the examination may be certified in elementary
education or early childhood education for the purpose of providing direct
instruction and serving as the teacher of record for grading purposes in
special education settings only.
D. The Commission shall
offer the competency examination at least four times per calendar year on dates
to be established by the Commission.
E. If a teacher candidate
or teacher is a non-native-English speaker, the Commission shall offer the
subject area competency examination in the native language of the teacher
candidate or teacher only if the teacher candidate or teacher is employed or
has been offered employment by a school district as a teacher in a foreign
language immersion program offered by the school district. If a non-native-English speaker who has
received certification in a subject area after taking the subject area
competency examination in the native language of the speaker seeks to add a
certification area in the future and that person is no longer employed as a
teacher in a foreign language immersion program, the examination for the
additional certification area shall be taken in English. The State Board of Education shall issue a
restricted license or certificate to any teacher who has completed a subject
area competency examination in the native language of the teacher as provided
for in this subsection restricting the teacher to teaching only in a foreign
language immersion program.
F. The State Board of
Education, in consultation with the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability, may grant an exception to the requirement to complete a subject
area examination for initial certification in a field which does not require an
advanced degree if the candidate has an advanced degree in a subject that is
substantially comparable to the content assessed on a subject area
examination. The advanced degree shall
be from an institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency
which is recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department of
Education. The Commission shall provide
the Board with the necessary information to determine comparability.
G. 1. Nothing in the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation
Act shall restrict the right of the State Board of Education to issue an
emergency or provisional certificate, as needed. Provided, however, prior to the issuance of
an emergency certificate, the district shall document substantial efforts to
employ a teacher who holds a provisional or standard certificate. In the event a district is unable to hire an
individual meeting this criteria, the district shall document efforts to employ
an individual with a provisional or standard certificate in another curricular
area with academic preparation in the field of need. Only after these alternatives have been exha
2. The State Board of
Education may renew the emergency or provisional certificate of an individual
who has been employed by a school district board of education for at least two
(2) years if the following criteria are met:
a. the
individual has been granted an emergency or provisional certificate pursuant to
paragraph 1 of this subsection for two (2) years,
b. the
individual has not successfully completed the competency examinations required
by this section,
c. the
individual submits a portfolio of his or her work to the State Board of
Education, which shall include evidence of progress toward standard certification,
d. the
employing school district board of education agrees to renew the individual's
contract to teach for the ensuing fiscal year, and
e. the
superintendent of the employing school district submits to the State Board of
Education the reason the emergency or provisional certificate should be renewed
and provides evidence of the district's inability to hire a teacher who holds a
standard certificate.
3. Individuals employed
by a school district under an emergency or provisional certificate shall not be
considered career teachers and therefore not entitled to the protections of the
Teacher Due Process Act of 1990.
SECTION 5.
AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-189.2, is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-189.2 A. Any person seeking certification as a school
psychologist or school psychometrist shall be exempt from the requirement to successfully complete the general
education and professional education portions portion of the
competency examination required pursuant to Sections 6-187 and 6-190 of this title.
B.
Any person certified as a school psychologist or school psychometrist
pursuant to a substitution or exemption as provided in this section shall be
required to complete all portions of the competency examination as required pursuant to Sections 6-187 and 6-190 of this title if such person seeks to add certification in another subject in the
future.
C.
The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall adopt rules to
implement the provisions of this section.
SECTION 6.
It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace,
health or safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof
this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and
approval.
Passed the
House of Representatives the 8th day of March, 2022.
Presiding
Officer of the House
of
Representatives
Passed the Senate the 28th day of April, 2022.
Presiding
Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office
of the Governor this ____________________ day of ___________________,
20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By:
_________________________________
Approved by the
Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _________ day of ___________________,
20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of
the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE
OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office
of the Secretary of State this __________ day of ___________________,
20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By:
_________________________________