ENROLLED SENATE
BILL NO. 1429 By: Haste of the Senate
and
Sterling
of the House
An Act relating to teacher certification; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section
6-122.3, which relates to alternative teaching certification; providing an
option of passing certain test or having certain degrees; amending 70 O.S.
2021, Section 6-187, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 319, O.S.L. 2021,
which relates to teacher competency examinations; providing exemption from
certain test for teacher candidate or teacher with certain degrees; providing
an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
SUBJECT: Teacher certification
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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 portion of the competency
examination required in Section 6-187 of this title or has a master's degree or a doctorate degree from an
institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency which is
recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education;
4.
Has passed the
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. 5. 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 6-187, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 319, O.S.L. 2021, 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. 1. 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.
2. A teacher candidate or
teacher shall be exempt from the requirement to pass the general education
portion of the competency examination required by this section if he or she has
a master's degree or a doctorate degree
from an institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency
which is recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
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 3.
This act shall become effective July 1, 2022.
SECTION 4.
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 Senate the 8th day of March, 2022.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
Passed the House of Representatives the 28th day of April, 2022.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
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: _________________________________