1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
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2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
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3|SENATE BILL 969 By: Jett |
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4| |
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5| |
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6| AS INTRODUCED |
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7| An Act relating to teacher certification; amending 70 |
| O.S. 2021, Section 6-122.11, as amended by Section 2, |
8| Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section |
| 6-122.11), which relates to alternative teacher |
9| certificates; updating reference to certain subject |
| area competency examination; removing requirement to |
10| pass the professional knowledge portion of a |
| competency examination; amending 70 O.S. 2021, |
11| Section 6-182, as amended by Section 3, Chapter 220, |
| O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 6-182), |
12| which relates to definitions under the Oklahoma |
| Teacher Preparation Act; removing certain definition; |
13| modifying certain definition; amending 70 O.S. 2021, |
| Section 6-187, as last amended by Section 4, Chapter |
14| 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 6-187), |
| which relates to competency examinations for |
15| certification; removing requirement to adopt certain |
| professional education examination; updating |
16| reference to certain examination; amending 70 O.S. |
| 2021, Section 6-189.2, as amended by Section 5, |
17| Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section |
| 6-189.2), which relates to school psychologist or |
18| psychometrist certification; removing exemption from |
| certain examination; updating reference to certain |
19| examination; updating reference to certain |
| commission; providing an effective date; and |
20| declaring an emergency. |
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21| |
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22|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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Req. No. 1614 Page 1
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1| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-122.11, as |
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2|amended by Section 2, Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, |
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3|Section 6-122.11), is amended to read as follows: |
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4| Section 6-122.11. Notwithstanding any other provision of the |
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5|law, the State Board of Education shall issue a one-year alternative |
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6|teacher certificate, renewable for up to three (3) years, to teach |
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7|early childhood education or elementary education to any qualified |
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8|candidate who: |
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9| 1. a. has successfully completed a terminal degree, such as |
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10| a doctorate of philosophy, a doctorate in education, |
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11| professional doctorates, a master of fine arts degree, |
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12| or a master of library science degree, from an |
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13| institution accredited by a national or regional |
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14| accrediting agency which is recognized by the |
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15| Secretary of the United States Department of |
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16| Education. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher |
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17| Education shall be consulted to verify other terminal |
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18| degrees, or |
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19| b. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an |
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20| institution whose accreditation is recognized by the |
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21| Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has |
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22| two (2) years post-degree-completion qualified work |
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23| experience in a field that corresponds to early |
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24| childhood education or elementary education; and |
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1| 2. Declares the intention to earn standard certification by |
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2|means of the early childhood and elementary education alternative |
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3|certification program in not more than three (3) years and has: |
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4| a. within the first year satisfactorily completed six |
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5| (6) credit hours in classroom management and reading |
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6| instruction from an educator preparation program |
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7| approved and accredited by the Commission for |
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8| Educational Quality and Accountability, completed the |
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9| required State Department of Education approved |
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10| training on cognitive science of how students learn to |
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11| read, and participated in a yearlong mentorship or |
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12| instructional coaching in reading and classroom |
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13| management provided by the employing school district |
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14| prior to the renewal of the provisional certificate |
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15| for a second year, |
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16| b. within the second year satisfactorily completed six |
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17| (6) credit hours in child development and math |
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18| instruction from an educator preparation program |
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19| approved and accredited by the Commission for |
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20| Educational Quality and Accountability, participated |
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21| in an additional yearlong mentorship and/or |
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22| instructional coaching in child development and math |
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23| instruction provided by the employing school district |
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24| prior to the renewal of the provisional certificate |
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1| for a third year, and successfully completed the |
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2| subject area portion of the competency examination |
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3| examination(s) required in Section 6-187 of this title |
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4| in the area of specialization for which certification |
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5| is sought, and |
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6| c. within the third year satisfactorily completed six |
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7| (6) additional credit hours of professional education |
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8| coursework from an educator preparation program |
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9| approved and accredited by the Commission for |
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10| Educational Quality and Accountability, and |
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11| participated in an additional yearlong mentorship |
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12| and/or instructional coaching provided by the |
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13| employing school district, and successfully passed the |
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14| professional knowledge portions of the competency |
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15| examination required in Section 6-187 of this title in |
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16| the area of specialization for which certification is |
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17| sought. |
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18| SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-182, as |
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19|amended by Section 3, Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, |
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20|Section 6-182), is amended to read as follows: |
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21| Section 6-182. As used in the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act: |
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22| 1. "Board" means the State Board of Education; |
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23| 2. "Commission" means the Commission for Educational Quality |
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24|and Accountability; |
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1| 3. "State Regents" means the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher |
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2|Education; |
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3| 4. "Professional development program" means the program |
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4|mandated by the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act for the continuous |
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5|improvement and enrichment of the certified and licensed teachers of |
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6|this state; |
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7| 5. "Teacher education professional development committee" means |
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8|the committee created in Section 6-186 of this title for the |
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9|continuous improvement and enrichment of higher education faculty in |
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10|teacher education programs in institutions of higher education; |
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11| 6. "Department" means the State Department of Education; |
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12| 7. 6. "Induction" means a program that provides support, |
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13|mentorship, and coaching to educators at the beginning of their |
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14|careers or as they transition to new roles within a school or |
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15|district. Induction programs work with inductees to assist in all |
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16|matters concerning classroom management and professional development |
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17|for that teacher. Induction programs may involve a committee of one |
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18|or more mentor teachers, the principal or an assistant principal of |
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19|the employing school, one or more administrators designated by the |
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20|school district board of education, a teacher educator in a college |
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21|or school of education of an institution of higher education, or an |
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22|educator in a department or school outside the institution's teacher |
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23|education unit; |
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24| |
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1| 8. 7. "Teacher" means a person defined as a teacher in Section |
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2|1-116 of this title; |
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3| 9. 8. "Inductee" means any certified teacher who is employed in |
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4|an accredited school to serve as a teacher and the school district |
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5|has elected to place under the guidance and assistance of a mentor |
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6|teacher or induction committee. Inductees shall include those |
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7|individuals having completed the program of the college or school of |
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8|education of the accredited institution of higher education from |
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9|which the person has been graduated, and shall have successfully |
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10|completed the competency examination in areas of approval in which |
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11|the inductee seeks certification, those individuals eligible for the |
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12|alternative placement teaching certificate according to Section |
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13|6-122.3 of this title, and those individuals issued an emergency or |
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14|provisional certificate according to Section 6-187 of this title. |
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15|All teachers working in a new role, including classroom teachers |
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16|transitioning to a new role, shall be considered inductees for |
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17|purposes of induction programs; |
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18| 10. 9. "Certified teacher" means any teacher who has been |
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19|issued a certificate by the Board in accordance with the Oklahoma |
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20|Teacher Preparation Act and the rules of the Board; |
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21| 11. 10. "Mentor teacher" means any teacher who has been |
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22|appointed to provide guidance, support, coaching, and assistance to |
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23|an inductee employed by the school district. A mentor teacher shall |
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1|be a current or former classroom teacher and have a minimum of two |
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2|(2) years of classroom teaching experience as a certified teacher. |
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3| When possible, a mentor teacher shall have participated in |
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4|mentor teacher professional development and have expertise in the |
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5|teaching field of the inductee; |
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6| 12. 11. "Higher education faculty" means any individual who is |
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7|employed in a teaching capacity in an institution of higher |
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8|education, approved or accredited by the Commission for the |
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9|preparation of education personnel; and |
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10| 13. 12. "Competency examination" means the assessment required |
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11|in the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act for certification as a |
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12|teacher and shall consist of tests test(s) over professional |
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13|education and subject areas as defined by the Commission for |
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14|Educational Quality and Accountability. |
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15| SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-187, as |
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16|last amended by Section 4, Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. |
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17|2022, Section 6-187), is amended to read as follows: |
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18| Section 6-187. A. Prior to July 1, 2014, a competency |
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19|examination shall be adopted by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher |
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20|Preparation and beginning July 1, 2014, a competency examination |
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21|shall be adopted by the Commission for Educational Quality and |
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22|Accountability for the professional education and various subject |
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23|areas and grade levels for purposes of ensuring academic achievement |
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24|and competency of each teacher candidate or teacher in the subject |
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1|area the person is seeking certification to teach which shall also |
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2|include certification as an administrator, as prescribed by the |
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3|State Board of Education. |
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4| The Commission, consistent with the purposes of this section, |
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5|shall promulgate rules and procedures to guarantee the |
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6|confidentiality of examinations. |
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7| B. No teacher candidate shall be eligible for certification |
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8|until successfully completing the competency examination except |
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9|those candidates who make application to the State Board of |
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10|Education and meet the criteria for the alternative placement |
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11|program pursuant to Section 6-122.3 of this title. Certification |
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12|shall be limited to areas of approval in which the certified teacher |
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13|has successfully completed the examination. Subject to the |
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14|provisions of subsection C of this section, testing for |
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15|certification for subjects in which a teacher candidate or teacher |
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16|is seeking a minor teaching assignment or an endorsement to teach |
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17|shall be limited to the specific subject area test. |
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18| A teacher candidate or teacher may take the professional |
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19|education or subject area portions of the examination examination(s) |
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20|subject to any limit imposed by the Commission. |
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21| C. 1. Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, a |
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22|teacher may be certified in as many areas as the teacher meets the |
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23|necessary requirements provided by law and has successfully |
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24| |
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1|completed the subject area portion of the examination |
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2|examination(s). |
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3| 2. Except as otherwise provided for in this paragraph, |
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4|certification in early childhood, elementary, or special education |
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5|shall require completion of an appropriate teacher education program |
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6|approved by the Commission. |
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7| Any teacher who is certified to teach elementary education may |
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8|be certified in early childhood education upon meeting the |
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9|requirements provided in law and successful completion of the |
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10|appropriate subject area portion of the examination examination(s). |
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11|Any teacher who is certified to teach early childhood education may |
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12|be certified in elementary education upon meeting the requirements |
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13|provided in law and successful completion of the appropriate subject |
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14|area portion of the examination examination(s). Any special |
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15|education teacher who becomes certified to teach through completion |
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16|of an accredited teacher preparation program may be certified in |
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17|early childhood or elementary education upon meeting the |
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18|requirements provided in law and successful completion of the |
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19|appropriate subject portion of the examination area examination(s). |
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20|Any teacher who becomes certified to teach through completion of an |
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21|accredited teacher preparation program or becomes alternatively |
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22|certified to teach through the Troops to Teachers program may be |
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23|certified in special education upon meeting the requirements |
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24|provided in law and successful completion of the appropriate subject |
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1|area portion of the examination examination(s). Any special |
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2|education teacher who has not completed a Commission-approved |
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3|teacher education program in elementary education or early childhood |
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4|education but who has successfully completed the subject area |
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5|portion of the examination examination(s) may be certified in |
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6|elementary education or early childhood education for the purpose of |
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7|providing direct instruction and serving as the teacher of record |
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8|for grading purposes in special education settings only. |
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9| D. The Commission shall offer the competency examination at |
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10|least four times per calendar year on dates to be established by the |
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11|Commission. |
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12| E. If a teacher candidate or teacher is a non-native-English |
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13|speaker, the Commission shall offer the subject area competency |
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14|examination in the native language of the teacher candidate or |
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15|teacher only if the teacher candidate or teacher is employed or has |
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16|been offered employment by a school district as a teacher in a |
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17|foreign language immersion program offered by the school district. |
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18|If a non-native-English speaker who has received certification in a |
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19|subject area after taking the subject area competency examination in |
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20|the native language of the speaker seeks to add a certification area |
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21|in the future and that person is no longer employed as a teacher in |
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22|a foreign language immersion program, the examination for the |
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23|additional certification area shall be taken in English. The State |
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24|Board of Education shall issue a restricted license or certificate |
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1|to any teacher who has completed a subject area competency |
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2|examination in the native language of the teacher as provided for in |
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3|this subsection restricting the teacher to teaching only in a |
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4|foreign language immersion program. |
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5| F. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the |
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6|Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, may grant an |
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7|exception to the requirement to complete a subject area examination |
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8|for initial certification in a field which does not require an |
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9|advanced degree if the candidate has an advanced degree in a subject |
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10|that is substantially comparable to the content assessed on a |
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11|subject area examination. The advanced degree shall be from an |
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12|institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency |
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13|which is recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department |
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14|of Education. The Commission shall provide the Board with the |
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15|necessary information to determine comparability. |
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16| G. 1. Nothing in the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act shall |
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17|restrict the right of the State Board of Education to issue an |
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18|emergency or provisional certificate, as needed. Provided, however, |
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19|prior to the issuance of an emergency certificate, the district |
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20|shall document substantial efforts to employ a teacher who holds a |
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21|provisional or standard certificate. In the event a district is |
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22|unable to hire an individual meeting this criteria, the district |
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23|shall document efforts to employ an individual with a provisional or |
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24|standard certificate in another curricular area with academic |
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1|preparation in the field of need. Only after these alternatives |
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2|have been exhausted shall the district be allowed to employ an |
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3|individual meeting minimum standards as established by the State |
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4|Board of Education for the issuance of emergency certificates. |
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5| 2. The State Board of Education may renew the emergency or |
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6|provisional certificate of an individual who has been employed by a |
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7|school district board of education for at least two (2) years if the |
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8|following criteria are met: |
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9| a. the individual has been granted an emergency or |
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10| provisional certificate pursuant to paragraph 1 of |
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11| this subsection for two (2) years, |
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12| b. the individual has not successfully completed the |
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13| competency examinations examination(s) required by |
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14| this section, |
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15| c. the individual submits a portfolio of his or her work |
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16| to the State Board of Education, which shall include |
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17| evidence of progress toward standard certification, |
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18| d. the employing school district board of education |
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19| agrees to renew the individual's contract to teach for |
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20| the ensuing fiscal year, and |
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21| e. the superintendent of the employing school district |
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22| submits to the State Board of Education the reason the |
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23| emergency or provisional certificate should be renewed |
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24| |
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1| and provides evidence of the district's inability to |
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2| hire a teacher who holds a standard certificate. |
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3| 3. Individuals employed by a school district under an emergency |
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4|or provisional certificate shall not be considered career teachers |
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5|and therefore not entitled to the protections of the Teacher Due |
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6|Process Act of 1990. |
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7| SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-189.2, as |
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8|amended by Section 5, Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, |
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9|Section 6-189.2), is amended to read as follows: |
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10| Section 6-189.2. A. Any person seeking certification as a |
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11|school psychologist or school psychometrist shall be exempt from the |
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12|requirement to successfully complete the professional education |
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13|portion of the competency examination required pursuant to Sections |
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14|6-187 and 6-190 of this title. |
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15| B. Any person certified as a school psychologist or school |
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16|psychometrist pursuant to a substitution or exemption as provided in |
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17|this section shall be required to complete all portions of the |
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18|competency examination as required pursuant to Sections 6-187 and |
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19|6-190 of this title if such person seeks to add certification in |
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20|another subject in the future. |
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21| C. B. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation |
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22|Educational Quality and Accountability shall adopt rules to |
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23|implement the provisions of this section. |
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24| SECTION 5. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. |
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1| SECTION 6. It being immediately necessary for the preservation |
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2|of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby |
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3|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and |
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4|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. |
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