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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 58th Legislature (2022)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 3658 By: Sterling
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
An Act relating to teacher certification; amending 70
O.S. 2021, Sections 6-122.3 and 6-122.11, which
relate to alternative teacher certifica tion; removing
requirement to pass the general education portion of
the competency examination; del eting general
education examination requirement; amending 70 O.S.
2021, Sections 6-182 and 6-187, which relate to t he
Oklahoma Teacher Prep aration 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 t he competency
examination; and declaring an emergency .
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 mee ts the following criteria:
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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 comp leted 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 nationa l or regional
accrediting agency w hich 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 d egree from an
institution whose ac creditation 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
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area of specialization for an Elementary -Secondary
Certificate or a Secondary Certificate as de termined
by the State Board of Edu cation 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 prog ram in not more than three (3)
years. The State Board of Education shall de termine 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 placeme nt teaching certificate based on t he
criteria of paragraph 1 of this subsect ion.
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 s eventy (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 i n Section 6-187 of
this title in the area of specialization for which certification is
sought; and
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4. Either presents a document from an accredited public school
district in this state offering employment in the a rea of
specialization for which certificat ion 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 schoo l 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 i nductee 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 publi c 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 a lternative placement program shall:
1. Have never been denied admittan ce 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 T eacher Preparation to offer t eacher
education programs, nor have enroll ed in and subsequently failed
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courses necessary to successfully meet the minimum requirements of
the program, except those persons who hold a certificate;
2. Have on file with the dire ctor of teacher education at an
Oklahoma institution of higher educatio n 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 individu al. The
State Board may establish other r equirements 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 s ubject 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
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of Education. The Commission shall provide the Board wit h the
necessary information t o 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 p romulgate 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) cloc k 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 place ment programs offered by the institution.
I. The Oklahoma Commission f or 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 n ot implemented alternative pl acement 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:
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1. Admitted to an alternative p lacement 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 follow ing the first year
of teaching with an alternative placement teaching c ertificate. 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 subsec tion 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 educa tion 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
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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 v erify other terminal
degrees, or
b. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
institution whose accredita tion 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 yea r 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 sch ool district
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prior to the renewal of t he 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 accredit ed by the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability, participated
in an additional yearlong mento rship 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 in the area of
specialization for which certi fication 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 Accoun tability, participated
in an additional yearlong mentorship and/or
instructional coaching provided by the employing
school district, and successfully passed the
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professional knowledge portions of the competency
examination required in Section 6 -187 of Title 70 of
the Oklahoma Statutes 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 Regent s for Higher
Education;
4. "Professional development program " means the program
mandated by the Oklahoma Teacher Preparat ion Act for the continuous
improvement and enrichment of the certified and licensed teachers of
this state;
5. "Teacher education pro fessional development committee " means
the committee created in Section 6 -186 of this title for the
continuous improvement and enrichment of higher education facult y 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 educa tors at the beginning of their
careers or as they transition to new roles within a school or
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district. Induction programs work with i nductees to assist in all
matters concerning classroom management and professional developmen t
for that teacher. Inductio n programs may involve a committee of one
or more mentor teachers, the principal or an assistant principal of
the employing school, on e or more administrators designated by the
school district board of education, a teacher educ ator in a college
or school of education of an institution of higher ed ucation 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 guidanc e and assistance of a mentor
teacher or induction committee. Inductees shall include those
individuals having completed t he program of the college or school of
education of the accredited institution of higher education from
which the person has been grad uated, and shall have successfully
completed the competency examination in areas of approval in which
the inductee seeks c ertification, those individuals eligible f or 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 clas sroom teachers
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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 di strict. A mentor teacher sha ll be a
current or former classroom teache r and have a minimum of two (2)
years of classroom teaching experience as a certified teache r.
When possible, a mentor teacher shall have participated in
mentor teacher professional dev elopment and have expertise i n the
teaching field of the inductee;
12. "Higher education faculty " means any individual who is
employed in a teaching capacity in a n institution of higher
education, approved or accredited by the Commission for the
preparation of education personnel; an d
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 fo r
Educational Quality and Accountability.
SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -187, is
amended to read as follows:
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Section 6-187. A. Prior to July 1, 2014, a competency
examination shall be adopted by the Oklahoma Commi ssion for Teacher
Preparation and beginnin g July 1, 2014, a competency examination
shall be adopted by the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability for t he general education, professional education and
various subject areas and grade levels fo r purposes of ensuring
academic achievement and competency of each teacher candidate or
teacher in the subject area the person is seeking certification to
teach which shall also include certification as an administrator, as
prescribed by the State Board of Education.
The Commission, consistent wit h the purposes of this section,
shall promulgate rules and procedures to guarantee the
confidentiality of examinat ions.
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 sub jects in which a
teacher candidate or teacher is seeking a minor teachi ng assignment
or an endorsement to teach shall be limited to the specif ic subject
area test.
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A teacher candidate or teacher may take the general education,
professional education or sub ject area portions of the examination
subject to any limit imposed by t he Commission.
C. 1. Except as otherwise provided for in this subsect ion, a
teacher may be certified in as many areas as the teacher meets the
necessary requirements provided by law a nd has successfully
completed the subject area portion of the examinati on.
2. Except as otherwise p rovided for in this paragraph,
certification in early childhood, elementary, or special education
shall require completion of an appropriate teacher educati on program
approved by the Commission.
Any teacher who is certified to teach elementary education ma y
be certified in early childhood educatio n 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 childh ood education may be certifie d
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 certifi ed in early childhood or
elementary education upon meeting the requirements provided in law
and successful complet ion of the appropriate subject portion of the
examination. Any teacher who becomes certified to tea ch through
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completion of an accredited tea cher 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 complet ion of the
appropriate subject area portio n 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 m ay 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 sh all offer the subject area co mpetency
examination in the native languag e 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 immersi on program offered by the sch ool 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
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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 certifica te
to any teacher who has com pleted a subject area competency
examination in the native language of the teacher as provided for in
this subsection restricting the teacher to teaching on ly in a
foreign language immersion program.
F. The State Board of Educ ation, in consultation with t he
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 ca ndidate has an advanced degre e in a subject
that is substantially compa rable 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 Uni ted States Department
of Education. The C ommission 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 Stat e Board of Education to issue an
emergency or provisional certificate, as needed. Provided, however,
prior to the issuance of an emergency certificate, the distric t
shall document substantial efforts to employ a teacher who holds a
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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 pro visional or
standard certificate in another curricular area with academic
preparation in the field of need. Only after t hese alternatives
have been exhausted shall the district be allowed to employ an
individual meeting minimum standards as esta blished by the State
Board of Education for the issuance of emergency certificates.
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 le ast two (2) years if the
following criteria are met:
a. the individual has been granted an emergency o r
provisional certificate pur suant 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, whic h shall include
evidence of progress towar d 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
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e. the superintendent o f the employing school distri ct
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 dist rict 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.
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C. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall adopt
rules to implement the provisions of th is 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 eff ect and
be in full force from and after it s passage and approval.
58-2-10547 MJ 02/15/22