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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
SENATE BILL 1038 By: Thompson and Hall of the
Senate
and
Wallace and Hilbert of the
House
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
An Act relating to teacher education; amending 70
O.S. 2011, Section 1 -116, as last amended by Section
1, Chapter 273, O.S.L. 2019 (70 O.S. Supp. 2020,
Section 1-116), which relates to positions in a
school system; modifying definition of student
teacher to allow certain compensation; prohibiting
compensation from being considered for certain
purposes; amending 70 O.S. 2011, Section 6-186, as
last amended by Section 2, Chapter 273, O.S.L. 2019
(70 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 6 -186), which relates to
teacher education pr ograms; removing language
allowing only students w ho have completed certain
requirement to participate in certain paid
internship; updating statutory re ference; providing
an effective date; and declaring an emergency .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2011, Section 1 -116, as
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 273, O.S.L. 2019 (70 O.S. Supp.
2020, Section 1-116), is amended to read as follows:
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Section 1-116. As used in this title:
1. “Teacher” means any person who is e mployed to serve as
district superintendent, principal, supervisor, a counselor,
librarian, school nurse or classroom teacher or in any oth er
instructional, supervisory or administrative capacity. The person
shall not be deemed qualified unless the person holds a valid
certificate issued by and in accordance with the rules of the State
Board of Education or the rules of the State Board of Ca reer and
Technology Education, to perform the particular services for which
the person is employed;
2. “Superintendent” or “superintendent of schools ” means the
executive officer of the board of education and the administrative
head of the school system o f a district maintaining an accredited
school, provided the person holds an administrat or’s certificate
recognized by the State Board of Education;
3. “Principal” means any person other than a district
superintendent of schools having supervisory or admin istrative
authority over any school or school building having two or more
teachers. A teaching principal shall be a principal who devotes at
least one-half (1/2) the time school is in session to classroom
teaching. Teaching principals shall be required t o hold
administrative certificates;
4. “Teachers” means, for purposes of complying wit h the State
Aid Law and other statutes, but not any other provision of law,
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which apportion money on the basis of teaching units or the number
of teachers employed or qu alified, all persons holding proper
certificates and connected in any capacity with the instruction of
pupils;
5. “Inductee” means any certified teacher who is employed in a
local school to serve as a classroom teacher under the guidance and
assistance of a mentor teacher or teachers;
6. “Student teacher” means any student who is enrolled in an
institution of higher le arning approved by the State Board of
Education for teacher training and who is jointly assigned by the
institution of higher learning and a board of education of a school
district to perform practice teaching under the direct ion of a
regularly employed an d certified teacher. A student teacher, while
serving an internship under the supervision of a certified teacher,
shall be accorded the sa me protection of the laws as that accorded
the certified teacher and shall be eligible to receive compensation
beginning on the first day of the intern ship for up to one full
school year; provided, however, that such compensation shall not be
considered compensation for p urposes of teacher retirement or the
minimum salary schedule ;
7. “School nurse” means a person emplo yed full time by a board
of education who is a registered nurse licensed by the Oklahoma
State Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education and is
certified the same as a teacher by the State Board of Education.
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Provided, that any person who is emplo yed as a full-time school
nurse in any school district in Oklahoma who is not registered on
the effective date of this act July 2, 1971, may continue to serve
in the same capacity; however, such person shall, under rules
adopted by the State Board of Educa tion, attend classes in nursing
and prepare to become registered.
A school nurse employed by a board of education shall be
accorded the same protection of laws and a ll other benefits accorded
a certified teacher; and
8. “Support employee” means an employee who provides those
services which are not performed by certified teachers, principals,
superintendents or administrators and which are necessary for the
efficient and satisfactory functioning of a school district.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2011, Section 6-186, as
last amended by Section 2, Chapter 273, O.S.L. 2019 (70 O.S. Supp.
2020, Section 6-186), is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-186. A. Criteria for the approval and accreditation
of teacher education programs in Oklahoma institutions of higher
education shall include, but not be limited to, substantial evidence
that persons who enter teacher education programs demonstrate:
1. Competency in the oral and written use of the English
language;
2. A minimum grade poi nt average as established by the
Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability; and
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3. The ability to meet criteria established pursuant to the
Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act at the completion of the teacher
education program and provide evidenc e of having worked with
children or youth in a variety of situations.
Criteria shall also in clude a greater emphasis upon field work
in accredited schools by prospective teachers under the supervision
of higher education facul ty.
B. The Commission for Edu cational Quality and Accountability
shall work with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Ed ucation and
the various institutions of higher education in developing
guidelines for a paid teacher internship program which may be
offered at each institution for prospective teachers. The purpose
of each program shall be to provide mentorship and suppo rt for
prospective teachers. Students enrolled in a teacher education
program shall be eligible to participate in the program . Only
students who have completed th e minimum teacher internship
requirement as established by the institution shall be eligible to
participate in the paid teacher internship program .
C. It is hereby declared to be the intent of the Legislature
that the Commission for Educational Quality an d Accountability work
with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the various
institutions of higher education in establishing a procedure whereby
full-time teacher education faculty continue their professional
development during their tenure at an institution of higher
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education to ensure that the future teachers of this state are
taught by professional educators fully trained in their area of
expertise. Each approved or accredited program of teacher education
shall have a system for document ing and reporting the annual
professional development activities of all teacher education fa culty
members. Faculty professional development reports shall be reviewed
by the Commission along with professional development activ ities as
a normal part of the accreditation process.
It is further declared to be the intent of the Legislature that
such professional development plans provide alternative means of
education including, but not limited to:
1. Professional development prog rams;
2. Higher education cou rses;
3. Exchange programs with public school classroom teachers,
administrators, and other school personnel; and
4. Programs whereby all full -time teacher education faculty
members directly involved in the teacher education process,
including all admini strators of the teacher education program, are
required to serve in a state accredited publi c school for at least
ten (10) clock hours per school year in responsibilities related to
their respective teacher education teaching fields.
All public school syst ems shall participate in the programs
provided for in this subsection when needed.
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D. The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability
shall adopt rules requiring specific improvements to strengthen the
screening of student applicants and field a ctivity and placement as
set out in subsection A of this section. Such rules shall be
reviewed and amended or readopted by the Commission at least once
every five (5) years.
E. To assist the Commission in setting specific re quirements as
set out in subsections A and D of this section, the Commission shall
annually prepare a statistical report s howing the percentage of
students from each of the Oklahoma institutions of higher education
who have successfully completed or who ha ve failed the competency
examination for certification. The annual report shall show the
percentages for each institution of higher education and each
assessment area separately by student degree status and shall be
distributed annually to each member of the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability, the Oklahoma State Regents
for Higher Education, the governing board of each institution which
has an approved or state accredited teacher education program, the
State Board of Education, the State Board of Career and Technolog y
Education and the Legislature.
F. By November 1, 2017, the Commission shall adopt rules
requiring coursework or training in the use of digital and other
instructional technologies as a requisite for program accreditation.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2021.
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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 thi s act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
58-1-2168 EB 5/14/2021 12:51:08 PM