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Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1255

Oklahoma 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1255 Compare Versions

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5353 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
5454
5555 2nd Session of the 58th Legislature (2022)
5656
5757 SENATE BILL 1255 By: Montgomery
5858
5959
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6363 AS INTRODUCED
6464
6565 An Act relating to teacher certification; amending 70
6666 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -122.3, which relates to
6767 alternative certification; removing reference to
6868 specific master degrees; allowing any master ’s degree
6969 to meet certain requirement; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
7070 Section 6-187, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter
7171 319, O.S.L. 2021, which relat es to teacher competency
7272 examinations; requiring the Commission for
7373 Educational Quality and Accountability to contract
7474 with multiple vendors to provide certain
7575 examinations; providing an effective date; and
7676 declaring an emergency .
7777
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8181 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
8282 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -122.3, is
8383 amended to read as follows:
8484 Section 6-122.3. A. The State Board of Education shall grant
8585 an alternative placement teaching certifi cate to a person who makes
8686 application to the Boa rd and meets the following criteria:
8787 1. a. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
8888 institution whose accreditation is recognized by the
8989 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has
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141141 attained a retention grade point average of not less
142142 than 2.50 on a 4.0 scale, or
143143 b. has successfully completed a terminal degree, such as
144144 a doctorate of philosophy, a doctorate in education,
145145 professional doctorates, a master of fine arts degree
146146 or a master of library science degree, master’s degree
147147 from an institution accredited by a national or
148148 regional accrediting agency which is recognized by the
149149 Secretary of the United States Department of
150150 Education. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
151151 Education shall be consult ed to verify other terminal
152152 degrees, or
153153 c. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
154154 institution whose accreditation is recognized by the
155155 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has
156156 qualified work experience in a field that corresponds
157157 to an area of certification as determined by the State
158158 Board of Education, and
159159 d. in addition to the requirements of subparagraphs a, b
160160 and c of this paragraph, has demonstrated competency
161161 or completed a major in a field that corresponds to an
162162 area of specializati on for an Elementary-Secondary
163163 Certificate or a Secondary Certificate as determined
164164 by the State Board of Education or a vocational -
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216216 technical certificate as recommended by the Oklahoma
217217 Department of Career and Technology Education;
218218 2. Declares the intenti on to earn standard certification by
219219 means of an alternative placement program in not more than three (3)
220220 years. The State Board of Education shall determine the subject
221221 matter and the number of clock or semester hours required for the
222222 professional education component for each person making application
223223 for an alternative placement teaching certificate based on the
224224 criteria of paragraph 1 of this subsection.
225225 The State Board of Education shall establish a core minimum of
226226 six (6) semester hours or ninety (90) clock hours and a maximum of
227227 eighteen (18) semester hours or two hundred seventy (270) clock
228228 hours for the professional education component.
229229 The requirements set forth in this subsection shall exclude all
230230 student teaching requirements pursuant to the prov isions of
231231 subsection E of this section;
232232 3. Has passed the general education and subject area portions
233233 of the competency examination required in Section 6 -187 of this
234234 title in the area of specialization for which certification is
235235 sought; and
236236 4. Either presents a document from an accredited public school
237237 district in this state offering employment in the area of
238238 specialization for which certification is sought on condition that
239239 the person enroll in an alternative placement program approved by
240240
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291291 the State Board of Education or declares the intention to seek
292292 employment as a teacher at an accredited public school district in
293293 this state. The certificate granted pursuant to this subsection
294294 shall be considered a “valid certificate of qualification ” for the
295295 purposes of Sections 6-107 and 6-108 of this title, and th e holder
296296 of the certificate shall be considered an inductee for the purposes
297297 of Section 6-195 of this title.
298298 B. An alternative placement teaching certificate shall be
299299 renewed for not more than a maximum of three (3) years upon
300300 presentation of a document f rom an accredited public school district
301301 in this state offering renewed employment in the same area of
302302 specialization and a document from a teacher education institution
303303 verifying satisfactory progress in an appropriate alternative
304304 placement program.
305305 C. Persons enrolled in an alternative placement program shall:
306306 1. Have never been denied admittance to a teacher education
307307 program approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,
308308 the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and by the
309309 Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation to offer teacher
310310 education programs, nor have enrolled in and subsequently failed
311311 courses necessary to successfully meet the minimum requirements of
312312 the program, except those persons who hold a certificate;
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364364 2. Have on file with the director of teacher education at an
365365 Oklahoma institution of higher education a plan for meeting standard
366366 certification requirements within three (3) years; and
367367 3. Participate in a n induction program as required in Section
368368 6-195 of this title and have the same duties and responsibilities as
369369 other inductees.
370370 D. The State Board of Education may grant an exception to the
371371 requirements for certification and, upon demonstration by an
372372 individual of specific competency in the subject area of
373373 specialization, may grant a certificate to the individual. The
374374 State Board may establish other requirements necessary to grant
375375 exceptions.
376376 E. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
377377 Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, may g rant an
378378 exception to the requirement to complete a subject area examination
379379 for initial certification in a field which does not require an
380380 advanced degree pursuant to this section if the candidate ha s an
381381 advanced degree in a subject that is substantially c omparable to the
382382 content assessed on a subject area examination. The degree shall be
383383 from an institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting
384384 agency which is recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department
385385 of Education. The Commission shal l provide the Board with the
386386 necessary information to determine comparability.
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438438 F. Student teaching and a prestudent teaching field experience
439439 shall not be required of alternative placement program p articipants
440440 for standard certification.
441441 G. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules
442442 authorizing adjunct teachers who shall be persons with distinguished
443443 qualifications in their field. Adjunct teachers shall not be
444444 required to meet standard cer tification. Adjunct teachers shall be
445445 limited to two hundred seventy (270) clock hours of classroom
446446 teaching per semester.
447447 H. Each teacher education institution shall provide the
448448 Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation an annual report of
449449 information as specified by the Commission regarding participation
450450 in the alternative placement programs offered by the institution.
451451 I. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall not
452452 accredit, renew the accreditation of, or otherwise approve any
453453 teacher education program of any institution of higher education i n
454454 this state that has not implemented alternative placement programs
455455 in at least four areas of specialization , including mathematics,
456456 science and a foreign language. Each institution shall allow
457457 individuals who meet the criteria of subsections A and C of this
458458 section to be:
459459 1. Admitted to an alternative placement program without further
460460 qualification; and
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512512 2. Offered the opportunity to complete the requirements for
513513 standard certification set forth i n subsection A of this section
514514 during the summer precedin g and the summer following the first year
515515 of teaching with an alternative placement teaching certificate. Any
516516 person seeking standard certification through an alternative
517517 placement program shall be permitted to take necessary courses
518518 during regular semest ers if offered.
519519 J. The criteria specified in subsection I of this section can
520520 be met through a cooperative arrangement entered into by two or more
521521 institutions of higher education.
522522 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -187, as
523523 last amended by Section 1, Chapter 319, O.S.L. 2021 , is amended to
524524 read as follows:
525525 Section 6-187. A. Prior to July 1, 2014, a competency
526526 examination shall be adopted by the Oklahoma Commissi on for Teacher
527527 Preparation and beginning July 1, 2014, a competency examination
528528 shall be adopted by the Commission for Educational Quality and
529529 Accountability for the general education, professional education ,
530530 and various subject areas and grade levels for purposes of ensuring
531531 academic achievement and competency of each teacher candidate or
532532 teacher in the subject area the person is seeking certification to
533533 teach which shall also include certification as an administrator, as
534534 prescribed by the State Board of E ducation.
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586586 The Commission, consistent with the purposes of this section,
587587 shall promulgate rules and procedures to guarantee the
588588 confidentiality of examinations.
589589 B. No teacher candidate shall be eligible for certification
590590 until successfully completing the c ompetency examination except
591591 those candidates who make ap plication to the State Board and meet
592592 the criteria for the alternative placement program pursuant to
593593 Section 6-122.3 of this title. Certification shall be limited to
594594 areas of approval in which the c ertified teacher has successfully
595595 completed the examinati on. Subject to the provisions of subsection
596596 C of this section, testing for certification for subjects in which a
597597 teacher candidate or teacher is seeking a minor teaching assignment
598598 or an endorsement to teach shall be limited to the specific subject
599599 area test.
600600 A teacher candidate or teacher may take the general education,
601601 professional education , or subject area portions of the examination
602602 subject to any limit imposed by the Commission.
603603 C. 1. Except as otherwis e provided for in this subsection, a
604604 teacher may be certified in as many areas as the teacher meets the
605605 necessary requirements provided b y law and has successfully
606606 completed the subject area portion of the examination.
607607 2. Except as otherwise provided for in this paragraph,
608608 certification in early chil dhood, elementary, or special education
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660660 shall require completion of an appropriate teacher education program
661661 approved by the Commission.
662662 Any teacher who is certified to teach elementary education may
663663 be certified in early childhood education upon meeting t he
664664 requirements provided in law and successful completion of the
665665 appropriate subject area p ortion of the examination. Any teacher
666666 who is certified to teach early childhood education may be certified
667667 in elementary education upon meeting the requirements pr ovided in
668668 law and successful completion of the appropriate subject area
669669 portion of the examination. Any special education teacher who
670670 becomes certified to teach through completion of an accredited
671671 teacher preparation program may be certified in early chil dhood or
672672 elementary education upon meeting the requirements provided in law
673673 and successful completion of the appropriate subject portion of the
674674 examination. Any teacher who becomes certified to teach through
675675 completion of an accredited teacher preparation program or becomes
676676 alternatively certified to teach through the Troops to Teachers
677677 program may be certified in special education upon meeting the
678678 requirements provided in law and successful completion of the
679679 appropriate subject area portion of the examina tion. Any special
680680 education teacher who has not completed a Commission -approved
681681 teacher education program in elementary education or early childhood
682682 education but who has successfully completed the subject are a
683683 portion of the examination may be certified in elementary education
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735735 or early childhood education for the purpose of providing direct
736736 instruction and serving as the teacher of record for grading
737737 purposes in special education settings only.
738738 D. 1. The Commission shall contract with multiple vendors t o
739739 provide the general education, professional education, and subject
740740 area examinations required by this section.
741741 2. The Commission shall offer the competency examination at
742742 least four times per calendar year o n dates to be established by the
743743 Commission.
744744 E. If a teacher candidate or teacher is a non -native-English
745745 speaker, the Commission shall offer the subject area competency
746746 examination in the native language of the teacher candidate or
747747 teacher only if the te acher candidate or teacher is employed or has
748748 been offered employment by a school district as a teacher in a
749749 foreign language immersion p rogram offered by the school district.
750750 If a non-native-English speaker who has received certification in a
751751 subject area after taking the subject area competency exa mination in
752752 the native language of the speaker seeks to add a certification area
753753 in the future and that person is no longer employed as a teacher in
754754 a foreign language immersion program, the examination for the
755755 additional certification area shall be taken in English. The State
756756 Board of Education shall issue a restricted license or certificate
757757 to any teacher who has completed a subject area competency
758758 examination in the native language of the teacher as provided for in
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810810 this subsection restricting the teache r to teaching only in a
811811 foreign language immersion program.
812812 F. The State Board of Educatio n, in consultation with the
813813 Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, may grant an
814814 exception to the requir ement to complete a subject area examination
815815 for initial certification in a field which does not require an
816816 advanced degree if the candid ate has an advanced degree in a subject
817817 that is substantially comparable to the content assessed on a
818818 subject area examination. The advanced degree shall be from an
819819 institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency
820820 which is recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department
821821 of Education. The Commission shall provide the Board with the
822822 necessary information to determine comparability.
823823 G. 1. Nothing in the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act shall
824824 restrict the right of the State Board of Education to issue an
825825 emergency or provisional certificate, as needed. Provided, however,
826826 prior to the issuance of an emergency certificate, the district
827827 shall document substantial efforts to employ a teacher who holds a
828828 provisional or standard certificate. In the event a district is
829829 unable to hire an individual meeting this criteria, the district
830830 shall document efforts to employ an individual with a provisio nal or
831831 standard certificate in another curricular area with academic
832832 preparation in the field of need. Only after these alternatives
833833 have been exhausted shall the district be allowed to employ an
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885885 individual meeting minimum standards as established by the State
886886 Board of Education for the issuance of emergency certificates.
887887 2. The State Board of Education may renew the emergency or
888888 provisional certificate of an individual who has been employed by a
889889 school district board of education for at least two (2) yea rs if the
890890 following criteria are met:
891891 a. the individual has been granted an emergen cy or
892892 provisional certificate pursuant to paragraph 1 of
893893 this subsection for two (2) years,
894894 b. the individual has not successfu lly completed the
895895 competency examinations requ ired by this section,
896896 c. the individual submits a portfolio of his or her work
897897 to the State Board of Education, which shall include
898898 evidence of progress toward standard certification,
899899 d. the employing school di strict board of education
900900 agrees to renew the individual’s contract to teach for
901901 the ensuing fiscal year, and
902902 e. the superintendent of the employing school district
903903 submits to the State Board of Education the reason the
904904 emergency or provisional certificate should be renewed
905905 and provides evidence of th e district’s inability to
906906 hire a teacher who holds a standard certificate.
907907 3. Individuals employed by a school district under an emergency
908908 or provisional certificate shall not be considered career teachers
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960960 and therefore not entitled to the protections of the Teacher Due
961961 Process Act of 1990.
962962 SECTION 3. This act shall bec ome effective July 1, 2022.
963963 SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
964964 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
965965 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
966966 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
967967
968968 58-2-3378 EB 1/12/2022 9:52:22 AM