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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
56	56
57	57	SENATE BILL 285 By: Kirt
58	58
59	59
60	60
61	61
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63	63	AS INTRODUCED
64	64
65	65	An Act relating to teacher certification; amend ing 70
66	66	O.S. 2021, Section 6 -122.3, as last amended by
67	67	Section 1, Chapter 121, O.S.L. 2022 (7 0 O.S. Supp.
68	68	2022, Section 6-122.3), which relates to alternative
69	69	teacher certification; updating statutory language;
70	70	allowing the State Board of Edu cation to grant
71	71	certain exception to licensed mental hea lth
72	72	professionals; providing eligibility for except ion;
73	73	providing an effective date; and declaring an
74	74	emergency.
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79	79	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
80	80	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -122.3, as
81	81	last amended by Section 1, Chapter 121, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp.
82	82	2022, Section 6-122.3), is amended to read as follows:
83	83	Section 6-122.3. A. The State Board of Education shall grant
84	84	an alternative placem ent teaching certificate to a person who makes
85	85	application to the Board and meets the following criteria:
86	86	1. a. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
87	87	institution whose accreditation is recognized by the
88	88	Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education a nd has
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140	140	attained a retention grade point average of not less
141	141	than 2.50 on a 4.0 scale, or
142	142	b. has successfully completed a terminal degree, such as
143	143	a doctorate of philosophy, a doctorate in education,
144	144	professional doctorates, a master of fine arts degree,
145	145	or a master of library science degree, from an
146	146	institution accredited by a national or regional
147	147	accrediting agency which is recognized by the
148	148	Secretary of the United States Department of
149	149	Education. The Oklah oma State Regents for Higher
150	150	Education shall be con sulted to verify other terminal
151	151	degrees, or
152	152	c. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
153	153	institution whose accreditation is recognized by the
154	154	Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has
155	155	qualified work experience in a field that corresponds
156	156	to an area of certification as determine d by the State
157	157	Board of Education, and
158	158	d. in addition to the requirements of subparagraphs a, b ,
159	159	and c of this paragraph, has demonstrated competency
160	160	or completed a major in a field that corresponds to an
161	161	area of specialization for an Elementary-Secondary
162	162	Certificate elementary-secondary certificate or a
163	163	Secondary Certificate secondary certificate as
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215	215	determined by the State Board of Education or a
216	216	vocational-technical certificate as recommended by the
217	217	Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology
218	218	Education;
219	219	2. Declares the intention to earn standard certificatio n by
220	220	means of an alternative placement program in not more than three (3)
221	221	years. The State Board of Education shall determine the subject
222	222	matter and the number of cl ock or semester hours required for the
223	223	professional education component for each person ma king application
224	224	for an alternative placement teaching certificate bas ed on the
225	225	criteria of paragraph 1 of this subsection.
226	226	The State Board of Education shall establ ish a core minimum of
227	227	six (6) semester hours or ninety (90) clock hours and a maximum of
228	228	eighteen (18) semester hours or two hundred seventy (270) clock
229	229	hours for the professional education component.
230	230	The requirements set forth in this subsection shall ex clude all
231	231	student teaching requirements pursuant to the provisions of
232	232	subsection E of this s ection;
233	233	3. Has passed the general education and subject area portions
234	234	portion of the competency examination required in Section 6 -187 of
235	235	this title in the area of special ization for which certification is
236	236	sought; and
237	237	4. Either presents a document from an accredited public school
238	238	district in this state offering employment in the ar ea of
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290	290	specialization for which certification is sought on condition that
291	291	the person enroll in an alternative placement program approved by
292	292	the State Board of Education or declares the intention to seek
293	293	employment as a teacher at an accredited public school district in
294	294	this state. The certificate granted pursuant to this subsection
295	295	shall be considered a “valid certificate of qualification” for the
296	296	purposes of Sections 6-107 and 6-108 of this title, and the holder
297	297	of the certificate shall be considered an in ductee for the purposes
298	298	of Section 6-195 of this title.
299	299	B. An alternative placement teachi ng certificate shall be
300	300	renewed for not more than a maximum of three (3) years upon
301	301	presentation of a document from an accredited public school district
302	302	in this state offering renewed employment in the same area of
303	303	specialization and a document from a teac her education institution
304	304	verifying satisfactory progress in an appropriate alternative
305	305	placement program.
306	306	C. Persons enrolled in an alternative placement program s hall:
307	307	1. Have never been denied admittance to a teacher education
308	308	program approved by th e Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,
309	309	the North Central Association of Colleges a nd Schools, and by the
310	310	Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Commission for
311	311	Educational Quality and Accountability to offer teacher education
312	312	programs, nor have enrolled in and subsequently failed c ourses
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364	364	necessary to successfully meet the minimum requirements of the
365	365	program, except those persons who hold a cer tificate;
366	366	2. Have on file with the director of teacher education at a n
367	367	Oklahoma institution of higher education a pl an for meeting standard
368	368	certification requirements within three (3) years; and
369	369	3. Participate in an in duction program as required in Secti on
370	370	6-195 of this title and have the same duties and responsibilities a s
371	371	other inductees.
372	372	D. The State Board of Educa tion may grant an excepti on to the
373	373	requirements for certification and, upon demonstration by an
374	374	individual of specific competency in the su bject area of
375	375	specialization, may grant a certificate to the individua l. The
376	376	State Board may establish other require ments necessary to grant
377	377	exceptions.
378	378	E. The State Board o f Education, in consultation with the
379	379	Commission for Educational Quality and Acco untability, may grant an
380	380	exception to the requirement to complete a su bject area examination
381	381	for initial certificatio n in a field which does n ot require an
382	382	advanced degree pursuant to this section if the candidate has an
383	383	advanced degree in a subject that i s substantially comparable to the
384	384	content assessed on a subject area e xamination. The degree shall be
385	385	from an institution accredited by a nat ional or regional accrediting
386	386	agency which is recognized by the Secretary of t he U.S. Department
387	387
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438	438	of Education. The Commission shall provide the Board with the
439	439	necessary information to determine comparability.
440	440	F. Student teaching and a prestudent teaching field experience
441	441	shall not be required of alternative placement program parti cipants
442	442	for standard certification.
443	443	G. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules
444	444	authorizing adjunct teachers who shall be persons with distin guished
445	445	qualifications in their field. Adjunct teachers s hall not be
446	446	required to meet standard certifi cation. A person employed as an
447	447	adjunct teacher pursuant to this subsection who does not hold a
448	448	valid certificate to teach shall not be conside red a teacher as
449	449	defined by Section 1-116 of this title.
450	450	H. Each teacher education in stitution shall provide the
451	451	Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Commission for
452	452	Educational Quality and Accountability an annual report of
453	453	information as specified by the C ommission regarding participation
454	454	in the alternative placement programs offered by the institution.
455	455	I. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Commission
456	456	shall not accredit, renew the accreditation of, or otherwise approve
457	457	any teacher education program of any institution of higher education
458	458	in this state that has not implemented alternative pla cement
459	459	programs in at least four areas of specialization including
460	460	mathematics, science , and a foreign language. Each institution
461	461
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512	512	shall allow individuals who meet the criteria of subsections A and C
513	513	of this section to be:
514	514	1. Admitted to an alternative pl acement program without further
515	515	qualification; and
516	516	2. Offered the opportunity to complete the requirements for
517	517	standard certification set forth in subsection A of this section
518	518	during the summer preceding and the summer following the first year
519	519	of teaching with an alternative placement teaching certificate. Any
520	520	person seeking standard certification through an alternative
521	521	placement program shall b e permitted to take necessary courses
522	522	during regular semesters if offered.
523	523	J. The criteria specified in subse ction I of this section can
524	524	may be met through a cooperative arrangement entered into by two or
525	525	more institutions of higher education.
526	526	K. 1. The State Board of Education may grant an exception to
527	527	the requirements for certification as a licensed school counselor to
528	528	a person who is a licensed mental health professional, as defined by
529	529	Section 1-103 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, provided the
530	530	person has completed a training course identified by the State
531	531	Department of Education or six (6) semester hours related to school
532	532	counseling from an institution accredited by a national or regional
533	533	accrediting agency which is recognized by the Secretary of the
534	534	United States Department of Educ ation.
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586	586	2. Any person seeking certification as a sch ool counselor and
587	587	who has met the provisions of this subsection shall be exempt from
588	588	the professional education portion of the competency examination
589	589	required pursuant to Sections 6-187 and 6-190 of this title.
590	590	3. The State Board may establish other requi rements necessary
591	591	to grant exceptions.
592	592	SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
593	593	SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
594	594	of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
595	595	declared to exist, by reason whereof thi s act shall take effect and
596	596	be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
597	597
598	598	59-1-1298 EB 1/12/2023 8:14:05 AM

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB285 Compare Versions