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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
SENATE BILL 969 By: Jett
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to teacher certification; amend ing 70
O.S. 2021, Section 6 -122.11, as amended by Section 2,
Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O. S. Supp. 2022, Section
6-122.11), which relates to alternative teac her
certificates; updating reference to certain subject
area competency examination; removing req uirement to
pass the professional knowledge portion of a
competency examination; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-182, as amended by Section 3, Chapter 220,
O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 6 -182),
which relates to definitions under the Ok lahoma
Teacher Preparation Act; removing certain definition;
modifying certain definition; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-187, as last amended by Section 4, Chapter
220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 6 -187),
which relates to competency examinations for
certification; removing requireme nt to adopt certain
professional education examination; updating
reference to certain examination; amending 70 O.S.
2021, Section 6-189.2, as amended by Section 5,
Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. S upp. 2022, Section
6-189.2), which relates to school psychologist or
psychometrist certificat ion; removing exemption from
certain examination; updating reference to certain
examination; updating reference to certain
commission; providing an effective date; and
declaring an emergency .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA :
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SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -122.11, as
amended by Section 2, Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022,
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 education 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
accrediting agency which is recognized by the
Secretary of the United States Department of
Education. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education shall be consu lted to verify other terminal
degrees, or
b. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
institution whose accreditation 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
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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 year 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 Acc ountability, 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 school district
prior to the renewal of the 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 accredited by the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability, participated
in an additional yearlong mentorship and/or
instructional coaching in child development and math
instruction provided by the employing school district
prior to the renewal of the provisional certificate
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for a third year, and successfully completed the
subject area portion of the competency examination
examination(s) required in Section 6 -187 of this title
in the area of specialization for which certification
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 Accountability, and
participated in an additional yearlong mentorship
and/or instructional coaching provided by the
employing school district, and successfully passed the
professional knowledge portions of the competency
examination required in Secti on 6-187 of this title in
the area of specialization for which certification is
sought.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-182, as
amended by Section 3, Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022,
Section 6-182), is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-182. As used in the Oklaho ma Teacher Preparation Act:
1. “Board” means the State Board of Education;
2. “Commission” means the Commission for Educational Quality
and Accountability;
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3. “State Regents” means the Oklahoma State Regen ts for Higher
Education;
4. “Professional development program” means the program
mandated by the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act for the continuous
improvement and enrichment of the certified and licensed teachers of
this state;
5. “Teacher education pr ofessional development committee ” means
the committee created in Section 6 -186 of this title for the
continuous improvement and enrichment of higher education faculty in
teacher education programs in institutions of higher education;
6. “Department” means the State Department of Education;
7. 6. “Induction” means a program that p rovides support,
mentorship, and coaching to educators at the beginning of their
careers or as they transition to new roles within a school or
district. Induction programs work with inductees to assist in all
matters concerning cl assroom management and pro fessional developmen t
for that teacher. Induction programs may involve a committee of one
or more mentor teachers, the principal or an assistant principal of
the employing school, o ne or more administrators designated by the
school district board of educa tion, a teacher educ ator in a college
or school of education of an institution of higher education, or an
educator in a department or school outside the institution ’s teacher
education unit;
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8. 7. “Teacher” means a person defined as a teacher in Section
1-116 of this title;
9. 8. “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 guidan ce and assistance of a mentor
teacher or induction committee. Inductees shall include those
individuals having completed the program of the college or school of
education of the accredited institution of higher education from
which the person has been gra duated, and shall have successfully
completed the competency examination in areas of approval in which
the inductee seeks certification, those individuals eligible for 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 classroom teachers
transitioning to a new role, shall be considered inductees for
purposes of induction programs;
10. 9. “Certified teacher” means any teacher who has b een
issued a certificate by the Board in accordance with the Oklahoma
Teacher Preparation Act and the rules of the Board;
11. 10. “Mentor teacher” means any teacher who has been
appointed to provide guidance, support, coaching , and assistance to
an inductee employed by the school district. A mentor teacher shall
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be a current or former classroom teacher and have a minimum of two
(2) years of classroom teaching experience as a certified teach er.
When possible, a mentor teacher shall have participated in
mentor teacher professional development and have expertise in the
teaching field of the inductee;
12. 11. “Higher education faculty ” means any individual who is
employed in a teaching capacity in an institution of higher
education, approved o r accredited by the Co mmission for the
preparation of education personnel; and
13. 12. “Competency examination” means the assessment required
in the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act for certification as a
teacher and shall consist of tests test(s) over professional
education and subject areas as defined by the Commission for
Educational Quality and Accountability.
SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -187, as
last amended by Section 4, Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp.
2022, Section 6-187), is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-187. A. Prior to July 1, 2014, a competency
examination shall be adopted by the Oklahoma Co mmission for Teacher
Preparation and beginning July 1, 2014, a competency examination
shall be adopted by the Commission for Educational Quality and
Accountability for the 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
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area the person is seeking cer tification to teach which shall also
include certification as an administrator, as pre scribed by the
State Board of Education.
The Commission, consistent with the purposes of this section,
shall promulgate rules and procedures to guarantee the
confidentiality of examinations.
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 of
Education and meet the criteria for the alternative placement
program pursuant to Section 6-122.3 of this title. Certification
shall be limited to a reas 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 subjects in which a teacher candidate or teacher
is seeking a minor teachi ng assignment or an endorseme nt to teach
shall be limited to the specific subject area test.
A teacher candidate or teacher may take th e professional
education or subject area portions of the examination examination(s)
subject to any limit imposed by the Commission.
C. 1. Except as otherwise provided for in this subsection, a
teacher may be certified in as many areas as the teacher meets the
necessary requirements provided by law a nd has successfully
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completed the subject area portion of the examination
examination(s).
2. Except as otherwise p rovided for in this par agraph,
certification in early childhood, elementary, or special education
shall require complet ion 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 education upon meeting the
requirements provided in law and successful completion of the
appropriate subject area portion of the examination examination(s).
Any teacher who is certified to teach early childh ood education may
be certified in elementary educati on upon meeting the requirements
provided in law and successful completion of the appropriate subject
area portion of the examination examination(s). Any special
education teacher who becomes certified to teach through completion
of an accredited teacher preparation pro gram may be certified in
early childhood or elementary education u pon meeting the
requirements provided i n law and successful completion of the
appropriate subject portion of the examination area examination(s).
Any teacher who becomes certified to tea ch through completion o f an
accredited teacher 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
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area portion of the examination examination(s). 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 examination(s) may be certified in
elementary education or early childhood education for the purpose of
providing direct instructi on and serving as the teacher of record
for grading purposes in special education settings only.
D. The Commission shall o ffer 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 language 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
in the future and that person is no longer employed as a t eacher in
a foreign language immersion program, the exa mination for the
additional certification area shall be taken in English . The State
Board of Education shall issue a restricted license or certifica te
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to any teacher who has com pleted a subject area c ompetency
examination in the native language of the tea cher 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 Educa tional 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 comparable 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 Commission shall provide the Board wi th 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 district
shall document substant ial efforts to employ a teacher who holds a
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 provisional or
standard certificate in another curricular area with academic
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preparation in the field of need. Only after these alternatives
have been exhausted shall the district be allowed to employ an
individual meeting minimum standards as established 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 least 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 examination(s) 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 toward 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
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
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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 4. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -189.2, as
amended by Section 5, Chapter 220, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. S upp. 2022,
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 succe ssfully complete the professional education
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 provide d 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 certifica tion in
another subject in the future.
C. B. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation
Educational Quality and Accountability shall adopt rules to
implement the provisions of this section.
SECTION 5. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
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SECTION 6. It being immediately ne cessary 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.
59-1-1614 EB 1/19/2023 11:50:53 AM