161.048 Legislative findings -- Alternative certification program -- Purpose --
2,532 words·~12 min read·
/ky/161-048A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Options -- Testing and eligibility requirements -- Salary schedule.
(1)The General Assembly hereby finds that:
(a)1. There are persons who have distinguished themselves through a variety
of work and educational experiences that could enrich teaching in
Kentucky schools;
2. There are distinguished scholars who wish to become teachers in
Kentucky's public schools, but who did not pursue a teacher preparation
program;
3. There are persons who should be recruited to teach in Kentucky's public
schools as they have academic majors, strong verbal skills as shown by
a verbal ability test, and deep knowledge of content, characteristics that
empirical research identifies as important attributes of quality teachers;
4. There are persons who need to be recruited to teach in Kentucky schools
to meet the diverse cultural and educational needs of students; and
5. There should be alternative procedures to the traditional teacher
preparation programs that qualify persons as teachers;
(b)There are hereby established alternative certification program options as
described in subsections
(2)to
(10)of this section;
(c)It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Education Professional
Standards Board inform scholars, persons with exceptional work experience,
and persons with diverse backgrounds who have potential as teachers of these
options and assist local boards of education in implementing these options and
recruitment of individuals who can enhance the education system in
Kentucky;
(d)The Education Professional Standards Board may reject the application of any
candidate who is judged as not meeting academic requirements comparable to
those for students enrolled in Kentucky teacher preparation programs; and
(e)The Education Professional Standards Board shall promulgate administrative
regulations establishing standards and procedures for the alternative
certification options described in this section. If the certification option
requires employment prior to certification, the procedures shall establish a
process for candidates to obtain an eligible for hire letter from the Education
Professional Standards Board.
(2)Option 1: Certification of a person with exceptional work experience. An individual
who has exceptional work experience shall receive a one
(1)year provisional
certificate with approval by the Education Professional Standards Board of an
application by the individual under the following conditions:
(a)The application contains documentation of all education and work experience;
(b)The candidate has documented exceptional work experience in the area in
which certification is being sought; and
(c)The candidate possesses:
1. A bachelor's degree or a graduate degree;
2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of two and seventy-five
hundredths (2.75) on a four
(4)point scale or a minimum grade point
average of three (3.0) on a four
(4)point scale on the last thirty
hours of credit completed, including undergraduate and graduate
coursework from a nationally or regionally accredited postsecondary
institution; and
3. An academic major or a passing score on the academic content
assessment in the area in which certification is being sought by the
applicant as designated by the Education Professional Standards Board.
After successful completion of one
(1)year of teaching and upon the
recommendation of the employing school district to the Education Professional
Standards Board, the candidate shall receive a professional certificate and shall be
subject to certificate renewal requirements the same as other teachers with a
professional certificate.
(3)Option 2: Certification through a local school district training program. A local
school district or group of school districts may seek approval for a training
program. The state-approved local school district training program is an alternative
to the college teacher preparation program as a means of acquiring teacher
certification for a teacher at any grade level. The training program may be offered
for all teaching certificates approved by the Education Professional Standards
Board, including interdisciplinary early childhood education, except for specific
certificates for teachers of exceptional children. To participate in a state-approved
local school district alternative training program, the candidate shall possess:
(a)A bachelor's degree or a graduate degree;
(b)A minimum cumulative grade point average of two and seventy-five
hundredths (2.75) on a four
(4)point scale or a minimum grade point average
of three
(3)on a four
(4)point scale on the last thirty
(30)hours of credit
completed, including undergraduate and graduate coursework from a
nationally or regionally accredited postsecondary institution; and
(c)A passing score on the academic content assessment in the area in which
certification is being sought by the applicant as designated by the Education
Professional Standards Board. To be eligible to take an academic content
assessment, the applicant shall have completed a thirty
(30)hour major in the
academic content area or five
(5)years of experience in the academic content
area as approved by the Education Professional Standards Board.
An individual may participate in a local school district training program upon
meeting the participation requirements as established in this subsection and
approval by the Education Professional Standards Board of an application by the
individual. The candidate shall be issued a one
(1)year provisional certificate by
the Education Professional Standards Board. After successful completion of the
local school district training program, one
(1)year of teaching, and upon the
recommendation of the employing school district to the Education Professional
Standards Board, the candidate shall receive a professional certificate and shall be
subject to certificate renewal requirements the same as other teachers with a
professional certificate.
(4)Option 3: Certification of a professional from a postsecondary institution: A
candidate who possesses the following qualifications may receive a one
(1)year
provisional certificate for teaching at any level:
(a)A master's degree or doctoral degree in the academic content area for which
certification is sought; and
(b)A minimum of five
(5)years of full-time teaching experience, or its
equivalent, in the academic content area for which certification is sought in a
regionally or nationally accredited institution of higher education.
After successful completion of one
(1)year of teaching and upon the
recommendation of the employing school district to the Education Professional
Standards Board, the candidate shall receive a professional certificate and shall be
subject to certificate renewal requirements the same as other teachers with
professional certificates.
(5)Option 4: Certification of an adjunct instructor. A person who has expertise in areas
such as art, music, foreign language, drama, science, computer science, and other
specialty areas may be employed as an adjunct instructor in a part-time position by
a local board of education under KRS 161.046.
(6)Option 5: Certification of a veteran of the Armed Forces. The Education
Professional Standards Board shall issue a statement of eligibility, valid for five
years, for teaching at the elementary, secondary, and secondary career technical
education levels to a veteran of the Armed Forces who was honorably discharged
from active duty as evidenced by Defense Department Form 214 (DD 214) or
National Guard Bureau Form 22 or to a member of the Armed Services currently
serving with six
(6)or more years of honorable service, including Reserves,
National Guard, or active duty. The candidate shall possess:
(a)A bachelor's degree or graduate degree;
(b)A minimum cumulative grade point average of two and seventy-five
hundredths (2.75) on a four
(4)point scale or a minimum grade point average
of three
(3)on a four
(4)point scale on the last thirty
(30)hours of credit
completed, including undergraduate and graduate coursework from a
nationally or regionally accredited postsecondary institution; and
(c)An academic major or a passing score on the academic content assessment in
the area in which certification is being sought by the applicant as designated
by the Education Professional Standards Board.
The eligible veteran shall receive a one
(1)year provisional certificate with
approval by the Education Professional Standards Board of an application by the
veteran. After successful completion of one
(1)year of teaching and upon the
recommendation of the employing school district to the Education Professional
Standards Board, the veteran shall receive a professional certificate.
(7)Option 6: University alternative program. With approval of the Education
Professional Standards Board, a university may provide an alternative program that
enrolls students in a postbaccalaureate teacher preparation program concurrently
with employment as a teacher in a local school district. A student in the alternative
program shall be granted a one
(1)year provisional certificate. The one
(1)year
provisional certificate may be renewed four
(4)additional years, and shall be
contingent upon the candidate's continued enrollment in the preparation program
and compliance with all requirements established by the board. A professional
certificate shall be issued upon the teacher candidate's successful completion of the
program and all academic content assessments in the specific teaching field of the
applicant as designated by the Education Professional Standards Board, and upon
the recommendation of the employing school district.
(8)Option 7: Certification of a person in a field other than education to teach in
elementary, middle, or secondary programs. This option shall not be limited to
teaching in shortage areas. An individual certified under provisions of this
subsection shall be issued a one
(1)year provisional certificate, renewable for a
maximum of four
(4)additional years with approval of the Education Professional
Standards Board.
(a)The candidate shall possess:
1. A bachelor's degree with a declared academic major in the area in which
certification is sought or a graduate degree in a field related to the area
in which certification is sought; and
2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of two and seventy-five
hundredths (2.75) on a four
(4)point scale or a minimum grade point
average of three
(3)on a four
(4)point scale on the last thirty
(30)hours
of credit completed, including undergraduate and graduate coursework
from a nationally or regionally accredited postsecondary institution.
(b)Upon meeting the requirements of paragraph
(a)of this subsection and
enrolling in an approved institute, the Education Professional Standards Board
shall issue the candidate a one
(1)year provisional certificate or during the
first year of the certificate, the teacher shall complete the following:
1. For elementary teaching, the individual shall successfully complete a
two hundred forty
(240)hour institute that is an equivalent of six
hour days for eight
(8)weeks. The providers and the content of the
institute shall be approved by the Education Professional Standards
Board. The content shall include research-based teaching strategies in
reading and math, research on child and adolescent growth, knowledge
of individual differences, including teaching exceptional children, and
methods of classroom management.
2. For middle and secondary teaching, the individual shall successfully
complete a one hundred eighty
(180)hour institute that is an equivalent
of six
(6)hour days for six
(6)weeks. The providers and the content of
the institute shall be approved by the Education Professional Standards
Board and shall include research-based teaching strategies, research on
child and adolescent growth, knowledge of individual differences,
including teaching exceptional children, and methods of classroom
management.
(c)The candidate shall receive a professional certificate and shall be subject to
certificate renewal requirements the same as other teachers with a professional
certificate:
1. After meeting the requirements of this option;
2. After obtaining a passing score on the academic content assessment in
the area in which certification is being sought;
3. After successfully completing one
(1)year of teaching; and
4. Upon the recommendation of the employing school district to the
Education Professional Standards Board.
(9)Option 8: Certification of a Teach for America participant to teach in elementary,
middle, or high schools. Nothing in this subsection shall conflict with the
participation criteria of the Teach for America program. An individual certified
under this subsection shall be issued a one
(1)year provisional certificate.
(a)The candidate shall possess:
1. A bachelor's degree;
2. A successful completion of the summer training institute and ongoing
professional development required by Teach for America, including
instruction in goal-oriented, standards-based instruction, diagnosing and
assessing students, lesson planning and instructional delivery, classroom
management, maximizing learning for diverse students, and teaching
methodologies; and
3. A passing score on the academic content assessment in the area in which
certification is being sought as designated by the Education Professional
Standards Board.
(b)The provisional certificate granted under this subsection may be renewed two
(2)times with a recommendation of the superintendent and approval of the
Education Professional Standards Board.
(c)A Teach for America participant shall be issued a professional certificate
upon the participant's successful completion of one
(1)year of teaching and
the assessments relating to teaching of subject matter required by the
Education Professional Standards Board under KRS 161.030, and upon the
recommendation of the employing school district to the Education
Professional Standards Board.
(d)Notwithstanding any statute or administrative regulation to the contrary, a
teacher certified under this subsection shall have ten
(10)years to complete a
master's degree or fifth year program, or the equivalent as specified by the
Education Professional Standards Board in administrative regulation.
(10)Option 9: Expedited certification of a person to teach at any grade level through a
cooperative program. With approval of the Education Professional Standards
Board, a college or university may partner with a school district to develop an
expedited certification program that results in a bachelor's degree and initial
certification within three
(3)school years.
(a)The program shall:
1. Include a residency or paraprofessional component which employs the
person within the participating district for the duration of the program to
gain work experience to supplement the expedited program and reduced
coursework;
2. Utilize experienced teachers employed by the district to provide
coaching and to mentor the candidates; and
3. Be designed to meet the needs of the participating district and may
include an emphasis in developing a teacher pipeline for the district's
students, improving the numbers of underrepresented populations
among the district's workforce, or focusing on increasing the number of
teachers with certification areas that are in high demand.
(b)A school district entering into a cooperative partnership shall ensure the
availability of funding for each candidate employed within the district in the
residency or paraprofessional program for the duration of the candidate's
participation in the program. However, nothing in this subsection shall be
interpreted as requiring the district to continue employing the candidate
during the program or after the candidate has received initial certification.
(c)A person who has begun a traditional path or another option for certification
shall be eligible to transfer into this option if the person meets the program's
requirements.
(d)If a school district participating in a cooperative partnership determines to end
the partnership, the district shall no longer accept new candidates to the
program but shall continue the partnership until the district's employed
candidates for Option 9 certification complete the program or are no longer
employed by the district.
(11)A public school teacher certified under subsections
(2)to
(10)of this section shall
be placed on the local district salary schedule for the rank corresponding to the
degree held by the teacher.
(12)Subsections
(1)to
(3)of this section notwithstanding, a candidate who possesses
the following qualifications may receive certification for teaching programs for
exceptional students:
(a)An out-of-state license to teach exceptional students; and
(b)A bachelor's or master's degree in the certification area or closely related area
for which certification is sought.