NRS 391.019 Regulations prescribing qualifications for licensure; fields of specialization in teaching; endorsements; issuance of licenses pursuant to alternative routes; Commission to make certain considerations when adopting regulations. [Effective through June 30, 2026.]

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A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

1. The Commission shall adopt regulations:

(a)Prescribing the qualifications for licensing teachers and other educational personnel and the procedures for the issuance and renewal of those licenses. The regulations:

(1)Must include, without limitation, the qualifications for licensing teachers pursuant to an alternative route to licensure which provides that the required education and training may be provided by any qualified provider which has been approved by the Commission, including, without limitation, institutions of higher education and other providers that operate independently of an institution of higher education. The regulations adopted pursuant to this subparagraph must:

(I)Establish the requirements for approval as a qualified provider;

(II)Require a qualified provider to be selective in its acceptance of students;

(III)Require a qualified provider to provide in-person or virtual supervised, school-based experiences and ongoing support for its students, such as mentoring and coaching;

(IV)Significantly limit the amount of course work required or provide for the waiver of required course work for students who achieve certain scores on tests;

(V)Allow for the completion in 2 years or less of the education and training required under the alternative route to licensure;

(VI)Provide that a person who has completed the education and training required under the alternative route to licensure and who has satisfied all other requirements for licensure may apply for a regular license pursuant to sub-subparagraph

(VII)regardless of whether the person has received an offer of employment from a school district, charter school or private school; and

(VII)Upon the completion by a person of the education and training required under the alternative route to licensure and the satisfaction of all other requirements for licensure, provide for the issuance of a regular license to the person pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and the regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter.

(2)Must include, without limitation, qualifications and procedures for licensed teachers and other licensed educational personnel to become licensed as an administrator without restricting the ability of a person who becomes an administrator pursuant to this subparagraph to serve as an administrator.

(3)Must require an applicant for a license to teach middle school or junior high school education or secondary education to demonstrate proficiency in a field of specialization or area of concentration by successfully completing course work prescribed by the Department or completing a subject matter competency examination prescribed by the Department with a score deemed satisfactory.

(4)Must not prescribe qualifications which are more stringent than the qualifications set forth in NRS 391.0315 for a licensed teacher who applies for an additional license in accordance with that section.

(b)Identifying fields of specialization in teaching which require the specialized training of teachers.

(c)Except as otherwise provided in NRS 391.125 , requiring teachers to obtain from the Department an endorsement in a field of specialization to be eligible to teach in that field of specialization.

(d)Setting forth the educational requirements a teacher must satisfy to qualify for an endorsement in each field of specialization. The regulations must require that, to teach pupils enrolled in kindergarten or grade 1, 2 or 3, a teacher must complete a course of instruction in foundational literacy skills that satisfies the requirements set forth in regulations adopted by the Commission. Such regulations must require that, on or after July 1, 2028, a person who applies for an initial license to teach or for the renewal of such a license who will teach pupils enrolled in kindergarten or grade 1, 2 or 3 must have completed a course required pursuant to this paragraph or professional development that is provided at no cost to the teacher or his or her employer by a regional training program, as defined in NRS 391A.105 . The Commission shall develop regulations to ensure that approved teacher preparation programs include in any program of preparation for teaching pupils enrolled in kindergarten or grade 1, 2 or 3 a course of instruction in foundational literacy skills that satisfies the requirements set forth in regulations adopted by the Commission. The requirements for a course of instruction in foundational literacy must include, without limitation:

(1)Training and instruction in effective methods for teaching foundational literacy skills aligned with the science of reading, including, without limitation:

(I)Phonological and phonemic awareness;

(II)Phonics, including, without limitation, decoding and encoding;

(III)Fluency;

(IV)Vocabulary; and

(V)Comprehension;

(2)Techniques for differentiating literacy instruction, to meet the needs of pupils with advanced literacy skills, as well as pupils with reading deficiencies, including, without limitation, pupils with indicators of dyslexia and pupils with disabilities;

(3)Implementation of effective literacy instruction using high-quality instructional materials in alignment with current research on the science of reading;

(4)Classroom behavior management, trauma-informed practices and other developmentally appropriate supports to ensure a conducive learning environment for literacy instruction; and

(5)The use of data concerning pupils, including, without limitation, literacy assessments, to make instructional decisions, including, without limitation, decisions about improving the effectiveness of classroom reading instruction and the design of reading interventions.

(e)Setting forth the qualifications and requirements for obtaining a license or endorsement to teach American Sign Language, including, without limitation, being registered with the Aging and Disability Services Division of the Department of Human Services pursuant to NRS 656A.100 to engage in the practice of sign language interpreting in a primary or secondary educational setting.

(f)Requiring teachers and other educational personnel to be registered with the Aging and Disability Services Division pursuant to NRS 656A.100 to engage in the practice of sign language interpreting in a primary or secondary educational setting if they:

(1)Provide instruction or other educational services; and

(2)Concurrently engage in the practice of sign language interpreting, as defined in NRS 656A.060 .

(g)Prescribing course work on parental involvement and family engagement. The Commission shall:

(1)Work in cooperation with the Office of Parental Involvement and Family Engagement created by NRS 385.630 in developing the regulations required by this paragraph.

(2)Establish standards for professional development training which may be used to satisfy any course work requirement prescribed pursuant to this paragraph.

(h)Establishing the requirements for obtaining an endorsement on the license of a teacher, administrator or other educational personnel in cultural competency.

(i)Authorizing the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a license by endorsement to an applicant who holds an equivalent license or authorization issued by a governmental entity in another country if the Superintendent determines that the qualifications for the equivalent license or authorization are substantially similar to those prescribed pursuant to paragraph (a).

(j)Establishing the requirements for obtaining an endorsement on the license of a teacher, administrator or other educational personnel in teaching courses relating to financial literacy.

(k)Authorizing a person who is employed as a paraprofessional and enrolled in a program to become a teacher to complete an accelerated program of student teaching in the same or a substantially similar area in which the person is employed as a paraprofessional while remaining employed as a paraprofessional.

(l)Requiring the Department to accept a program of student teaching or other teaching experience completed in another state or foreign country by an applicant for a license if the Department determines that the program or experience substantially fulfills the standards of a program of student teaching in this State.

(m)Authorizing a person who is employed by a public school in a position to provide support or other services relating to:

(1)School psychology, if the person does not hold a license or endorsement as a school psychologist but is enrolled in a program that would allow the person to obtain such a license or endorsement, to complete a program of internship in school psychology or any required practicum hours for the purpose of obtaining a license or endorsement as a school psychologist while remaining employed in such a position.

(2)School counseling, if the person does not hold a license or endorsement as a school counselor but is enrolled in a program that would allow the person to obtain such a license or endorsement, to complete any required internship or practicum hours for the purpose of obtaining a license or endorsement as a school counselor while remaining employed in such a position.

(3)School social work, if the person does not hold a license or endorsement as a school social worker but is enrolled in a program that would allow the person to obtain such a license or endorsement, to complete any required internship or practicum hours for the purpose of obtaining a license or endorsement as a school social worker while remaining employed in such a position.

(n)Requiring that, to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education, a teacher obtain an endorsement to teach pupils enrolled in a program of bilingual education. As used in this paragraph, “program of bilingual education” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 391.202 .

(o)Establishing the requirements for a person to obtain a provisional license with an endorsement as a registered apprentice, including, without limitation, requiring a person to complete a teacher preparation program for registered apprentices that is approved by the State Apprenticeship Council.

(p)To carry out the provisions of NRS 391B.010 .

2. The Commission may adopt such other regulations as it deems necessary for its own government or to carry out its duties.

3. Any regulation which increases the amount of education, training or experience required for licensing:

(a)Must, in addition to the requirements for publication in chapter 233B of NRS, be publicized before its adoption in a manner reasonably calculated to inform those persons affected by the change.

(b)Must not become effective until at least 1 year after the date it is adopted by the Commission.

(c)Is not applicable to a license in effect on the date the regulation becomes effective.

4. When adopting the regulations required by this section, the Commission shall consider any changes necessary to improve access to licensure or endorsement. Such changes may include, without limitation, changes to streamline procedures, consolidate requirements or otherwise simplify and improve the process for a person who is enrolled in a program for an alternative route to licensure or who has completed the education and training required for licensure through an alternative route to licensure.