State SealARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES


 

HB 2534: teachers; certification requirements

PRIME SPONSOR: Representative Carter, LD 15

BILL STATUS: Senate Engrossed

               

Legend:
CTE – Career and Technical Education
FPCC – Fingerprint Clearance Card
JLBC – Joint Legislative Budget Committee
JTED – Joint Technical Education District
SBE – State Board of Education
STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Amendments – BOLD and Stricken (Committee)

Abstract

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes)	     ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes)      ☐ Emergency (40 votes)	☐ Fiscal NoteRelating to teaching certificates.

Provisions

1.       Transfers teacher certification statutes to a new section of statute.

2.       Instructs SBE to issue the following teaching certificates that reflect the source of each teacher's training:

a.       Standard Teaching Certificate;

b.       Alternative Teaching Certificate;

c.        Subject-Matter Expert Teaching Certificate;

d.       Classroom-Based Teaching Certificate; and

e.       CTE Teaching Certificate.

3.       Requires all certificated teachers to have a bachelor's degree except teachers who:

a.       Teach CTE or STEM and are otherwise exempt;

b.       Have an Emergency Substitute Teaching Certificate

c.        Have a Native American Language Teaching Certificate;

d.       Have a Student Teaching Intern Certificate;

e.       Have a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Certificate; or

f.         Have an Athletic Coaching Certificate.

4.       Requires applicants for a Standard Elementary Education Teaching Certificate to complete 45 classroom hours, or three college-level credit hours, in both research-based systematic phonics and reading instruction from a public or private provider.

5.       Removes the authorization for a GED to be substituted for a high school diploma for Emergency Substitute Teacher Certification.

6.       Expands the 12-year issuance, 12-year renewal, renewal within 2-10 years after expiration and reciprocity to outlined certificates.

7.       Requires a discipline hearing against a reciprocal certificate to be an adjudicative hearing by SBE rather than a hearing pursuant to the Uniform Administrative Hearing Procedures.

8.       Directs ADE to use surplus monies appropriated for the College Credit by Examination Incentive Program to reimburse LEAs for the transition to the menu of assessments and to report how much was distributed for the incentive program and how much is available for reimbursement to JLBC by July 1, 2018.

9.       Requires SBE to include qualifying examinations for the College Credit by Examination Incentive Program in its system for assessment, data gathering and reporting student performance.

10.   Directs Legislative Council to prepare proposed legislation conforming the Arizona Revised Statutes to this act for consideration in the next legislative session.

11.   Makes technical and conforming changes.

Current Law

SBE oversees teacher certification and issues teaching certificates by grade levels and subject areas. An applicant who has a valid teaching certificate from another state, a FPCC and is in good standing is eligible for a comparable standard certificate in Arizona. An in-state applicant for a standard teaching certificate may complete the required training through an alternative teacher and administrator preparation program, coursework and experience or professional experience. In addition to standard teaching certificates, SBE also oversees Substitute, CTE, STEM and Classroom-Based Teaching Certificates (A.R.S. §§ 15-203, 15-553 and 15-782.01).

Certificates are issued and renewed for 12 years, and cannot require more than 15 hours of continuing education credits per year for renewal. Additionally, a certificate and endorsements related to a certificate may be renewed between 2 and 10 years after it expires if the certificate holder is in good standing, has at least 10 years of verified experience and a valid FPCC. All certificates require a bachelor's degree, except for CTE Teaching Certificates, Subject-Matter Expert Standard Teaching Certificate and Emergency Substitute Teaching Certificate (A.R.S. §§ 15-203 and 15-782.01).

SBE's appealable agency actions and contested cases related to applications for issuance or renewal of a certificate and discipline of certificate holders are exempt from the Uniform Administrative Hearing Procedures (A.R.S. § 41-1092.02).

 

 

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Fifty-third Legislature                  HB 2534

Second Regular Session                               Version 4: Senate Engrossed

 

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