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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
teacher certification; leadership preparation programs
Purpose
Consolidates specified teaching certificates into a career and technical education (CTE) teaching certificate and standard teaching certificate. Allows a school district or charter school approved as a locally-based school leadership preparation program (leadership program) provider to approve certification of school-level leadership positions as outlined. Expands eligibility and requirement exemptions for certain teaching certificates.
Background
The State Board of Education (SBE) must adopt rules for issuing the
following types of certificates that reflect the source of a teacher's
training: 1) standard teaching certificate;
2) alternative teaching certificate; 3) subject-matter expert standard teaching
certificate;
4) classroom-based standard teaching certificate; and 5) CTE teaching
certificate
(A.R.S. § 15-501.01).
Certificated teachers must have a fingerprint clearance card and, subject to
outlined exemptions, a baccalaureate degree. Statute prescribes requirements
for training program approvals and education, experience, examination and
proficiency demonstration requirements and exemptions that vary based on the
type of certificate (A.R.S.
Title 15, Chapter 5 and
A.R.S. § 15-782.01).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
Teaching Certificate Pathways
1. Requires the SBE to adopt rules to consolidate the teaching certificate types that reflect the source of a teacher's training into a CTE certificate and a standard teaching certificate for teachers who use the following pathways:
a) traditional teacher preparation programs;
b) alternative teacher preparation programs;
c) subject-matter designation and training;
d) classroom-based preparation programs; and
e) any other SBE-adopted training or preparation pathway.
2. Expands, from 6-12 to K-12, the grades a teacher certified by meeting subject-matter designation requirements may instruct.
3. Adds a substitute teaching certificate to the certificates for which a person is exempt from the requirement that all certificated teachers have a baccalaureate degree.
4. Expands eligibility for classroom-based preparation programs by including a candidate who meets background and fingerprint clearance card requirements and:
a) holds a teaching intern certificate;
b) holds a substitute teaching certificate;
c) has an associate's degree; or
d) is a current paraprofessional or instructional aide.
5. Requires SBE classroom-based preparation program rules to allow a school district or charter school to adopt professional expectations and professional requirements, including requiring candidates to complete specific coursework or trainings.
School District and Charter School Leadership Programs
6. Allows a school district or charter school to apply to the SBE to be a leadership program provider with the authority to approve the certification of principals, assistant principals, supervisors and other school-level leadership positions.
7. Allows a school district or charter school to employ and enroll, in its leadership program, any:
a) interim principal, interim assistant principal or interim supervisor certification holder with a bachelor's degree; and
b) person who holds at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited postsecondary institution and meets statutory background and fingerprint clearance card requirements.
8. Requires the SBE, on a school district's or charter school's verification that leadership program requirements have been met, to issue a standard principal, assistant principal, supervisor or other school-level leadership position certificate to the individual.
9. Directs the SBE to adopt leadership program rules, policies and procedures to be administered by the Arizona Department of Education that:
a) facilitate the approval and certification process; and
b) are not more restrictive or require more than statutorily prescribed.
10. Requires SBE leadership program rules to require a certification applicant trained through a leadership preparation program to:
a) meet background and fingerprint clearance card requirements;
b) hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited postsecondary institution; and
c) demonstrate subject knowledge and professional knowledge requirements through any statutorily available option.
11. Requires SBE leadership program rules to require a school district or charter school to:
a) verify that certification applicants have made satisfactory progress in the program sequence and model; and
b) submit evidence supporting the efficacy of the preparation program.
12. Requires SBE leadership program rules to allow a school district or charter school to:
a) adopt professional expectations and requirements that exceed statutory requirements, including requiring specified coursework or trainings; and
b) submit, for informational purposes only, a program sequence or training schedule and information on the learning experiences, mentoring and coaching of school leader candidates.
13. Allows a school district or charter school to contract with a third-party to provide or assist in the leadership preparation program and use that program's efficacy evidence to meet efficacy evidence requirements.
14. Specifies that satisfactory progress in the program sequence and model may include professional evaluations, observations, student achievement data and demonstration of competencies skills and knowledge associated with the school leadership position.
Proficiency Examination and Demonstration
15. Expands, to apply to any SBE-issued certificate, the SBE's authority to grant a standard teaching certificate for at least three years to a teacher who has not met proficiency examination or demonstration requirements at the time of application.
16. Subjects, to the proficiency examination requirement, an applicant for any SBE-adopted certificate who is not otherwise exempt, rather than only an applicant for the standard teaching certificate or its equivalent.
17. Exempts, from the proficiency exam requirement, a person who has been in a full-time school leadership position in any state for at least three years in the same area in which the person is applying for certification.
18. Expands the reciprocity proficiency examination exemption for an applicant for an SBE-issued certificate by removing the criteria that the similarity of the corresponding examination in another state be substantial.
Miscellaneous
19. Removes the criteria that a person seeking renewed teaching certification between 2 and 10 years after expiration have at least 10 years of verified full-time experience in Arizona in the area in which the person seeks renewed certification.
20. Requires, by November 15, the SBE to annually report and post on its website:
a) the total number of certificated individuals in Arizona disaggregated by pathway used, type of teaching certificate and demographics; and
b) the number of certificates issued in the previous calendar year disaggregated by the same categories.
21. Defines standard teaching certificate as any teaching certificate issued by the SBE to an individual, regardless of the individual's pathway or source of training.
22. Makes technical and conforming changes.
23. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 21, 2022
LB/slp