Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-2-.09

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 12, September 30, 2024

Section 290-3-2-.09 - Interim Employment Certificate In A Teaching Field (IEC) Approach

(1)Overview. This approach was previously named the Special Alternative Certificate (SAC) Approach for Teaching Fields. A superintendent or administrator who wishes to employ an individual may request an Interim Employment Certificate in a Teaching Field (IEC). The individual must be unconditionally admitted to one of the following:

(a) State-approved Alternative Class A program in a teaching field;

(b) State-approved Class A program in an area of Special Education, Reading Specialist, or English for Speakers of Other Languages; or

(c) State-approved Class AA program in an area of Special Education.

(2)General Information.

(a) An individual may complete up to three scholastic years of employment while holding a valid IEC and/or SAC. All three IECs and/or SACs must be issued within a four consecutive scholastic year time period. The employment does not have to be full-time and does not have to be in the same public school system and/or nonpublic school.

(b) An individual must hold a valid certificate for all teaching fields and/or areas of instructional support to which he or she is assigned. An individual who holds only a valid IEC must be assigned only to the teaching field for which the IEC was issued.

(c) The superintendent or administrator must monitor the applicant's compliance with the requirements of the IEC approach.

(d) The IEC is not a prerequisite for a Professional Educator Certificate.

(e) An individual who held the first Special Alternative Certificate (SAC) valid for the 2013-2014, 2014-2015, or 2015-2016 scholastic year may be issued the second and/or third IEC in the same teaching field if all requirements have been met.

1. An individual who held the first SAC valid for the 2013-2014 scholastic year and the second SAC valid for the 2014-2015 or the 2015-2016 scholastic year may be issued the third IEC valid for the 2016-2017 scholastic year.

2. An individual who held the first SAC valid for the 2014-2015 scholastic year and the second SAC valid for the 2015-2016 scholastic year may be issued the third IEC valid for the 2016-2017 or 2017-2018 scholastic year.

3. An individual who held the first SAC valid for the 2014-2015 scholastic year may be issued the second IEC valid for the 2016-2017 scholastic year and the third IEC valid for the 2017-2018 scholastic year.

4. An individual who held the first SAC valid for the 2015-2016 scholastic year may be issued the second IEC valid for the 2016-2017 or 2017-2018 scholastic year and the third IEC valid for the 2017-2018 or 2018-2019 scholastic year.

(3)Grade Levels and Teaching Fields Available for IECs.

IEC Grade Levels	P-3	K-6	4-8	6-12	P-12	P-3, K-6, 6-12, P-12
IEC Teaching Fields	Early Childhood^a	Elementary^a	Middle^a'^b	Secondary^a'^b	Elementary-Secondary^a'^b	Special Education^a'^b

^aFirst, second, and third IECs and/or SACs must be issued in the same teaching field and at the same grade level.

^bTeaching fields and grade levels are identified in the current Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

(4)Limitations on Issuance.

(a) An individual may not be employed for more than three scholastic years on the basis of holding an Alternative Baccalaureate-Level Certificate, a Career and Technical Alternative Baccalaureate-Level Certificate, a Preliminary Certificate, a Preliminary Certificate Through Exception, a Special Alternative Certificate, an Interim Employment Certificate, a Provisional Certificate, a Business and Industry to Educational Administrator Certificate, an alternative-approach certificate issued by another state or issuing authority, or any combination thereof.

(b) An individual who has not completed all requirements for professional educator certification by the expiration date of the third IEC shall no longer be eligible for certification through the IEC approach.

(c) An individual who earns a Professional Educator Certificate or Professional Leadership Certificate in the area for which the alternative certificates were issued may be eligible to follow an alternative approach to earning a Professional Educator Certificate or Professional Leadership Certificate in another area.

(d) Individuals who held a first Special Alternative Certificate (SAC) in a teaching field prior to the 2011-2012 scholastic year are no longer eligible for a second or third SAC in that teaching field under the rules that were in effect at the time the first SAC was issued. If the three year alternative certificate cap as prescribed in Rule 290-3-2-.09(4) (a) has not been exceeded, an individual may meet all requirements for a first IEC as prescribed in Rule 290-3-2-.09(5) and possibly a second IEC as prescribed in Rule 290-3-2-.09(6).

(5)First IEC in a Teaching Field.

(a)Application.

1. The applicant is required to submit to the superintendent or administrator the current application for this approach and documentation of having met all requirements as prescribed in Rule 290-3-2-.09 and on the application.

2. The superintendent or administrator who wishes to employ the applicant to teach in the teaching field and at the grade level of the State-approved program to which to applicant has been unconditionally admitted and for which the IEC is to be issued is required to submit to the Educator Certification Section:

(i) A recommendation on the current application for this approach during the scholastic year for which the IEC is requested.

(ii) Official verification from the Alabama college or university of unconditional admission to the appropriate State-approved program and documentation of having met all requirements.

(iii) The applicant's current application and documentation of having met all requirements.

(b)Requirements. All requirements must be successfully completed prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.

1. Successful completion of the Alabama Special Requirements in Rule 290-3-2-.02(4).

2. For Alternative Class A State-approved programs.

(i) Verification on an official transcript of at least an earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited senior institution. Additional information is in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

(ii) Verification on the current application form for this approach of unconditional admission to the Alternative Class A program in the teaching field and at the grade level for which the IEC is to be issued. Additional information is in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

(iii) Verification of current passing scores for the basic skills assessments of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program (AECAP). If the applicant is unconditionally admitted to an Alternative Class A program on September 1, 2013 or thereafter, the basic skills assessments of the AECAP are required for unconditional admission. This requirement does not apply to an applicant holding a valid Professional Educator Certificate or a valid Professional Leadership Certificate. Additional information is in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

(iv) For teaching fields in which a Praxis II subject area test(s) is currently adopted and prescribed, verification of a current passing score on the Praxis II subject area test(s) of the AECAP prescribed for issuance of the first IEC.

3. For Class A State-approved programs in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

(i) At least a valid Class B Professional Educator Certificate in any teaching field.

(ii) Verification on the current application form for this approach of unconditional admission to a Class A State-approved program in ESOL as prescribed in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

4. For Class A State-approved programs in Reading Specialist.

(i) At least a valid Class B Professional Educator Certificate in a teaching field as prescribed in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

(ii) Verification on the current application form for this approach of unconditional admission to a Class A State-approved program in Reading Specialist as prescribed in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

5. For Class A State-approved programs in Special Education.

(i) At least a valid Class B Professional Educator Certificate in a teaching field. An applicant who holds a valid Class B, A, or AA Professional Educator Certificate at the grade level and in the special education teaching field of the Class A program to which he/she has been unconditionally admitted is not eligible for an IEC.

(ii) Verification on the current application form for this approach of unconditional admission to a Class A State-approved program at the grade level and in the teaching field of special education for which the IEC is to be issued as prescribed in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the AlabamaAdministrative Code.

6. For Class AA State-approved programs in special education.

(i) At least a valid Class A Professional Educator Certificate in a teaching field. An applicant who holds a valid Class B, A, or AA Professional Educator Certificate at the grade level and in the special education teaching field of the Class AA program to which he/she has been unconditionally admitted is not eligible for an IEC.

(ii) Verification on the current application form for this approach of unconditional admission to a Class AA State-approved program at the grade level and in the teaching field of special education for which the IEC is to be issued as prescribed in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

7. An assigned mentor as required in Rule 290-3-2-.01(29).

(6)Second IEC in a Teaching Field.

(a)Application.

2. The superintendent or administrator who wishes to employ the applicant to teach in the teaching field and at the grade level for which the IEC is to be issued is required to submit to the Educator Certification Section:

(i) A recommendation on the current application for this approach during the scholastic year for which the IEC is requested.

(ii) The applicant's current application and documentation of having met all requirements.

(b)Requirements. All requirements must be successfully completed prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.

1. Successful completion of the Alabama Special Requirements in Rule 290-3-2-.02(4).

2. Verification on an official transcript of credit earned for at least three courses in the State-approved program for which the first IEC or SAC was issued.

3. An assigned mentor as required in Rule 290-3-2-.01(29).

(7)Third IEC in a Teaching Field.

(a)Application.

(i) A recommendation on the current application for this approach during the scholastic year for which the IEC is requested.

(ii) The applicant's current application and documentation of having met all requirements.

(b)Requirements. All requirements must be successfully completed prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.

1. Successful completion of the Alabama Special Requirements in Rule 290-3-2-.02(4).

2. Verification on an official transcript of credit earned for at least four additional courses in the State-approved program for which the second IEC or SAC was issued.

3. An assigned mentor as required in Rule 290-3-2-.01(29).

(8)Degree Level. The IEC shall be issued only at the bachelor's degree level.

(9)Valid Period. The valid period of the IEC shall be no more than one scholastic year (July 1 to June 30). The IEC will be valid from the date the certificate is issued through June 30 of the scholastic year for which it is issued.

(10)Application for the Professional Educator Certificate.

(a) The IEC is not a prerequisite for a Professional Educator Certificate.

(b) An applicant who completes all requirements of a State-approved program and is recommended by the institution may be issued a Class A Professional Educator Certificate or a Class AA Professional Educator Certificate.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-2-.09

New Rule: Filed August 4, 2008; effective September 8, 2008. Repealed and New Rule: Filed December 10, 2010; effective January 14, 2011.

Adopted by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXIV, Issue No. 06, March 31, 2016, eff. 4/24/2016.

Rule was previously .07 and renumber to .09 as per certification file December 10, 2010.

Author: Dr. Thomas R. Bice.

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, Ala. Const. Amend. 284, §§ 16-3-11, 16-23-1, 16-23-2.