Section 4 AAC 12.388 - Limited world language immersion teacher certificate(a) The department will issue a one-year limited world language immersion teacher certificate (Type W) with an endorsement in an applicant's world language of expertise and in the content areas requested by the school board of the district in which the applicant will be teaching if (1) the applicant has demonstrated the world language expertise, content area knowledge, and instructional skill described in (b), (c), and (d) of this section;(2) the school board for the district in which the applicant will be employed (A) has requested, through its chief school administrator, issuance of a limited world language immersion teacher certificate for the applicant under AS 14.20.023(c); and(B) will provide an experienced mentor for at least the first two years of the applicant's employment with the school district; the mentor must hold or have held the position of a world language immersion teacher in a school district in this state under a valid certificate;(3) the applicant has successfully passed the criminal history background check in the same manner as a teacher certified under AS 14.20.020 and 4 AAC 12.300;(4) the applicant has met the requirements of 4 AAC 12.397(a); and(5) the applicant submits to the department (A) one completed fingerprint card, with fingerprinting performed by a law enforcement agency or a person who has been trained in recording fingerprints, for separate submittal to the Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the department will accept a name-based criminal history background check on an applicant from the agency performing the background check if the requirements of AS 14.20.020(j) are met;(B) the fee for the criminal history background check in the amount charged by the Department of Public Safety as set out in 13 AAC 68.900; and(C) the fee for the issuance of a teacher certificate as set out in 4 AAC 12.300(g).(b) To demonstrate world language expertise as required under (a)(1) of this section, the applicant must (1) have met or exceeded the required scores on a world language content examination, as described in 4 AAC 12.407; the examination must have been given in the instructional language for which the certificate is valid;(2) hold at least a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education accredited by regional or national accrediting association or approved by the commissioner and (A) have majored or minored in the world language; or(B) at least half of the classes were taught in the world language; or(3) have demonstrated proficiency in the areas of listening, speaking, writing, and reading through an assessment process recognized by a tribal government or school district at a level comparable to advanced low-level proficiency or higher based on the alternative foreign language proficiency assessment standards adopted by reference in 4 AAC 04.225; the assessment must have been given in the instructional language for which the certificate is valid.(c) To demonstrate competency in the content areas requested by the school board as required under (a)(1) of this section, the applicant must (1) hold at least a baccalaureate degree in the requested content area from an institution of higher education accredited by a regional or national accrediting association or approved by the commissioner;(2) have met or exceeded the required scores on the content area examination, as described in 4 AAC 12.407, or an equivalent examination approved by the commissioner;(3) demonstrate content area mastery through an assessment process established by the school district in which the applicant will be teaching; if the school district assessment requires a minimum score, the assessment must be given in the instructional language for which the certificate is valid; or(4) demonstrate content area mastery, as determined by the school district in which the applicant will be teaching, through completion of coursework in the content area.(d) To demonstrate instructional skill as required under (a)(1) of this section, the applicant must (1) complete a teacher preparation program approved under 4 AAC 12.307 or 4 AAC 12.308;(2) enroll in a teacher preparation program approved under 4 AAC 12.307 or 4 AAC 12.308; or(3) provide two letters of reference documenting at least two years of experience providing instruction to students in a public school or other educational setting.(e) At the request of the school board, through its chief school administrator, the department will extend a one-year limited world language immersion teacher certificate issued under (a) of this section for four additional years if the applicant meets the requirements of 4 AAC 12.405(a). The school board's request must include certification that an annual performance evaluation demonstrates that the applicant meets or exceeds the teacher content and performance standards set out in 4 AAC 04.200(b)(2) - (8).(f) A public school district may only employ a world language immersion teacher to teach in a world language immersion program in the content areas in which the individual has earned endorsements. A limited world language immersion teacher may only provide instruction to students enrolled in a world language immersion program in a world language in which the teacher is endorsed.(g) In this section, (1) "district" or "school district" means a school district or regional educational attendance area;(2) "world language" means a non-English language; "world language" includes Alaska Native languages, American Indian languages, and American Sign Language;(3) "world language immersion program" includes full, partial, and double or dual language immersion models;(4) "world language immersion teacher" means an individual who holds a valid limited world language immersion teacher certificate and teaches in a world language immersion program.Eff. 6/29/2018,Register 226, July 2018; am 10/26/2022, Register 244, January 2023; am 8/21/2024, Register 251, October 2024Authority:AS 14.07.060
AS 14.20.020
AS 14.20.023