Section 67.1-02-03-07 - Major equivalency endorsements1.Core academic areas. For purposes of this section, English, reading and language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, music, visual arts, history, civics and government, geography, and economics are considered core academic areas. All other areas are considered noncore academic areas. 2.Major equivalency endorsement. A major equivalency endorsement is a licensure option in which an individual already licensed to teach in North Dakota may add qualifications to the license by demonstrating the individual has competency equivalent to the North Dakota program approval standards and other licensure requirements in section 67.1-02-02-02 for the new area. a. The minimum number of semester hours or equivalent competency documentation for a major equivalency is thirty-two semester hours, with the exception of composite majors, which require forty-two semester hours. Competency equivalent to a major in early childhood education, elementary education, middle level education, or secondary education academic majors must include evidence of appropriate: (1) Content area preparation;(2) Teaching methods and strategies; and(3) Applied experience at the appropriate grade levels, i.e., field experience, clinical practice, or student teaching. Endorsements issued by the board may be used toward demonstration of competency.
b. North Dakota-licensed individuals who wish to add a major equivalency to an existing professional educators' license may demonstrate the new content area competency through the following options approved by the education standards and practices board: (1) Undergraduate or graduate, or both, coursework equivalent to a major and aligned with the North Dakota program approval standards;(2) An advanced degree in the major area which by itself, or in combination with other coursework, meets or exceeds the requirements for preparation in the major at the undergraduate level;(3) A minor or minor equivalency in the area to be taught with successful completion of a content test meeting or exceeding the minimum scores determined by the education standards and practices board;(4) Existing North Dakota licensure in the area with successful teaching experience and successful completion of content-based competency assessments approved by the education standards and practices board;(5) National board for professional teaching standards certification in the major area; or(6) State-approved test endorsement. Hold a valid regular North Dakota educator's professional license and pass one of the following options:(a) The pedagogical test birth through grade three and the early childhood test;(b) The pedagogical test grades one through six and the elementary content test;(c) The middle level content test; or(d) The content specific test meeting or exceeding the minimum scores determined by the education standards and practices board in the content area to be taught.3.Major equivalency endorsement - requirements. To be considered for a major equivalency, individuals teaching in the areas of early childhood education, elementary education, middle level education, and secondary education academic areas must be licensed in accordance with the laws and administrative rules of the education standards and practices board and must meet the provisions in North Dakota Century Code chapter 15.1-18, which include holding a major or major equivalency in the core content areas in which they are teaching. a. Major equivalency endorsement for elementary teachers grades one through eight. All elementary teachers new to the profession and all early childhood education teachers whose licensure will include grades one through three must pass a content-based test and teaching skills test in elementary education or early childhood education, approved by the board. Elementary teachers already licensed in North Dakota prior to July 1, 2006, are considered qualified on the basis of holding a major or endorsement in elementary education or a major in early childhood education which qualifies to teach grades one through three.b. Major equivalency endorsement for middle level teachers grades five through eight. Individuals teaching in a middle school must meet the board grade level requirements in section 67.1-02-03-04. For a middle school content area endorsement teachers must, beginning July 1, 2006, hold a minimum equivalent of twenty-four semester hours of content area preparation and methods in the subject area specializations in which they are teaching or may demonstrate major equivalency in subject areas through options allowed in subdivision b of subsection 3. The twenty-four semester hours of content area preparation and methods of this subdivision for the subject area specialization must include the following specific semester hour preparation as listed in the following subject areas:
(1) Middle school English and language arts (50117).(a) Three semester hours in speech or debate;(b) Six semester hours in reading;(c) Three semester hours in grammar;(d) Three semester hours in writing and composition;(e) Six semester hours in literature; and(f) Three semester hours in methods of teaching language and communication.(2) Middle school mathematics (50317). Required content must be beyond the college algebra level. (a) Coursework in college algebra or precalculus;(b) Three semester hours in calculus;(d) Probability and statistics;(e) Computer and instruction technology; (f) Mathematics electives; and(g) Methods of teaching mathematics.(3) Middle school science (50417).(a) Six semester hours in life science or biology;(b) Six semester hours in earth science or geology;(c) Four semester hours in physics;(d) Three semester hours in chemistry; and(e) Three semester hours in methods of teaching science.(4) Middle school social studies (50217). (a) Nine semester hours in North Dakota geography, North American geography, world regional geography;(b) Twelve semester hours in world history, North Dakota studies or history, United States history to 1877; and(c) Three semester hours in teaching social science methods.c. Major equivalency endorsement for secondary teachers grades five through twelve. To be considered qualified, secondary teachers must hold a major or major equivalency in the content areas in which they are teaching, and a major, major equivalency, minor, or minor equivalency in noncore areas in which they are teaching.d. Major equivalency endorsement for teachers in science grades five through twelve. Secondary teachers with majors in biology, chemistry, earth science, or physics (minimum of thirty-two semester hours) or physical science and other composite science degrees (minimum of forty-two semester hours) will be licensed to teach in each specific science discipline in which the individual has the minimum preparation for that specific science discipline aligned with the North Dakota standards for the areas (eight semester hours).e. Major equivalency endorsement for teachers in social studies grades five through twelve. Secondary teachers with majors in history (thirty-two semester hours), geography (thirty-two semester hours), civics and government (thirty-two semester hours), economics (thirty-two semester hours), or composite social studies (forty-two semester hours) will be licensed to teach in each specific social studies discipline in which the individual has a minimum number of semester hours aligned with the North Dakota standards for the area: history (eight semester hours), geography (eight semester hours), civics and government (eight semester hours), economics (eight semester hours), psychology (four semester hours), and sociology (four semester hours).f. Major equivalency endorsement for English and language arts teachers grades five through twelve. Secondary teachers with majors in English and language arts (thirty-two semester hours) will be licensed to teach in additional areas of speech, journalism, or drama and theater arts if the individual has a minimum preparation of six semester hours aligned with the North Dakota standards for that specialization. Individuals who hold majors, major equivalencies, minors, or minor equivalencies in speech, journalism, or drama and theater arts will also be licensed to teach those specializations.g. Major equivalency endorsement for music teachers grades prekindergarten through twelve. Teachers with majors in the field of music (minimum of thirty-two semester hours) will be licensed to teach at grade levels consistent with their preparation as stated in the rules for initial licensure in section 67.1-02-02-02.4.Special education licensure. To be considered qualified in special education, the teacher will need to hold an early childhood, elementary, middle level, or secondary license, hold a bachelor's degree, demonstrate knowledge in the subject the teacher is teaching, and hold the special education endorsement, major, minor, or master's degree pursuant to the special education category the teacher is serving. Special education teachers not holding regular licensure at the level they are teaching will only be able to provide consultative services to students in grades prekindergarten through grade twelve. Re-education of a licensed teacher for special education schoolteaching may also be accomplished by holding a North Dakota professional educator's regular license and completion of a special education disability content test meeting or exceeding the minimum scores determined by the board in the disability area to be taught.
N.D. Admin Code 67.1-02-03-07
Effective July 1, 2004; amended effective April 1, 2006; July 1, 2008; July 1, 2012. .Amended by Administrative Rules Supplement 2014-354, October 2014, effective 10/1/2014. .Amended by Administrative Rules Supplement 368, April 2018, effective 4/1/2018.Amended by Administrative Rules Supplement 2020-378, October 2020, effective 10/1/2020.General Authority: NDCC 15.1-13-09, 15.1-13-10
Law Implemented: NDCC 15.1-13-10, 15.1-13-11, 15.1-13-14