Okla. Admin. Code § 210:20-9-105

Current through Vol. 42, No. 7, December 16, 2024

Section 210:20-9-105 - Non-traditional certification in special education

(a)Provisional certificates in special education for qualified applicants. Notwithstanding any other rule in this Part, upon payment of the required processing fee for a provisional certificate set forth in 210:20-9-9, the Oklahoma State Department of Education shall issue a one year provisional special education certificate in the area of mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities to any qualified applicant. An applicant will be considered "qualified" if the applicant has met the following criteria:

(1) Applicant has earned a bachelor's level college degree from an accredited institution of higher education;

(2) Applicant provides a written recommendation for a certificate by a school district board of education or an accredited institution of higher education;

(3) Applicant has satisfactorily completed a one-hundred fifty (150) clock hour special education program which has been approved annually by the State Department of Education Office of Special Education in accordance with the criteria approved by the State Board of Education; and

(4) A national criminal history record check of the applicant has been conducted in accordance with the requirements of 70 O.S. § 5-142, the cost of which shall be paid by the Applicant.

(b)Renewal of a provisional certificate in special education. The one year provisional special education certificate issued in accordance with the provisions of (a) of this Section may be renewed for up to two (2) additional periods of one year each upon submission of proof from an accredited institution of higher education that the individual has successfully completed at least six (6) credit hours of prescribed coursework during the previous year in either:

(1) A nontraditional route to certification program in mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities or:

(2) A master's degree program in special education.

(c)Standard certificates in special education for provisional certificate holders. Notwithstanding any other rule in this Part, upon payment of the required processing fee for a standard certificate set forth in 210:20-9-9, the Oklahoma State Department of Education shall issue a standard special education certificate in the area of mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities to any individual who has met all of the following requirements:

(1) The applicant has been issued one or more provisional special education certificates in accordance with (a) and (b) of this Section;

(2) Within three (3) years of the date of issuance of the applicant's initial provisional special education certificate, the applicant has successfully completed the prescribed coursework of a nontraditional route to certification program in either mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities from an accredited institution of higher education;

(3) The applicant has successfully completed the general education examination (OGET) and the professional teaching examination (OPTE); and

(4) The applicant has successfully completed the subject area competency examination (OSAT) in special education for mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities as required by 70 O.S. § 6-187.

(d)Standard certificates in special education for individuals with a master's degree in special education. Notwithstanding any other Section in this Part and without requiring applicant to first obtain a provisional special education certificate, upon payment of the required processing fee for a standard certificate set forth in 210:20-9-9, the Oklahoma State Department of Education shall issue a standard special education certificate in the area of mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities to any individual who has met all of the following requirements:

(1) Applicant has earned a bachelor's level college degree from an accredited institution of higher education;

(2) Applicant has successfully completed the prescribed coursework of a master's degree program in special education from an accredited institution of higher education;

(3) Applicant has successfully completed the general education examination (OGET) and the professional teaching examination (OPTE);

(4) Applicant has successfully completed the subject area competency area examination (OSAT) in special education for mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities as required by 70 O.S. § 6-187; and

(5) A national criminal history record check of the applicant has been conducted in accordance with the requirements of 70 O.S. § 5-142, the cost of which shall be paid by the Applicant.

(e)Certification in special education for individuals certified via an alternative placement certification route. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Section, upon payment the required processing fee for a provisional and/or standard certificate set forth in 210:20-9-9, the Oklahoma State Department of Education shall issue a special education certificate in the area of mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities to any individual who meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Applicant has earned a bachelor's level college degree from an accredited institution of higher education;

(2) Applicant holds an alternative placement teaching certificate issued in accordance with the provisions of 70 O.S. § 6-122.3 and accompanying regulations at 210:20-9-110 in one or more of the following areas:

(A) Early childhood education;

(B) Elementary education; or

(C) A "core academic subject" as defined by 20 U.S.C. § 7801(11) and the accompanying regulation at 34 C.F.R. § 200.55(c); and

(3) Applicant has successfully completed the subject area competency examination (OSAT) in Special Education for mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities as required by 70 O.S. § 6-187.

(4) The provisional or standard alternative placement teaching certificate cannot have been obtained through the career development for paraprofessionals program set forth by 70 O.S. § 6-127A and accompanying regulation at 210:20-9-102.

(5) In the event the applicant has obtained a provisional alternative placement teaching certificate, the special education certificate obtained pursuant to this subsection shall remain provisional until applicant obtains a standard alternative placement teaching certificate, at which point applicant may be eligible to obtain a standard special education certificate upon payment of the required processing fee for issuance of a standard certificate as set forth in 210:20-9-9.

(f)Highly qualified status. A teacher who holds a provisional special education certificate issued or renewed in accordance with (a) or (b) of this Section or a standard special education certificate issued in accordance with (c), (d), or (e) of this Section, must meet the requirements for "highly qualified" special education teachers set forth at 34 C.F.R. § 300.18 if the teacher provides direct special education instruction in a "core academic subject" as defined by 20 U.S.C. § 7801(11) and accompanying regulation at 34 C.F.R. § 200.55(c). A teacher certified to teach special education in accordance with the provisions of this Section may be considered a "highly qualified" special education teacher in the State in accordance with the following provisions:

(1)Core academic areas - middle and secondary education. A teacher who holds a provisional special education certificate that is issued or renewed in accordance with (a), (b) or (e) of this Section, or a standard special education certificate issued in accordance with (c), (d), or (e) of this Section and who provides direct instruction in a "core academic subject" as defined by 20 U.S.C. § 7801(11), may be considered a special education teacher who is "highly qualified" to teach a core academic subject at a secondary level if the teacher has met all of the following requirements:

(A) The teacher has successfully completed the subject area competency examination (OSAT) in special education for mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities; and

(B) The teacher has successfully completed the appropriate competency examination (OSAT) in each core academic subject taught, or, if the teacher is not new to the profession (i.e., was a certified teacher prior to December 3, 2004), demonstrated competency in each core academic subject taught through a High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE).

(2)Core academic areas - early childhood and elementary education. A teacher who holds a provisional certificate issued or renewed in accordance with (a), (b) or (e) of this Section, or a standard certificate issued in accordance with (c), (d) or (e) of this Section, who provides direct instruction in a "core academic subject" as defined by 20 U.S.C. § 7801(11), cannot be considered a special education teacher who is "highly qualified" to teach special education courses at an early childhood or elementary education level unless they have met all of the following requirements:

(A) The teacher has successfully completed the subject area competency examination (OSAT) in Special Education for mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities;

(B) The teacher has successfully completed the appropriate subject area competency examination (OSAT) in early childhood or elementary education in accordance with the requirements set forth in 70 O.S. § 6-187, or, if the teacher is not new to the profession (i.e., was a certified teacher prior to December 3, 2004), demonstrated competency in early childhood or elementary education through a High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE).

(3)Core academic areas - alternate achievement standards. Notwithstanding (1) and (2) of this subsection, a teacher who holds a provisional or standard certificate issued or renewed in accordance with (a) or (b) of this Section and who provides direct instruction in a "core academic subject" as defined by 20 U.S.C. § 7801(11) cannot be considered a special education teacher who is "highly qualified" to teach alternate achievement standards as a special education teacher unless the teacher has met the following requirements:

(A) If teaching middle or secondary level core academic subjects exclusively to students assessed against alternative academic achievement standards, the teacher has successfully completed the appropriate competency examination (OSAT) in each core academic subject taught, or, if the teacher is not new to the profession (i.e., was a certified teacher prior to December 3, 2004), demonstrated competency in each core academic subject taught through a High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE).

(B) If teaching early childhood level or elementary level core academic subjects exclusively to students assessed against alternative standards, the teacher has successfully completed the appropriate competency examination (OSAT) in early childhood or elementary education in accordance with the requirements set forth in 70 O.S. § 6-187, or, if the teacher is not new to the profession (i.e., was a certified teacher prior to December 3, 2004), demonstrated competency in early childhood or elementary education through a High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE).

(g)Additional certification in early childhood or elementary education. A teacher who obtains a standard certificate under (c), (d) or (e) of this Section may add a standard certificate in early childhood or elementary education upon successful completion of all of the following requirements:

(1) An appropriate teacher preparation program approved by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation in accordance with the provisions of OAC 712:10-5; and

(2) The appropriate subject area competency examinations (OSAT) in early childhood or elementary education in accordance with the requirements set forth in 70 O.S. § 6-187.

Okla. Admin. Code § 210:20-9-105

Adopted by Oklahoma Register, Volume 32, Issue 23, August 17, 2015, eff. 8/27/2015