2023 Oklahoma Statutes › Title 70. Schools › §70-6-122.11. Issuance of one-year alternative teacher certificate.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, the State Board of Education shall issue a one-year alternative teacher certificate, renewable for up to three (3) years, to teach early childhood education or elementary education to any qualified candidate who:
1.
a.
has successfully completed a terminal degree, such as a doctorate of philosophy, a doctorate in education, professional doctorates, a master of fine arts degree or a master of library science degree, from an institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency which is recognized by the Secretary of the United States Department of Education. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall be consulted to verify other terminal degrees, or
b.
holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an institution whose accreditation is recognized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has two (2) years post-degree-completion qualified work experience in a field that corresponds to early childhood education or elementary education; and
2. Declares the intention to earn standard certification by means of the early childhood and elementary education alternative certification program in not more than three (3) years and has:
a.
within the first year satisfactorily completed six (6) credit hours in classroom management and reading instruction from an educator preparation program approved and accredited by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, completed the required State Department of Education approved training on cognitive science of how students learn to read and participated in a yearlong mentorship or instructional coaching in reading and classroom management provided by the employing school district prior to the renewal of the provisional certificate for a second year,
b.
within the second year satisfactorily completed six (6) credit hours in child development and math instruction from an educator preparation program approved and accredited by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, participated in an additional yearlong mentorship and/or instructional coaching in child development and math instruction provided by the employing school district prior to the renewal of the provisional certificate for a third year, and successfully completed the subject area portion of the competency examination required in Section 6-187 of this title in the area of specialization for which certification is sought, and
c.
within the third year satisfactorily completed six (6) additional credit hours of professional education coursework from an educator preparation program approved and accredited by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, participated in an additional yearlong mentorship and/or instructional coaching provided by the employing school district, and successfully passed the professional knowledge portions of the competency examination required in Section 6-187 of this title in the area of specialization for which certification is sought.
Added by Laws 2021, c. 335, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2021. Amended by Laws 2022, c. 220, § 2, emerg. eff. May 5, 2022.