Arizona Administrative Code › Title 7 - EDUCATION › Chapter 2 - STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION › Article 6 - CERTIFICATION › Section R7-2-607 - General Certification Provisions

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 28, July 12, 2024
A. The evaluation to determine qualification
				for certification shall not begin until an institutional recommendation or
				application for certification and official transcripts, and the appropriate
				fees have been received by the Department. Course descriptions, verification of
				employment, and other documents may also be required for the
				evaluation.
B. Unless otherwise
				specified, a standard certificate shall be issued for 12 years and may be
				issued with deficiencies. Applicants may receive a standard certificate with
				the following deficiencies of requirements to be completed within three years:
				research-based phonics; reading instruction including for students with
				dyslexia; professionalism and ethics; and U.S. and Arizona Constitutions. If an
				applicant fails to meet these requirements within the prescribed time period,
				the Department of Education or the Board shall temporarily suspend the standard
				certificate, but the suspension is not considered a disciplinary action and the
				individual shall be allowed to correct the deficiency within the remaining time
				of the standard certification.
C.
				The effective date of a new certificate shall be the date the evaluation is
				completed by the Department. The effective date of a renewed certificate shall
				be the date the evaluation for renewal is completed by the
				Department.
D. Unless otherwise
				specified, all certificates and provisional endorsements issued for three years
				or less shall expire on the date of issuance in the year of expiration. All
				certificates issued for more than three years shall expire on the holder's
				birth date in the year of expiration.
E. Only those degrees awarded by an
				accredited institution shall be considered to satisfy the requirements for
				certification.
F. Professional
				preparation programs, courses, practica, and examinations required for
				certification shall be taken at an accredited institution or a Board-approved
				teacher preparation program.
G.
				Only those courses in which the applicant received a passing grade or credit
				shall be considered to satisfy the requirements for certification.
H. All certificates issued by the Department
				are considered to have been issued in conformance with these rules, except on a
				finding that an applicant submitted falsified or misrepresented documents,
				records, or facts in an application for certification or on a finding that a
				certificate was issued in error due to an error by the verifying authority or
				issuing authority. If the Department makes a finding pursuant to this
				subsection, the Department shall provide notice to the applicant of the
				finding. Within 60 days of the date of the notice, the applicant shall submit
				proof to the Department that the applicant meets the requirements for the
				certification. If the applicant is unable to provide proof they meet the
				requirements within 60 days of receipt of notice, the Department shall reclaim
				the certificate. Reclaiming a certificate pursuant to this subsection is not
				considered a disciplinary action but the Department shall refer the case for
				investigation pursuant to
				R7-2-1308 for findings that an
				applicant submitted falsified or misrepresented documents, records, or
				facts.
I. The Department shall
				issue a comparable standard Arizona certificate described in
				R7-2-608, R7-2-609, R7-2-610,
				R7-2-611, R7-2-612 or R7-2-613 to an applicant who holds a valid certification
				from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, possess a valid
				fingerprint clearance card issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety,
				and holds a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from an accredited
				institution. These applicants are exempt from all portions of the Arizona
				Teacher Proficiency Assessment.
J.
				An applicant is not required to take any portion of the Arizona Teacher
				Proficiency Assessment if the applicant has at least three years of full-time
				teaching experience in any state, including this state, in the comparable area
				of certification or endorsement in which the person is applying for
				certification, regardless of whether the applicant was certified or
				uncertified. An applicant is not required to take any portion of the Arizona
				Administrator Proficiency Assessment if the person has at least three years of
				full-time experience in a school leadership position in any state, including
				this state, regardless of whether the applicant was certified or
				uncertified.
K. An applicant is
				exempt from the testing requirements for Arizona certificates if the applicant
				passed corresponding portions of a professional or subject knowledge
				examinations, or administrator examination adopted by a state agency in another
				state that are similar to the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessments or the
				Arizona Administrator Proficiency Assessment.
L. An applicant is exempt from the subject
				knowledge portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment if:
1. The applicant provides verification of
				teaching courses relevant to a content area or subject matter for the last two
				consecutive years, and for a total of at least three years at one or more
				accredited postsecondary institutions; or
2. The applicant obtained a bachelor's,
				master's or doctoral degree from an accredited institution in a relevant
				subject area; or
3. The applicant
				provides verification of a minimum of five years of work experience that is
				relevant to a subject area of certification.