North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 67.1 - Education Standards and Practices Board › Article 67.1-02 - Program Approval and Educator Licensure › Chapter 67.1-02-04 - Alternative Access Licenses › Section 67.1-02-04-01 - Alternative access licenses for teacher shortages

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 2024
Alternative access licenses will be issued under the
				  following conditions:
1. Consideration
				for alternative access licenses will not be granted until after July first in
				any year.
2. Alternative access
				licenses may be issued only in areas where documented shortages of regularly
				licensed teachers exist as determined by the board. Shortage areas must be
				determined by the board based upon the ratio of regularly licensed teachers in
				the state who are qualified for the position to the number of schools with open
				positions requesting alternative access licensure. In cases where near
				shortages exist, the board must give additional consideration to whether the
				hiring school has made a diligent effort to attract and hire regularly licensed
				teachers.
3. The request for an
				alternative access license must be initiated by a school. The school board or
				administration must make the request in writing to the board for consideration
				of an alternative access license, indicating intent to offer a contract if
				licensure can be arranged. The request must document that a diligent effort has
				been made to employ a regularly licensed teacher to fill the position.
				Documentation of a diligent effort to employ qualified personnel should include
				information on how and how long the position was advertised, whether schools of
				education have been contacted in search of applicants, how many qualified
				applicants applied, how many applicants were interviewed, whether increases in
				salary or other incentives were offered in an attempt to attract qualified
				applicants, and whether these incentives are comparable to those offered by
				other schools of similar size and means.
4. The applicant must write a letter
				indicating willingness to accept the position if offered and complete all of
				the application requirements and fees prior to receiving the alternative access
				license.
5. Complete official
				college or state-approved alternative program transcripts must be sent to the
				board.
6. The applicant must have
				proficiency and hold minimum qualifications or equivalent of a bachelor's
				degree in the content area to be assigned or have held a valid license from
				another state for a minimum of two years in the content area to be assigned and
				have completed the required North Dakota state tests, including the test in the
				content area to be assigned. The applicant may apply for the forty-day
				provisional license before submitting the required North Dakota state test
				scores.
7. Renewal of alternative
				access licenses will be reviewed each year and will depend upon the supply of
				and demand for teachers as evidenced by documented efforts to obtain a licensed
				person for the position. The alternate access license will be issued only once
				to complete all testing requirements for regular licensure.
8. Renewal of the alternative access license,
				if permitted, is contingent upon presentation of at least one-third completion
				of the requirements for regular licensure as stated in section
				67.1-02-02-02 and the North
				Dakota standards for teacher education program.
9. The fee for the alternative access license
				is one hundred fifteen dollars for each year the license is issued.
10. Alternative access licensure is to
				address documented shortage areas only. Alternative access licensure may not be
				issued to applicants who have failed to meet the deadlines or conditions of
				their regular licensure renewal.
11. Initial applicants for alternative access
				licensure must also submit to the fingerprint background check as stated in
				subsection 9 of section
				67.1-02-02-02.
12. Upon completion of all of the
				requirements for regular licensure stated in section
				67.1-02-02-02, an individual
				holding an alternative access license may apply for a regular two-year initial
				license and begin accruing the eighteen months of successful teaching time
				required to move into the five-year cycle according to sections
				67.1-02-02-02 and
				67.1-02-02-04.
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