Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, March 1, 2024
RELATES TO:
KRS
161.028,
161.030,
161.048
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY:
KRS
161.048(1)(e) requires the
Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) to promulgate administrative
regulations establishing standards and procedures for the alternative routes to
certification. This administrative regulation establishes the standards and
procedures of the Option 9 expedited route to certification.
Section 1. Route Providers.
(1) Expedited routes to certification shall
be provided by a Kentucky public school district, certified non-public school,
or group districts in partnership with a college or university with an
accredited educator preparation provider (EPP) recognized by the
EPSB.
(2) The expedited route
program shall only include the EPP's existing undergraduate initial
certification educator preparation programs approved by the EPSB.
(3) A Provider shall submit an application to
the EPSB that includes:
(a) An agreement
between the district or group of districts and the EPP to collaborate on the
expedited route program;
(b) An
understanding between the district and EPP that the expedited route program
shall not negatively impact the accreditation of the EPP;
(c) Contact information for the EPP leader
and the district or group of districts leader;
(d) Description of when the expedited route
program is offered, the method of delivery, and the certification areas
included;
(e) A process to maintain
regular communication between the employing school and EPP so that the EPP and
employing school may assist the resident as needed and address identified areas
of improvement; and
(f) Explanation
of how the district or group of districts in cooperation with the EPP shall
address the program requirements contained in Sections 2, 3 and 4 of this
administrative regulation.
Section 2. Residency.
(1) A candidate for the expedited route to
certification shall meet the admission requirements established in
16 KAR 5:020.
(2) A candidate shall be employed in a
classified position with the district while completing coursework from the EPP
expedited route program.
(3) A
resident shall not have responsibility for the supervision or instruction of
P-12 students without the direct supervision of a certified educator.
(4) The district in consultation with the EPP
shall ensure that the resident receives training on the Professional Code of
Ethics for Kentucky School Certified Personnel established in
16 KAR 1:020.
(5) The resident shall adhere to the
Professional Code of Ethics for Kentucky School Certified Personnel established
in 16 KAR 1:020.
(6) The district shall provide coaching and
mentoring of the resident throughout the program.
(7) The requirements of this administrative
regulation may be fulfilled as part of the resident's classified employment
with the district.
(8) If the
resident is no longer employed in a classified position, the EPP may transfer
the resident to a traditional preparation program but the resident shall no
longer be enrolled in the expedited route.
(9) A student wishing to transfer from
another route to the expedited route shall be in good standing with their
EPP.
(10) A student transferring to
the expedited route shall complete the field experience and student teaching
established in Sections 3 and 4 of this administrative regulation.
Section 3. Field Experience.
(1) Prior to the completion of the first two
(2) years of residency, the district shall ensure that the candidate has
completed a minimum of two hundred (200) clock hours of field experiences in a
variety of primary through grade 12 school settings that allow the candidate to
participate in the following:
(a) Engagement
with multiple student populations.
1. Multiple
student populations may include:
a. Students
from a minimum of two (2) different ethnic or cultural groups of which the
candidate would not be considered a member;
b. Students from different socioeconomic
groups;
c. English language
learners;
d. Students with
disabilities; and
e. Students from
across elementary, middle school, and secondary grade levels;
2. A candidate shall engage with
all student populations listed in subparagraph 1. of this paragraph that are
represented in the student enrollment for the district where the candidate is
completing the residency; and
3. An
Option 9 provider may offer opportunities to engage with multiple student
populations outside of the district where the candidate is completing the
residency;
(b)
Observation in schools and related agencies, including:
1. Family Resource Centers; or
2. Youth Service Centers;
(c) Student tutoring;
(d) Interaction with families of
students;
(e) Attendance at school
board and school-based council meetings;
(f) Participation in a school-based
professional learning community; and
(g) Opportunities to assist teachers or other
school professionals.
(2) The district shall maintain and share
with the EPP electronic records that confirm all residents have fulfilled the
field experiences required in subsection (1) of this section.
Section 4. Student Teaching.
(1) During the third year of the residency,
the district shall provide opportunities for the resident teacher to assume
major responsibility for the full range of teaching duties, including extended
co-teaching experiences, in a real school situation under the guidance of
qualified personnel from the district and EPP. The EPP and the school district
shall make reasonable efforts to place residents in settings that provide
opportunities for the resident to develop and demonstrate the practical skills,
knowledge, and professional dispositions essential to help all P-12 students
learn and develop.
(2) The resident
shall be placed in an instructional setting that is consistent with his or her
planned certification content and grade range.
(3) The placement shall provide the resident
with the opportunity to engage with diverse populations of students.
(4) The district shall place the resident
with a cooperating teacher or teachers who have:
(a) A valid teaching certificate or license
for each grade and subject taught;
(b) At least three (3) years of teaching
experience as a certified educator; and
(c) Completed the cooperating teacher
training in Section 1 of
16 KAR 5:040.
(5) A teacher assigned to a teaching position
on the basis of a provisional or emergency certificate issued by the EPSB shall
not be eligible for serving as a cooperating teacher.
(6) The district or group of districts shall
share with the EPP and file an electronic report with the EPSB that identifies
the following:
(a) Each resident completing
the third year;
(b) The resident's
assigned school;
(c) The
cooperating teacher assigned to each resident;
(d) The cooperating teacher's area of
certification; and
(e) The
cooperating teacher's years of experience as a certified or licensed
educator.
(7) The EPP
shall assign a supervisor to the third-year resident. The supervisor shall
conduct a minimum of four (4) observations of the resident in the actual
teaching situation.
(8) The
observations may be remote.
(9) The
observation reports shall be filed as a part of the resident's
record.
(10) The EPP supervisors
shall be available to work with the resident and personnel in the district
regarding any problems that may arise relating to the student teaching
situation.
(11) The EPP supervisors
shall complete the university supervisor training in Section 4 of
16 KAR 5:040.
(12) The district shall maintain and share
with the EPP electronic records that confirm that all third-year residents meet
the requirements of this section.
Section 5. Application Review.
(1) An application to provide an expedited
route to certification shall be submitted to EPSB staff.
(2) EPSB staff shall complete an initial
review to ensure that the application addresses the requirements of
KRS
161.048(10) and this
administrative regulation.
(a) If EPSB staff
determines that the application addresses the requirements, it shall be
forwarded to the EPSB for review at an EPSB meeting.
(b) If EPSB staff determines that the
application does not address all the requirements, staff shall notify the
provider of the deficiencies.
(3) The EPSB shall review the application,
shall approve or deny each application based on its compliance with
KRS
161.048(10) and this
administrative regulation, and shall transmit the decision and rationale for
the decision to the provider.
(4)
The provider may revise and resubmit a plan that has been denied.
(5) Any approval granted by the EPSB shall
specify the period of approval, which shall not exceed three (3) years for
initial approval. A provider may apply for an extension of approval as
established in Section 6 of this administrative regulation.
Section 6. Continuance of Program
Approval.
(1) An expedited route provider may
apply for continuance of an approved expedited route program for an additional
period of time not to exceed seven (7) years. The request for continuance shall
specify any changes in program components that have occurred since the program
received prior EPSB approval and that are planned for implementation in
subsequent training periods.
(2)
The request for continuance shall provide specific examples of demonstrating
program quality as established in this section and the application required by
this administrative regulation. The request for continuance shall include
statistical information related to teacher retention for all prior candidates
who have completed the program. Standards for program approval specified under
this administrative regulation shall be maintained under any program
extension.
Section 7.
Revocation for Cause.
(1) If an area of
concern or an allegation of misconduct arises after approval, staff shall bring
a complaint to the EPSB for initial review.
(2) After review of the allegations in the
complaint, the EPSB may refer the matter for further investigation.
(3)
(a)
Notice of the EPSB's decision to refer the matter and the complaint shall be
sent to the provider.
(b) Within
thirty (30) days of receipt of the complaint, the provider shall respond to the
allegations in writing and provide information pertaining to the allegations in
the complaint to the EPSB.
(4)
(a)
Staff shall review any evidence supporting the allegations and any information
submitted by the provider.
(b)
Staff may conduct on-site evaluations to evaluate the quality of the
program.
(c) Upon completion of the
review, staff shall issue a report recommending to the EPSB continued approval
of the expedited route program or revocation of the expedited route program if
it no longer meets the requirements for approval.
(5) The provider shall receive a copy of
staff's report and may file a response to the recommendation.
(6)
(a) The
recommendation from staff and the provider's response shall be presented to the
EPSB.
(b) The EPSB shall consider
the report and the provider's response and make a final determination regarding
the approval of the institute.
Section 8. Reconsideration.
(1) If a provider seeks reconsideration of an
EPSB decision, the provider shall submit a request within thirty (30) days of
receipt of the EPSB official notification. A provider shall submit the
requeston the grounds that:
(a) A prescribed
standard was disregarded;
(b) A
procedure was not followed; or
(c)
Evidence of compliance in place at the time of the review and favorable to the
provider was not considered.
(2) A panel of no fewer than three (3)
members shall be appointed by the EPSB chair from members of the EPSB who do
not have a conflict of interest regarding the provider or program. The ad hoc
committee shall recommend action on the request to the full EPSB.
Section 9. Data Reports.
(1) The EPSB shall maintain data reports
related to the following:
(a) Approval status
of all EPSB approved expedited route programs;
(b) Contact information for the person
responsible for the expedited route program;
(c) Year of last program review;
(d) Tables relating the program total
enrollment disaggregated by ethnicity and gender for the last three (3)
years;
(e) Tables relating the
program faculty disaggregated by the number of full-time equivalents (FTE),
ethnicity, and gender for the last three (3) years;
(f) Table of the number of program completers
for the last three (3) years;
(g)
Table relating pass rates on the required assessments;
(h) Table relating program completer
satisfaction with the preparation program; and
(i) Table relating new teacher (under three
(3) years) and supervisor satisfaction with the preparation program.
(2) A provider shall report to the
EPSB staff at the end of each school year continuous improvement efforts
relating to the expedited route program.
Section 10. Professional Certificate.
(1) Upon completion of all program
requirements in this administrative regulation, and compliance with the
assessment requirements established in
16 KAR 6:010, the resident may
apply for the professional certificate.
(2) Upon application to the EPSB, compliance
with 16 KAR 2:010, Section 3(1), and
verification that a candidate has met all eligibility requirements for
certificate issuance, the EPSB shall issue the candidate a professional
certificate.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY:
KRS
161.028,
161.030,
161.048(1)(e)