Current through September 24, 2024
(1) All educators shall hold a full and valid
Tennessee educator license with an endorsement covering the work assignment as
provided in T.C.A. Title 49, Chapter 5.
(2) Prospective educators seeking initial
licensure shall meet requirements in at least one (1) area of
endorsement.
(3) In accordance with
T.C.A §
49-5-5619, beginning August 1,
2023, educators seeking to obtain or maintain endorsements identified in the
Educator Licensure Policy 5.502 as requiring passage of a foundational literacy
skills assessment or completion of an approved foundational literacy skills
professional development course, must submit required documentation
demonstrating completion of the foundational literacy skills assessment or
foundational literacy skills professional development course as set forth
below. If an educator chooses to complete the foundational literacy skills
professional development course, evidence of completion of the course shall be
submitted to the Department within the twelve (12) months preceding the
applicable licensure transaction.
(a)
Educators seeking licensure and endorsement in an applicable area as identified
in Policy 5.502 must demonstrate meeting this requirement at the time of
licensure issuance, except for candidates enrolled in an educator preparation
program with a job-embedded clinical practice.
(b) Educators who hold a license and
endorsement(s) in an applicable area as identified in Policy 5.502 while
enrolled in a program with a job-embedded clinical practice and all other
educators seeking to renew or advance a teacher or instructional leader license
with an endorsement in an applicable area as identified in Policy 5.502 must
complete this requirement to renew or advance the license.
(c) Educators seeking to add an endorsement
in an applicable area as identified in Policy 5.502 to a teaching license must
demonstrate completion of this requirement prior to the endorsement being added
to the license.
(d) Educators who
hold multiple endorsements on a license, at least one (1) of which is not
impacted by T.C.A. §
49-5-5619, may maintain licensure
and any endorsements not identified in Policy 5.502, without demonstrating
completion of this requirement; however, any applicable endorsement(s)
identified in Policy 5.502 will become inactive at the time of renewal or
advancement of the license unless the educator demonstrates completion of this
requirement.
(e) Educators who only
hold a license with applicable endorsement(s) as identified in Policy 5.502 and
who do not complete this requirement will not be able to renew or advance the
license and it will become inactive.
(f) Educators whose license becomes inactive
as provided for in subparagraph (e) may reactivate a license and/or applicable
endorsement(s) identified in Policy 5.502 held on a license by demonstrating
completion of the required foundational skills literacy assessment or approved
professional development course required by T.C.A. §
49-5-5619.
(g) Once an educator has demonstrated
completion of the requirement to pass the foundational literacy skills
assessment or complete an approved foundational literacy skills professional
development course as provided in subparagraphs (a) through (f), the educator
will not have to re-take the course or the assessment to maintain
licensure.
(4) Educators
may add additional endorsements to a license in accordance with rules and
policies established by the State Board, State Board Educator Licensure Policy
5.502, and guidelines established by the Department.
(5) When an endorsement held by an
out-of-state applicant does not match the content area or grade span of an
available Tennessee endorsement, the Department shall identify the most
appropriate match, if possible. In some cases, if there is not an equivalent
endorsement and the grade span and/or content area do not have an appropriate
match, the Department may request additional evidence to demonstrate knowledge
and/or experience in the content area and/or grade span covered by the
available Tennessee endorsement prior to issuing or reactivating a license in
Tennessee. The same process shall also apply to an educator who is seeking to
reactivate an expired license if the endorsements previously held are no longer
issued.
(6) All educators who teach
a course in which a state-level end-of-course examination is required shall
hold the subject-specific endorsement for the course or meet the appropriate
employment standard set forth in Employment Standards Rule Chapter
0520-02-06, unless the educator
is granted a temporary permit or endorsement exemption by the Commissioner to
teach a course in which an end-of-course examination is required pursuant to
Public Chapter 932 of 2022 for the 2022-23 or 2023-24 school year.
(7) An educator may teach up to two (2)
sections of one (1) course outside the educator's area of endorsement each
school year, except for courses in which a state-level end of course
examination is required, elementary physical education courses, or special
education courses.
(8) An educator
who holds a full and valid and active license may teach more than one (1)
course or more than two (2) sections of one (1) course outside of the
educator's area of endorsement if an endorsement exemption is requested by the
director of schools or director of a public charter school and approved by the
Commissioner.
(a) In reviewing an initial
endorsement exemption for approval, the Commissioner shall consider:
1. The educator's previous teaching
experience;
2. The educator's
postsecondary coursework and degrees held; and
3. The content and grade span of endorsements
held on the educator's current license.
(b) Endorsement exemptions shall be valid for
one (1) school year. A director of schools or director of public charter school
may request renewal of an endorsement exemption for an educator who
demonstrates progress toward earning the relevant endorsement. An endorsement
exemption may be renewed no more than two (2) times.
(c) Educators may teach on an approved
endorsement exemption for no more than a total of three (3) school
years.
(d) Unless otherwise
stipulated in paragraph (6) of this Rule, an endorsement exemption shall not be
issued by the Commissioner to an individual to teach a course in which an end
of course examination is required, in accordance with T.C.A. sect; 49-6-6006 or
a special education course in accordance with Federal laws.
(9) Licensed educators enrolled in
an additional endorsement program in special education offered by a State
Board-approved educator preparation provider may add a provisional special
education endorsement by:
(a) Submitting a
recommendation from the educator preparation provider verifying:
1. Enrollment in a program of study for
additional endorsement in the special education endorsement area; and
2. An assurance that the educator will be
assigned a mentor who is endorsed in the special education endorsement
area.
(b) In order to
transition from a provisional endorsement to a full endorsement, educators
shall submit qualifying scores on all State Board-required assessments and
successfully complete the program of study within three (3) years of receiving
a provisional endorsement. The provisional endorsement shall be valid for three
(3) years and shall not be renewed.
Authority: T.C.A. §§
49-1-302,
49-5-106,
49-5-108,
49-5-403,
49-5-5619,
49-6-303, and
49-6-6006.
