Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-2-.36

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 10, July 31, 2024

Section 290-3-2-.36 - Higher Education Transitional Certificate (HETC) Approach

(1) Overview. An individual who has experience teaching at a regionally accredited college or university may seek a Letter of Eligibility for the Higher Education Transitional Certificate (HETC). A superintendent who wishes to employ an individual holding a valid Letter of Eligibility may request the Higher Education Transitional Certificate which leads to the Professional Educator Certificate.

(2) Grade Levels, Teaching Fields, and Resulting Professional Educator Certificates.

(a) Letter of Eligibility, HETC, and the resulting Professional Educator Certificate Grades P-12: Limited to choral or instrumental music, dance, languages other than English, physical education, theatre, and visual arts.

(b) Letter of Eligibility, HETC and the resulting Professional Educator Certificate Grades 4-8: Limited to English language arts, general science, general social science, and mathematics.

(c) Letter of Eligibility, HETC and the resulting Professional Educator Certificate Grades 6-12: Limited to the teaching fields as listed on the current application for this approach.

(3) Limitations on Issuance.

(a) An individual may not be employed for more than three scholastic years on the basis of holding an Alternative Baccalaureate-Level Certificate, a Career and Technical Alternative Baccalaureate-Level Certificate, a Preliminary Certificate, a Preliminary Certificate Through Exception, a Special Alternative Certificate, a Provisional Certificate, an Interim Employment Certificate, a Business and Industry to Educational Administrator Certificate, a Higher Education Transitional Certificate, or any combination thereof.

(b) An individual who has not completed all requirements for the Professional Educator Certificate through this approach no later than one calendar year after the HETC expires shall no longer be eligible for certification through the HETC approach.

(c) An individual who earns a Professional Educator Certificate or a Professional Leadership Certificate in the area for which the HETC was issued may be eligible to follow an alternative approach to earning a Professional Educator Certificate or Professional Leadership Certificate in another area.

(4) Letter of Eligibility

(a) Application. The applicant is required to submit to the Educator Certification Section the current application for this approach and documentation of having met all requirements as prescribed in Rule 290-3-2-.36 and on the application.

(b) Requirements. All requirements must be successfully completed prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.

1. Successful completion of the Alabama Special Requirements in Rule 290-3-2-.02(4).

2. Verification on an official transcript of at least an earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited senior institution. Verification on an official transcript of an earned master's or higher degree from a regionally accredited senior institution may also meet the degree requirement.

(i) The bachelor's degree must be posted with a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 or the master's or higher degree must be posted with a minimum overall GPA of at least 3.0. The overall GPA is the GPA posted on the official transcript of the degree granting institution that was used as the basis for granting the degree.

(ii) If the bachelor's degree overall GPA is less than 2.75 and a degree above the bachelor's degree is not held, a higher "alternate score" on the Alabama-prescribed Praxis Subject Assessment(s) can be used.

3. Verification on Supplement HET of at least 72 semester hours (1080 clock hours) of teaching experience at an institution of higher education that awards an associate or higher degree.

(i) The institution of higher education must have been regionally accredited at the time the experience was attained.

(ii) The experience must have been attained within the ten years immediately prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.

4. Electronic verification from the testing company to the ALSDE of a current passing score on the Alabama-prescribed Praxis Subject Assessment(s) of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program AECAP. Additional information is in Rule 290-3-2-.02(9).

(5) Higher Education Transitional Certificate

(a) Application. A superintendent who wishes to employ an individual may request a Higher Education Transitional Certificate. The individual must be employed full-time in the eligible teaching field while completing the requirements.

1. The applicant is required to submit to the superintendent the Letter of Eligibility received from the Educator Certification Section.

2. The superintendent who wishes to employ the applicant to teach full-time, in the teaching field and at the grade level for which the Letter of Eligibility was issued, is required to submit to the Educator Certification Section a recommendation on the current application for this approach.

(6) Professional Educator Certification. The applicant is required to submit to the Educator Certification Section the current application for this approach and documentation of having met all requirements. The applicant may apply for the Professional Educator Certificate at any time after all requirements have been met, but no later than one calendar year after the HETC expires.

(a) Coursework Requirements. Verification on an official transcript of earned credit for the required coursework prior to applying for the Professional Educator Certificate.

1. Coursework must be completed at a regionally accredited institution in each of the following areas:

(i) Classroom management;

(ii) Evaluation of teaching and learning;

(iii) Methods of teaching; and

(iv) Strategies for teaching special needs students in inclusive settings.

(I) This course must be completed at a regionally accredited senior institution with state-approved programs and must be part of a state-approved program.

(II) This course will not be accepted if completed five or more years prior to the date the application for the Letter of Eligibility is received in the Educator Certification Section.

2. Coursework must be completed with a grade of "C" or above.

3. Coursework applied for completion of the HETC approach cannot later be applied to meet coursework requirements for a State-approved program at a higher degree level in any area.

(b) Experience Requirement. Verification on Supplement EXP of one full year of full-time classroom teaching experience in the teaching field while holding a valid HETC. An individual who holds a valid HETC must be assigned only to the teaching field for which the HETC was issued. All experience must be earned in one public school system.

(c) Test Requirement. Electronic verification from the testing company to the ALSDE of a current passing score attained on the prescribed Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) Handbook of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program (AECAP).

(7) Degree Level. The HETC Certificate and the Professional Educator Certificate issued through this approach shall be issued based upon the applicant's highest earned degree from a regionally accredited senior institution.

(a) The valid period of the Eligibility Letter shall be from the date of issuance through the remainder of the same scholastic year, and thereafter, for the next two consecutive scholastic years.

(b) The valid period of the HETC shall be from the date of issuance through the remainder of the same scholastic year, and thereafter, for the next two consecutive scholastic years.

(c) The valid period of the Professional Educator Certificate shall be from the date of issuance through the remainder of the same scholastic year, and thereafter, for the next five consecutive scholastic years.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-2-.36

Adopted by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVII, Issue No. 12, September 30, 2019, eff. 11/14/2019.

Author: Dr. Eric G. Mackey

Statutory Authority: Ala. Const. Amend. 284, Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 16-3-11, 16-23-1, 16-23-2.