16 Ky. Admin. Regs. 2:020

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 5, November 1, 2024

Section 16 KAR 2:020 - Occupation-based career and technical education certification

RELATES TO: KRS 156.095, 158.070, 158.816, 160.380, 161.020, 161.028, 161.030

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 161.020(3), 161.028(1)(a), and 161.030 require the Education Professional Standards Board to promulgate administrative regulations establishing standards and requirements for obtaining and maintaining a teaching certificate. This administrative regulation establishes the qualifications for certification of teachers of occupation-based career and technical education and implements the testing and internship requirements of KRS 161.030.

Section 1.

(1) The Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) shall issue and reissue certificates for occupation-based career and technical teachers employed by the public schools, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, or the Kentucky Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education (KDE).

(2) The EPSB may issue certificates for any information technology, industrial education, public service, health science, or human services occupation area for which programs may be offered under the required Kentucky Academic Standards established in 704 KAR 3:303.

(3) The EPSB shall issue certificates for occupation-based career and technical teacher candidates who are employed based upon required occupational experience in the occupation area to be taught.

(4) The EPSB shall not require a college degree for initial issuance.

Section 2. Issuance and Renewal of One

(1) Year Provisional Certificates.

(1) Initial issuance. The EPSB shall issue a provisional certificate to occupation-based career and technical teacher candidates for a duration period of one (1) year. The EPSB shall only issue the provisional certificate after the KDE and, if applicable, an accredited provider of an approved occupation-based educator preparation degree program recommends the teacher candidate for certification and the teacher candidate completes the requirements set forth in this Section.

(a) For those teacher candidates who do not hold at least an associate degree in the occupation area in which the teacher candidate is seeking certification, the teacher candidate shall:

1. Demonstrate that he or she has at least a high school diploma or its equivalent;

2. Demonstrate that he or she has four (4) years of successful and appropriate occupational experience in the occupation area in which certification is sought along with:

a. At least two (2) years of the occupational experience completed within the last five (5) years. A maximum of one (1) year of the required work experience may be satisfied by completion of an approved occupation-based educator preparation program for the occupation to be taught; and

b. Proof that KDE confirmed the occupational experience;

3. Demonstrate that he or she meets the assessment requirements set forth in 16 KAR 6:020;

4. The teacher candidate shall answer "no" to all of the EPSB's background disclosure questions set forth in Section 4(1)(a)-(f) this administrative regulation. If the teacher candidate answers "yes" to any of the questions set forth in Section 4(1)(a)-(f), the EPSB may still issue a statement of eligibility for those teacher candidates, but the board shall retain final authority to deny a request for certification pursuant to the board's authority established in KRS 161.120; and

5. Demonstrate that a local school district, the KDE, or the Kentucky Community and Technical College System has made an offer of employment.

(b) For those teacher candidates who hold either an occupation-based degree in the occupation area in which certification is sought or a degree from an approved occupation-based educator preparation degree program, the teacher candidates shall provide proof of that degree to the EPSB.

(c) The teacher candidate shall answer "no" to all of the EPSB's background disclosure questions set forth in Section 4(1)(a)-(f) this administrative regulation. If the teacher candidate answers "yes" to any of the questions set forth in Section 4(1)(a)-(f), the EPSB may still issue a statement of eligibility for those teacher candidates, but the board shall retain final authority to deny a request for certification pursuant to the board's authority established in KRS 161.120.

(2) First renewal of one (1) year provisional certificates. The EPSB shall issue the first renewal of the one (1) year provisional certificate to a requesting teacher candidate only after the KDE and, if applicable, an accredited provider of an occupation-based educator preparation degree program recommends the renewal of the provisional certificate and the teacher candidate meets the requirements set forth in subsection (2)(b).

(a) The KDE or the accredited provider of an occupation-based educator preparation degree program shall only recommend renewal of the first provisional certificate for a teacher candidate after that teacher candidate:

1. Completes six (6) semester hours of academic credit or its equivalent in professional learning from NTI in areas such as classroom management, lesson planning and curriculum, assessment, academic integration of numeracy and literacy, and instruction for students with special learning needs;

2. Completes the first year of professional learning through the NTI;

3. Receives a recommendation by the KDE or an accredited provider of an occupation-based educator preparation program for enrollment in the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP); and

(b) Answers "no" to all of the EPSB's background disclosure questions set forth in Section 4(1)(a)-(f) of this administrative regulation. If the teacher candidate answers "yes" to any of the questions set forth in Section 4(1)(a)-(f), the EPSB may still issue a statement of eligibility for those teacher candidates, but the board shall retain final authority to deny a request for certification pursuant to the board's authority established in KRS 161.120.

(3) Subsequent renewal of one (1) year provisional certificate. The EPSB shall issue any subsequent renewal of the one (1) year provisional certificate to a requesting teacher candidate only after the KDE or the provider of an approved occupation-based educator preparation degree program recommends to the EPSB that the EPSB renew the one (1) year provisional certificate. The KDE or an approved occupation-based educator preparation degree program shall ensure that the teacher candidate meets the following requirements before recommending renewal:

(a) The completion of a minimum of six (6) semester hours of college credit for each renewal selected from the degree program;

(b) Documentation of completion of four (4) days of professional development as required by KRS 156.095 and 158.070; and

(c) Answering "no" to all of the EPSB's background disclosure questions set forth in Section 4(1)(a)-(f) this administrative regulation. If the teacher candidate answers "yes" to any of the questions set forth in Section 4(1)(a)-(f), the EPSB may still issue a statement of eligibility for those teacher candidates, but the board shall retain final authority to deny a request for certification pursuant to the board's authority established in KRS 161.120.

(4) The one (1) year provisional certificate shall be limited to five (5), one (1) year renewals for a total validity period of six (6) years. These renewals may be consecutive or nonconsecutive.

Section 3. Issuance and Renewal of the Professional Certificate.

(1) Issuance. The EPSB shall issue a professional certificate pursuant to this administrative regulation for a duration period of five (5) years to a requesting teacher candidate only after the KDE and, if applicable, a provider of an approved occupation-based educator preparation degree program recommends that the EPSB issue the professional certificate. Neither the KDE nor the provider of the approved occupation-based educator preparation degree program shall recommend issuance of the professional certificate until the teacher candidate has met the following requirements:

(a) The teacher candidate receives an occupation-based degree or an approved occupation-based educator preparation degree;

(b) The teacher candidate completes the two (2) years professional learning through NTI sponsored by KDE; and

(c) The teacher candidate successfully completes KTIP.

(2) Renewal. The EPSB shall renew the professional certificate in accordance with 16 KAR 4:060.

Section 4. Disclosure of Background Information.

(1) Teachers and teacher candidates shall disclose certain background information to the EPSB whenever those teachers and teacher candidates apply for the issuance and renewal of the provisional certificate and the professional certificate by answering the following questions:

(a) "Have you ever had a professional certificate, license, credential, or any document issued for practice denied, suspended, revoked, or voluntarily surrendered? If you have had a professional certificate, license, credential, or any other document issued for practice initially denied by a licensing body, but later issued, you must answer "yes."";

(b) "Have you ever been suspended or discharged from any employment or military service because of allegations of misconduct?"

(c) "Have you ever resigned, entered into a settlement agreement, or otherwise left employment as a result of allegations of misconduct?"

(d) "Is any action now pending against you for alleged misconduct in any school district, court, or before any educator licensing agency?"

(e) "Have you ever been convicted of or entered a guilty plea, an "Alford" plea, or a plea of nolo contendere (no contest) to a felony or misdemeanor, even if adjudication of the sentence was withheld in Kentucky or any other state? Minor traffic violations should not be reported. Convictions for driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs (DUI) must be reported."

(f) "Do you have any criminal charges pending against you?" and

(g) "If you answered affirmatively to any of the questions in this Section, has the EPSB previously reviewed the information?"

(2) The EPSB shall provide teachers and teacher candidates with the opportunity to submit a narrative to the board to consider before the board approves the request for issuance or renewal of a provisional certificate or a professional certificate. The teacher or teacher candidate may include in their narrative any dates, locations, school systems, court records, or any other information the teacher or teacher candidate would like the board to consider.

Section 5.

(1) Effective July 1, 2018, the EPSB shall not issue a professional certificate to a teacher candidate who does not have at least an associate degree in the area in which the teacher candidate is seeking certification, and who has not completed the two (2) year professional learning through NTI sponsored by KDE unless that teacher candidate holds a valid, unexpired provisional certificate and was admitted into an approved occupation-based educator preparation program prior to July 1, 2018.

(2) For a teacher candidate who holds a provisional certificate and was admitted into an approved occupation-based educator preparation program prior to July 1, 2018, the EPSB shall renew that teacher candidate's provisional certificate in accordance with the laws and administrative regulations in effect at the time the first provisional certificate was issued as required by KRS 161.020.

(3) For a teacher candidate who was admitted into an approved occupation-based educator preparation program prior to July 1, 2018, the EPSB shall issue and renew that teacher candidate's professional certificate in accordance with the laws and administrative regulations in effect at the time the teacher candidate's first provisional certificate was issued.

Section 6. Information Technology and Computer Science Teachers.

(1) A teacher shall possess one (1) of the following credentials to instruct in the field of information technology or computer science:

(a) Provisional certificate established in Section 2 of this administrative regulation;

(b) Professional certificate established in Section 3 of this administrative regulation;

(c) Computer information systems certificate established in 16 KAR 2:010;

(d) Computer science endorsement established in 16 KAR 2:010; or

(e) Instructional computer technology endorsement established in 16 KAR 2:010.

(2) If a qualified teacher is not available for the position of information technology teacher, as attested to by the local school superintendent or the Associate Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education, a one (1) year probationary certificate may be issued under the requirements established in 16 KAR 2:190.

16 KAR 2:020

3 Ky.R. 272; eff. 11-3-1976; Am. 5 Ky.R. 616; eff. 3-7-1979; 11 Ky.R. 638; eff. 11-13-1984; 12 Ky.R. 1880; eff. 7-2-1986; Recodified from 704 KAR 20:222, 7-2-2002; 29 Ky.R. 2913; 30 Ky.R. 258; eff. 8-13-2003; 33 Ky.R. 826; 1266; eff. 12-1-2006; 42 Ky.R. 72; 660; eff. 9-14-2015; 43 Ky.R. 2005; 44 Ky.R. 225; 505; eff. 10-6-2017; Cert. eff. 10/2/2024.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 161.020(3), 161.028(1)(a), 161.030