Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-3-.03 - College and University Requirements
To offer approved educator preparation programs, institutions in Alabama shall be accredited by the U.S. DOE. If an institution loses accreditation at one or more levels, the educator preparation provider (EPP) must notify the ALSDE and candidates individually and in writing.
1.
InTASC, ISTE, and ALSDE Specific
Standards. EPPs ensure mechanisms are in place to provide candidates
opportunities to demonstrate their competence on the ten Interstate Teacher
Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) standards, and International Society
for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards. For initial certification,
candidates must demonstrate competence in content and pedagogical knowledge,
learner and learning, content, instructional practice, and professional
responsibility. For advanced certification, candidates must demonstrate
competence in data literacy, research utilization, data analysis, learner and
learning, technological utilization, and application of professional
dispositions.
2.
Clinical
Partnerships and Practice. The EPP ensures effective partnerships and
high-quality clinical practice designed to develop knowledge, skills, and
professional dispositions are central to candidate preparation. These
experiences should demonstrate positive impact on students' learning and
development. High-quality clinical practice offers candidates experiences in
different settings and modalities, as well as with P-12 students, schools,
families, and communities.
a.
Partnerships for Clinical Preparation. Partners co-construct
mutually beneficial P-12 school and community arrangements for clinical
preparation and share responsibility for continuous improvement of candidate
preparation.
b.
Clinical
Educators. Partners co-select, prepare, evaluate, and support
high-quality clinical educators, both provider-and school-based, who
demonstrate a positive impact on candidates' development and P-12 student
learning and development.
c.
Clinical Experiences. The EPP works with partners to design and
implement clinical experiences, utilizing various modalities, of sufficient
depth, breadth, coherence, and duration to allow candidates an opportunity to
positively impact P-12 students' learning and development.
3.
Candidate Recruitment, Progression,
and Support. The EPP emphasizes quality from recruitment through
completion, and the EPP provides support services (such as advising,
remediation, and mentoring) in all phases of the program so candidates will be
successful.
a.
Recruitment. The
EPP presents goals and progress evidence for recruitment of high-quality
candidates from a broad range of backgrounds and populations that align with
their mission. The EPP also seeks to address hard-to-staff schools and shortage
fields.
b.
Monitoring and
Supporting Candidate Progression. The EPP creates and monitors
transition points from admission through completion that indicate candidates'
developing content and pedagogical knowledge and skills, critical dispositions,
professional responsibilities, and the ability to integrate technology
effectively in their practice. The EPP identifies a transition point when a
cohort achieves a GPA of 3.0. The EPP ensures candidates are aware of the
transition points, and they disaggregate data by relevant characteristics. The
EPP maintains and monitors these records for continuous improvement.
c.
Competency at Completion. The
EPP ensures candidates possess academic competency to teach effectively with
positive impacts on P-12 student learning and development through application
of content knowledge, foundational pedagogical skills, and technology
integration in the field(s) where certification is sought.
d. Additionally, at the graduate level,
candidates are expected to demonstrate academic achievement and ability
to complete preparation successfully. The EPP sets admission
requirements for academic achievement and gathers data to monitor candidates
from admission to completion.
4.
Program Impact. The EPP
demonstrates the effectiveness of its completers' instruction on P-12 student
learning and development and completer and employer satisfaction with the
relevance and effectiveness of preparation. The EPP examines completer
effectiveness and the satisfaction of employers and completers.
5.
Quality Assurance System and
Continuous Improvement. The EPP maintains a quality assurance system
that consists of valid data from multiple measures and supports sustained and
evidence based continuous improvement. The system is developed and maintained
with input from internal and external stakeholders, and data elements are used
to inform programmatic improvement.
6.
General Requirements.
a. Courses, Credits, and/or Programs
Acceptable to Meet State-Approved Program Requirements.
i. Any courses and/or credits verified on an
official transcript and used to meet State-approved program requirements must
have been taken at an accredited institution in the United States. The
institution must have been approved at the time that credit for the course(s)
was earned.
ii. Remedial courses
cannot not be used to meet approved program requirements.
iii. Coursework used to meet Class B
certification requirements cannot be used to meet requirements for Class A
certification in any teaching field or area of instructional support.
Coursework used to meet Class A certification requirements cannot be used to
meet certification requirements for Class AA certification in any teaching
field or area of instructional support. Courses used to satisfy GPA
requirements may be used for program completion and certification at the next
higher level. Additionally, graduate courses used to renew a certificate may be
used to earn an advanced degree.
iv. A candidate cannot be recommended for
certification based on completion of a program for which State approval expired
more than seven years prior to the date of program completion.
v. Individuals in undergraduate programs may
enroll in master's-level courses in an approved Class A or Alternative Class A
program in accordance with written institutional policies and State standards
for program admission.
vi.
Individuals in a master's program may enroll in courses in an approved Class AA
program in accordance with written institutional policies and State standards
for program admission.
b.
General Studies. The EPP shall ensure that candidates have
completed general studies courses and experiences. General studies shall
include courses in English language arts, social studies, mathematics, and
science. EPPs are encouraged to require sufficient coursework to ensure that
candidates have a strong background in each of the content areas that he/she
will be teaching. EPPs should align their programs to ensure candidate success
on assessments required for certification.
EPPs must ensure individuals applying for admission to Alternative Class A programs have a strong background in each of the content areas they will be teaching. These candidates should be able to earn the current passing score on the prescribed Praxis subject assessment of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program (AECAP) prior to program completion.
c.
Teaching Field. Institutions may elect to meet appropriate Alabama
State Board of Education (State BOE) rules for specific teaching fields,
CAEP-affiliated specialty organization guidelines, or the guidelines of other
national teaching field specific accrediting agencies.
i.
Major requirements. The Class
B middle-level, secondary, and P-12 teaching fields shall include one of the
following options:
a. A comprehensive teaching
field in English language arts, general science, or general social
studies.
b. A single teaching field
that includes a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit with at least 18
semester hours of upper-division credit in a single teaching field, such as
chemistry or history.
c. A single
teaching field in an area of health education, ESOL, career and technical
education, physical education, or special education that includes a major with
a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit with at least 18 semester hours of
upperdivision credit.
d.
Graduate-level programs shall consist of a teaching field that is 1/3 of the
hours on the program checklist.
ii.
Methods course requirements.
Each Class B and Alternative Class A teaching field shall be supported by at
least one methods course specific to the teaching field or to the general area
of the teaching field (e.g., science methods or social studies methods).
Methods courses for specific teaching fields or for the general area of the
teaching field shall not be combined with methods courses of other teaching
fields or general areas (e.g., mathematics and biology). The course should also
instruct candidates how to use an interdisciplinary approach.
iii.
Classroom management
requirement. Each Class B and Alternative Class A program shall either
contain a standalone classroom management course or embed the content within
courses in the curriculum.
d.
Criminal History Background
Check.
i. Any candidate applying for
admission to a State-approved educator preparation program shall be required to
be fingerprinted (by a service provider approved by the ALSDE) for a criminal
history background check through the ALSDE to the Alabama State Bureau of
Investigations (SBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) pursuant to
Ala. Code * 16-23-16.2 (1975). Candidates must clear a criminal history
background check prior to participation in any field experiences or activities
working with students. EPP must have a written policy to ensure the safety of
students.
ii. The candidate is
responsible for the nonrefundable, nontransferable fee.
iii. The candidate shall be issued a
suitability determination from the State Superintendent of Education. The
candidate must provide the designated official of the EPP documentation of
having cleared the criminal history background check prior to admission to a
State-approved educator preparation program.
iv. A candidate whose suitability
determination precludes admission to a State-approved educator preparation
program has the right to due process procedures in accordance with the current
Educator Certification Chapter (290-3-2) of the Alabama Administrative
Code.
e.
Field Experiences and Internships (Class B, Class A, and Class AA
Programs).
i. Field experiences. (More
requirements concerning field experience expectations can be found in the CAEP
Handbook.)
a. All Class B, Alternative Class
A, Class A and Class AA programs shall require extensive field experiences in
multiple settings and/or a practicum. If permitted by written EPP policy,
individuals who are employed in positions appropriate to the area of their
current program (e.g., an ESOL teacher of both elementary and secondary
students in a variety of settings) may complete field experiences on the job,
but those experiences must be planned with specific purposes and
assessments.
b. Most field
experiences shall occur in P-12 schools. Service-learning projects may be
external to P-12 schools.
c. At
least half of the field experiences shall be in the candidate's teaching field
or area of instructional support.
d. For pre-kindergarten education programs,
field experiences must span birth through age 4 in both childcare centers
(private, home, and school) and Department of Early Childhood Education
programs.
e. For early childhood
education and early childhood special education programs, field experiences
shall include placements in at least two of the three main types of early
education settings (early school grades (K-3), childcare centers and homes, and
Office of School Readiness programs). Early childhood special education
programs must have a placement in a special education setting or at least three
field experiences or a practicum in this environment.
f. For elementary education programs, field
experiences should include placements in both lower (K-3) and upper (4-6)
elementary grades.
g. For secondary
education programs, field experiences should include placements in both middle
school and high school.
h. For P-12
programs, field experiences should include placements at both P-6 and 6-12
grade levels.
ii.
Internships in Class B and Alternative Class A programs.
a. The internships in Class B and Alternative
Class A programs shall be the equivalent of a full semester, full-time in the
teaching field for which certification is sought and may include more than one
classroom or grade level, with experiences of the intern progressing to the
full responsibilities of the teacher. Prior approval must be granted to place a
candidate over the course of two terms. An intern must teach full-time for at
least five consecutive days.
This statement pertains to Items b through d below: Two internship placements are required unless at least three field experiences and/or a practicum were completed at the other level. Divided internships do not require equal placements in both assignments.
b. For P-12 programs and for individuals
seeking certification in collaborative special education at both the K-6 and
6-12 levels, the internship shall be divided between early childhood/elementary
and middle/secondary grades.
c. For
pre-kindergarten education programs, the internship must span birth through age
4 in both childcare and Office of School Readiness programs.
d. For early childhood education and early
childhood special education programs, the internship shall include a placement
with at least two of the following age groups: birth-age 3, age 3-5, age
5-8.
e. For elementary education
programs, the internship shall be divided between P-3rd grade and 4th-6th grade
placements.
f. For elementary
education and collaborative special education (K-6) programs, the internship
shall include lower elementary (grades K-3) and upper elementary (grades 4-6)
and collaborative special education placements. Elementary and collaborative
special education programs must have a placement in all three settings unless
at least three field experiences or a practicum have been completed in one
setting.
g. At the EPP's
discretion, Class B and Alternative A candidates may serve as long term
substitutes in classrooms appropriate to their certification area while
completing the internship.
h. A
candidate who has met all State requirements for unconditional admission to an
Alternative Class A program and is employed in an Alabama school may complete
the internship in the candidate's classroom if both of the following
requirements are met:
(i). The candidate is
employed on an Interim Employment Certificate (IEC) as the teacher of record or
as a long-term substitute in a position appropriate to the candidate's
certification area (a substitute license is required), AND
(ii). On-the job internship placements are
permitted by EPP written policy.
(iii). Other grade level rules still
apply.
iii.
Internships in Class A and AA programs. Class A and Class AA
programs may require an internship.
f.
Faculty Qualifications.
i. Educator preparation provider (EPP)
faculty at the institution shall have either:
a. earned doctorates from accredited
institutions in the content area where assigned. The institution must have been
approved at the time of degree conferral; or
b. for Class B programs, faculty specialists
must have completed at least 18 hours of graduate level study appropriate to
the teaching field earned from an accredited institution that was approved at
the time course credit was earned. For Alternative A, Class A (traditional),
and Class AA programs, faculty specialists must have earned at least the degree
in the same content area and grade band at a level above the program in which
they are teaching; or
c. appropriate
documentation to warrant their assignment as submitted to accrediting body;
or
d. exceptional expertise that
qualifies them for their assignments. Approvals must be granted by accrediting
body or through ALSDE.
ii. Document that faculty members who teach
professional education courses or supervise interns for teaching field programs
have recent P-12 experience in that teaching field. If faculty have not been
employed in a P-12 setting in the most recent 5 years, 10 hours of recency
experience will be required per year.
iii. P-12 clinical faculty (cooperating
teachers) who supervise interns shall be accomplished school professionals who
are properly certified, have at least three years of professional educational
work experience in their field of specialization, and are currently teaching
classes in the intern's area(s) of specialization. An exception can be granted
if no clinical faculty who meet the criteria can be found. A school
administrator can be appointed to supervise the internship.
iv. An intern placed in a pre-kindergarten
setting may be supervised by a teacher who meets the criteria indicated above,
or by a lead teacher designated by the Alabama Department of Early Childhood
Education.
v. P-12 faculty shall
provide regular and continuing support for interns through such processes as
observation, conferencing, group discussion, e-mail, and the use of other
technologies.
g.
Governance and Accountability for Educator Preparation.
i. The president of the institution shall
designate the administrative head of educator preparation (the EPP
head).
ii. One person shall be
authorized by the EPP head to represent the EPP as the certification officer,
who certifies to the ALSDE that an applicant for a certificate has successfully
completed the approved program for the certificate sought and is recommended
for certification.
iii. Unless
specified differently in other Rules in this chapter, there shall be at least
one specialist in each curriculum area for which a Class B, Alternative A, or
Class A (traditional) program leading to certification is offered who meets
faculty qualifications in the curriculum area to which the faculty member is
assigned. For Class AA programs, there shall be at least two specialists in
each curriculum area.
iv. The unit
shall limit its program offerings to ensure that courses are offered at
appropriate times and with sufficient frequency to accommodate the levels of
the candidates (Class B, Class A, and Class AA).
h.
Educator Preparation Provider (EPP)
Accountability.
i.
Support for
program completers. The EPP shall establish, publish, and implement
policies to support completers of approved programs. The EPP shall provide
remediation at no cost to individuals whose performance indicates the need for
additional support within their first two years of employment.
ii.
New programs. Authorization
by the shall be secured before a proposal for a new program is reviewed.
Candidates shall not be enrolled in courses unique to a proposed program prior
to program approval.
iii.
Discontinuation of programs. If the State BOE chooses to eliminate
standards for a teaching field or area of instructional support, the State
Superintendent of Education will communicate directly with EPP heads.
a. If an institution chooses to discontinue a
program or place it on inactive status, the EPP head shall give written
notification of this decision to the State Superintendent of Education. The
notification shall include the names and other identifying information of
candidates who have been unconditionally admitted to the program to be
discontinued or placed on inactive status, along with each candidate's
anticipated program completion date. Receipt of that notification shall be
confirmed by the State Superintendent of Education. No other candidates shall
be admitted to the program.
b. An
EPP may choose to reactivate an inactive program at any time prior to the
expiration date of the inactive program, if all standards applicable to the
inactive program are met. If the inactive program is not reactivated at the
time of the next comprehensive review, it must be addressed as a new
program.
Notes
Previous Rule .02 was renumbered .03 per certification published August 31, 2021; effective October 15, 2021.
Author: Dr. Eric G. Mackey.
Statutory Authority: Ala. Code §§ 16-3-16 and 16-23-14 (1975).
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
To offer approved educator preparation programs, institutions in Alabama shall be accredited by the U.S. DOE. If an institution loses accreditation at one or more levels, the educator preparation provider (EPP) must notify the ALSDE and candidates individually and in writing.
1. InTASC, ISTE, and ALSDE Specific Standards. EPPs ensure mechanisms are in place to provide candidates opportunities to demonstrate their competence on the ten Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) standards, and International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards. For initial certification, candidates must demonstrate competence in content and pedagogical knowledge, learner and learning, content, instructional practice, and professional responsibility. For advanced certification, candidates must demonstrate competence in data literacy, research utilization, data analysis, learner and learning, technological utilization, and application of professional dispositions.
2. Clinical Partnerships and Practice. The EPP ensures effective partnerships and high-quality clinical practice designed to develop knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions are central to candidate preparation. These experiences should demonstrate positive impact on students' learning and development. High-quality clinical practice offers candidates experiences in different settings and modalities, as well as with P-12 students, schools, families, and communities.
a. Partnerships for Clinical Preparation. Partners co-construct mutually beneficial P-12 school and community arrangements for clinical preparation and share responsibility for continuous improvement of candidate preparation.
b. Clinical Educators. Partners co-select, prepare, evaluate, and support high-quality clinical educators, both provider-and school-based, who demonstrate a positive impact on candidates' development and P-12 student learning and development.
c. Clinical Experiences. The EPP works with partners to design and implement clinical experiences, utilizing various modalities, of sufficient depth, breadth, coherence, and duration to allow candidates an opportunity to positively impact P-12 students' learning and development.
3. Candidate Recruitment, Progression, and Support. The EPP emphasizes quality from recruitment through completion, and the EPP provides support services (such as advising, remediation, and mentoring) in all phases of the program so candidates will be successful.
a. Recruitment. The EPP presents goals and progress evidence for recruitment of high-quality candidates from a broad range of backgrounds and populations that align with their mission. The EPP also seeks to address hard-to-staff schools and shortage fields.
b. Monitoring and Supporting Candidate Progression. The EPP creates and monitors transition points from admission through completion that indicate candidates' developing content and pedagogical knowledge and skills, critical dispositions, professional responsibilities, and the ability to integrate technology effectively in their practice. The EPP identifies a transition point when a cohort achieves a GPA of 3.0. The EPP ensures candidates are aware of the transition points, and they disaggregate data by relevant characteristics. The EPP maintains and monitors these records for continuous improvement.
c. Competency at Completion. The EPP ensures candidates possess academic competency to teach effectively with positive impacts on P-12 student learning and development through application of content knowledge, foundational pedagogical skills, and technology integration in the field(s) where certification is sought.
d. Additionally, at the graduate level, candidates are expected to demonstrate academic achievement and ability to complete preparation successfully. The EPP sets admission requirements for academic achievement and gathers data to monitor candidates from admission to completion.
4. Program Impact. The EPP demonstrates the effectiveness of its completers' instruction on P-12 student learning and development and completer and employer satisfaction with the relevance and effectiveness of preparation. The EPP examines completer effectiveness and the satisfaction of employers and completers.
5. Quality Assurance System and Continuous Improvement. The EPP maintains a quality assurance system that consists of valid data from multiple measures and supports sustained and evidence based continuous improvement. The system is developed and maintained with input from internal and external stakeholders, and data elements are used to inform programmatic improvement.
6. General Requirements.
a. Courses, Credits, and/or Programs Acceptable to Meet State-Approved Program Requirements.
i. Any courses and/or credits verified on an official transcript and used to meet State-approved program requirements must have been taken at an accredited institution in the United States. The institution must have been approved at the time that credit for the course(s) was earned.
ii. Remedial courses cannot not be used to meet approved program requirements.
iii. Coursework used to meet Class B certification requirements cannot be used to meet requirements for Class A certification in any teaching field or area of instructional support. Coursework used to meet Class A certification requirements cannot be used to meet certification requirements for Class AA certification in any teaching field or area of instructional support. Courses used to satisfy GPA requirements may be used for program completion and certification at the next higher level. Additionally, graduate courses used to renew a certificate may be used to earn an advanced degree.
iv. A candidate cannot be recommended for certification based on completion of a program for which State approval expired more than seven years prior to the date of program completion.
v. Individuals in undergraduate programs may enroll in master's-level courses in an approved Class A or Alternative Class A program in accordance with written institutional policies and State standards for program admission.
vi. Individuals in a master's program may enroll in courses in an approved Class AA program in accordance with written institutional policies and State standards for program admission.
b. General Studies. The EPP shall ensure that candidates have completed general studies courses and experiences. General studies shall include courses in English language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science. EPPs are encouraged to require sufficient coursework to ensure that candidates have a strong background in each of the content areas that he/she will be teaching. EPPs should align their programs to ensure candidate success on assessments required for certification.
EPPs must ensure individuals applying for admission to Alternative Class A programs have a strong background in each of the content areas they will be teaching. These candidates should be able to earn the current passing score on the prescribed Praxis subject assessment of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program (AECAP) prior to program completion.
c. Teaching Field. Institutions may elect to meet appropriate Alabama State Board of Education (State BOE) rules for specific teaching fields, CAEP-affiliated specialty organization guidelines, or the guidelines of other national teaching field specific accrediting agencies.
i. Major requirements. The Class B middle-level, secondary, and P-12 teaching fields shall include one of the following options:
a. A comprehensive teaching field in English language arts, general science, or general social studies.
b. A single teaching field that includes a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit with at least 18 semester hours of upper-division credit in a single teaching field, such as chemistry or history.
c. A single teaching field in an area of health education, ESOL, career and technical education, physical education, or special education that includes a major with a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit with at least 18 semester hours of upperdivision credit.
d. Graduate-level programs shall consist of a teaching field that is 1/3 of the hours on the program checklist.
ii. Methods course requirements. Each Class B and Alternative Class A teaching field shall be supported by at least one methods course specific to the teaching field or to the general area of the teaching field (e.g., science methods or social studies methods). Methods courses for specific teaching fields or for the general area of the teaching field shall not be combined with methods courses of other teaching fields or general areas (e.g., mathematics and biology). The course should also instruct candidates how to use an interdisciplinary approach.
iii. Classroom management requirement. Each Class B and Alternative Class A program shall either contain a standalone classroom management course or embed the content within courses in the curriculum.
d. Criminal History Background Check.
i. Any candidate applying for admission to a State-approved educator preparation program shall be required to be fingerprinted (by a service provider approved by the ALSDE) for a criminal history background check through the ALSDE to the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) pursuant to Ala. Code * 16-23-16.2 (1975). Candidates must clear a criminal history background check prior to participation in any field experiences or activities working with students. EPP must have a written policy to ensure the safety of students.
ii. The candidate is responsible for the nonrefundable, nontransferable fee.
iii. The candidate shall be issued a suitability determination from the State Superintendent of Education. The candidate must provide the designated official of the EPP documentation of having cleared the criminal history background check prior to admission to a State-approved educator preparation program.
iv. A candidate whose suitability determination precludes admission to a State-approved educator preparation program has the right to due process procedures in accordance with the current Educator Certification Chapter (290-3-2) of the Alabama Administrative Code.
e. Field Experiences and Internships (Class B, Class A, and Class AA Programs).
i. Field experiences. (More requirements concerning field experience expectations can be found in the CAEP Handbook.)
a. All Class B, Alternative Class A, Class A and Class AA programs shall require extensive field experiences in multiple settings and/or a practicum. If permitted by written EPP policy, individuals who are employed in positions appropriate to the area of their current program (e.g., an ESOL teacher of both elementary and secondary students in a variety of settings) may complete field experiences on the job, but those experiences must be planned with specific purposes and assessments.
b. Most field experiences shall occur in P-12 schools. Service-learning projects may be external to P-12 schools.
c. At least half of the field experiences shall be in the candidate's teaching field or area of instructional support.
d. For pre-kindergarten education programs, field experiences must span birth through age 4 in both childcare centers (private, home, and school) and Department of Early Childhood Education programs.
e. For early childhood education and early childhood special education programs, field experiences shall include placements in at least two of the three main types of early education settings (early school grades (K-3), childcare centers and homes, and Office of School Readiness programs). Early childhood special education programs must have a placement in a special education setting or at least three field experiences or a practicum in this environment.
f. For elementary education programs, field experiences should include placements in both lower (K-3) and upper (4-6) elementary grades.
g. For secondary education programs, field experiences should include placements in both middle school and high school.
h. For P-12 programs, field experiences should include placements at both P-6 and 6-12 grade levels.
ii. Internships in Class B and Alternative Class A programs.
a. The internships in Class B and Alternative Class A programs shall be the equivalent of a full semester, full-time in the teaching field for which certification is sought and may include more than one classroom or grade level, with experiences of the intern progressing to the full responsibilities of the teacher. Prior approval must be granted to place a candidate over the course of two terms. An intern must teach full-time for at least five consecutive days.
This statement pertains to Items b through d below: Two internship placements are required unless at least three field experiences and/or a practicum were completed at the other level. Divided internships do not require equal placements in both assignments.
b. For P-12 programs and for individuals seeking certification in collaborative special education at both the K-6 and 6-12 levels, the internship shall be divided between early childhood/elementary and middle/secondary grades.
c. For pre-kindergarten education programs, the internship must span birth through age 4 in both childcare and Office of School Readiness programs.
d. For early childhood education and early childhood special education programs, the internship shall include a placement with at least two of the following age groups: birth-age 3, age 3-5, age 5-8.
e. For elementary education programs, the internship shall be divided between P-3rd grade and 4th-6th grade placements.
f. For elementary education and collaborative special education (K-6) programs, the internship shall include lower elementary (grades K-3) and upper elementary (grades 4-6) and collaborative special education placements. Elementary and collaborative special education programs must have a placement in all three settings unless at least three field experiences or a practicum have been completed in one setting.
g. At the EPP's discretion, Class B and Alternative A candidates may serve as long term substitutes in classrooms appropriate to their certification area while completing the internship.
h. A candidate who has met all State requirements for unconditional admission to an Alternative Class A program and is employed in an Alabama school may complete the internship in the candidate's classroom if both of the following requirements are met:
(i). The candidate is employed on an Interim Employment Certificate (IEC) as the teacher of record or as a long-term substitute in a position appropriate to the candidate's certification area (a substitute license is required), AND
(ii). On-the job internship placements are permitted by EPP written policy.
(iii). Other grade level rules still apply.
iii. Internships in Class A and AA programs. Class A and Class AA programs may require an internship.
f. Faculty Qualifications.
i. Educator preparation provider (EPP) faculty at the institution shall have either:
a. earned doctorates from accredited institutions in the content area where assigned. The institution must have been approved at the time of degree conferral; or
b. for Class B programs, faculty specialists must have completed at least 18 hours of graduate level study appropriate to the teaching field earned from an accredited institution that was approved at the time course credit was earned. For Alternative A, Class A (traditional), and Class AA programs, faculty specialists must have earned at least the degree in the same content area and grade band at a level above the program in which they are teaching; or
c. appropriate documentation to warrant their assignment as submitted to accrediting body; or
d. exceptional expertise that qualifies them for their assignments. Approvals must be granted by accrediting body or through ALSDE.
ii. Document that faculty members who teach professional education courses or supervise interns for teaching field programs have recent P-12 experience in that teaching field. If faculty have not been employed in a P-12 setting in the most recent 5 years, 10 hours of recency experience will be required per year.
iii. P-12 clinical faculty (cooperating teachers) who supervise interns shall be accomplished school professionals who are properly certified, have at least three years of professional educational work experience in their field of specialization, and are currently teaching classes in the intern's area(s) of specialization. An exception can be granted if no clinical faculty who meet the criteria can be found. A school administrator can be appointed to supervise the internship.
iv. An intern placed in a pre-kindergarten setting may be supervised by a teacher who meets the criteria indicated above, or by a lead teacher designated by the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education.
v. P-12 faculty shall provide regular and continuing support for interns through such processes as observation, conferencing, group discussion, e-mail, and the use of other technologies.
g. Governance and Accountability for Educator Preparation.
i. The president of the institution shall designate the administrative head of educator preparation (the EPP head).
ii. One person shall be authorized by the EPP head to represent the EPP as the certification officer, who certifies to the ALSDE that an applicant for a certificate has successfully completed the approved program for the certificate sought and is recommended for certification.
iii. Unless specified differently in other Rules in this chapter, there shall be at least one specialist in each curriculum area for which a Class B, Alternative A, or Class A (traditional) program leading to certification is offered who meets faculty qualifications in the curriculum area to which the faculty member is assigned. For Class AA programs, there shall be at least two specialists in each curriculum area.
iv. The unit shall limit its program offerings to ensure that courses are offered at appropriate times and with sufficient frequency to accommodate the levels of the candidates (Class B, Class A, and Class AA).
h. Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) Accountability.
i. Support for program completers. The EPP shall establish, publish, and implement policies to support completers of approved programs. The EPP shall provide remediation at no cost to individuals whose performance indicates the need for additional support within their first two years of employment.
ii. New programs. Authorization by the shall be secured before a proposal for a new program is reviewed. Candidates shall not be enrolled in courses unique to a proposed program prior to program approval.
iii. Discontinuation of programs. If the State BOE chooses to eliminate standards for a teaching field or area of instructional support, the State Superintendent of Education will communicate directly with EPP heads.
a. If an institution chooses to discontinue a program or place it on inactive status, the EPP head shall give written notification of this decision to the State Superintendent of Education. The notification shall include the names and other identifying information of candidates who have been unconditionally admitted to the program to be discontinued or placed on inactive status, along with each candidate's anticipated program completion date. Receipt of that notification shall be confirmed by the State Superintendent of Education. No other candidates shall be admitted to the program.
b. An EPP may choose to reactivate an inactive program at any time prior to the expiration date of the inactive program, if all standards applicable to the inactive program are met. If the inactive program is not reactivated at the time of the next comprehensive review, it must be addressed as a new program.
Notes
Previous Rule .02 was renumbered .03 per certification published August 31, 2021; effective October 15, 2021.
Author: Dr. Eric G. Mackey.
Statutory Authority: Ala. Code §§ 16-3-16 and 16-23-14 (1975).