Ariz. Admin. Code § R7-2-607 - General Certification Provisions

A. The evaluation to determine qualification for certification shall not begin until an institutional recommendation or application for certification and official transcripts, and the appropriate fees have been received by the Department. Course descriptions, verification of employment, and other documents may also be required for the evaluation.

B. Unless otherwise specified, a standard certificate shall be issued for 12 years and may be issued with deficiencies. Applicants may receive a standard certificate with the following deficiencies of requirements to be completed within three years: research-based phonics; reading instruction including for students with dyslexia; professionalism and ethics; and U.S. and Arizona Constitutions. If an applicant fails to meet these requirements within the prescribed time period, the Department of Education or the Board shall temporarily suspend the standard certificate, but the suspension is not considered a disciplinary action and the individual shall be allowed to correct the deficiency within the remaining time of the standard certification.

C. The effective date of a new certificate shall be the date the evaluation is completed by the Department. The effective date of a renewed certificate shall be the date the evaluation for renewal is completed by the Department.

D. Unless otherwise specified, all certificates and provisional endorsements issued for three years or less shall expire on the date of issuance in the year of expiration. All certificates issued for more than three years shall expire on the holder's birth date in the year of expiration.

E. Only those degrees awarded by an accredited institution shall be considered to satisfy the requirements for certification.

F. Professional preparation programs, courses, practica, and examinations required for certification shall be taken at an accredited institution or a Board-approved teacher preparation program.

G. Only those courses in which the applicant received a passing grade or credit shall be considered to satisfy the requirements for certification.

H. All certificates issued by the Department are considered to have been issued in conformance with these rules, except on a finding that an applicant submitted falsified or misrepresented documents, records, or facts in an application for certification or on a finding that a certificate was issued in error due to an error by the verifying authority or issuing authority. If the Department makes a finding pursuant to this subsection, the Department shall provide notice to the applicant of the finding. Within 60 days of the date of the notice, the applicant shall submit proof to the Department that the applicant meets the requirements for the certification. If the applicant is unable to provide proof they meet the requirements within 60 days of receipt of notice, the Department shall reclaim the certificate. Reclaiming a certificate pursuant to this subsection is not considered a disciplinary action but the Department shall refer the case for investigation pursuant to R7-2-1308 for findings that an applicant submitted falsified or misrepresented documents, records, or facts.

I. The Department shall issue a comparable standard Arizona certificate described in R7-2-608, R7-2-609, R7-2-610, R7-2-611, R7-2-612 or R7-2-613 to an applicant who holds a valid certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, possess a valid fingerprint clearance card issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and holds a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from an accredited institution. These applicants are exempt from all portions of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment.

J. An applicant is not required to take any portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment if the applicant has at least three years of full-time teaching experience in any state, including this state, in the comparable area of certification or endorsement in which the person is applying for certification, regardless of whether the applicant was certified or uncertified. An applicant is not required to take any portion of the Arizona Administrator Proficiency Assessment if the person has at least three years of full-time experience in a school leadership position in any state, including this state, regardless of whether the applicant was certified or uncertified.

K. An applicant is exempt from the testing requirements for Arizona certificates if the applicant passed corresponding portions of a professional or subject knowledge examinations, or administrator examination adopted by a state agency in another state that are similar to the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessments or the Arizona Administrator Proficiency Assessment.

L. An applicant is exempt from the subject knowledge portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment if:

1. The applicant provides verification of teaching courses relevant to a content area or subject matter for the last two consecutive years, and for a total of at least three years at one or more accredited postsecondary institutions; or

2. The applicant obtained a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from an accredited institution in a relevant subject area; or

3. The applicant provides verification of a minimum of five years of work experience that is relevant to a subject area of certification.

M. Unless otherwise specified, individuals who hold a valid Arizona elementary, middle grades or secondary certificate, or a special education certificate that includes grades six through 12, may add an approved area to their certificate by passing the appropriate subject area portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment or as provided in subsections (J), (K) and (L). Any approved area shall be specified on the certificate. If a proficiency assessment is not offered in a subject area, an approved area shall consist of a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in the subject.

N. If a language assessment is not offered through the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment, a passing score on a nationally accredited test of a foreign language approved by the Board may demonstrate proficiency of that foreign language in lieu of the 24 semester hours of courses in that subject.

O. A teacher's language proficiency in a Native American language shall be verified by a person, persons, or entity designated by the appropriate tribe in lieu of the 24 semester hours of courses in that subject.

P. Teachers of homebound students shall hold the same certificate that is required of a classroom teacher.

Q. Fingerprint clearance cards shall be issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

R. A person who surrenders their teaching certificate for any reason shall not submit an application for certification with the Board for a period of five years. A person re-applying after the five-year ban must apply under the current rules at the time of re-application.

S. Notwithstanding any other provision, an individual with a deficiency in the Arizona and U.S. Constitutions who teaches an academic course that focuses primarily on history, government, social studies, citizenship, law or civics shall be issued a standard certificate subject to suspension in one year if that deficiency is not removed. The suspension is not considered a disciplinary action and the individual shall be allowed to correct that deficiency within the remaining time of the standard certification.

T. As used in this Article, unless otherwise provided, "work experience" means paid or unpaid work, including teaching experience as a certificated or noncertificated educator at a public or private school, which demonstrates knowledge or skill relevant to a subject area. Work experience, and its relevance to a subject area, shall be verified with one of the following:

1. A letter from a superintendent or personnel director that the applicant demonstrates knowledge or skill in the subject area that is comparable to holding a bachelor's degree, master's degree, or doctoral degree in that subject area, as identified in a resume;

2. A letter from a public or private school superintendent or personnel director, in this state or in another state, that the applicant has the requisite experience teaching the most advanced Arizona academic standards, or comparable out-of-state standards, in the subject area sought; or

3. If an applicant is unable to obtain a letter described in subsections (T)(1) or (2), the applicant may submit a letter from a current or former supervisor verifying that the applicant demonstrates knowledge or skill in the subject area that is comparable to holding a bachelor's degree, master's degree, or doctoral degree in that subject area, as determined by the Department.

U. Single subject classroom teachers in grades six through 12 are required to be appropriately certified for the subject they teach for the greater part of their instructional schedule. If a teacher is assigned to two or more subjects for equal parts of their instructional schedule, the teacher is required to be appropriately certified in each subject.

V. The requirements to be considered appropriately certified for a self-contained, single subject, or other classroom shall be established in the Certification Guidelines for Teaching Assignments, which shall be approved by the Board and on file with the Department.

Notes

Ariz. Admin. Code § R7-2-607

Adopted effective December 5, 1977 (Supp. 77-6). Repealed effective December 4, 1978 (Supp. 78-6). New Section adopted effective May 3, 1993 (Supp. 93-2). Amended effective March 6, 1997 (Supp. 97-1). Section repealed; new Section adopted effective December 4, 1998 (Supp. 98-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 6 A.A.R. 1132, effective March 10, 2000 (Supp. 00-1). Amended by exempt rulemaking at 16 A.A.R. 102, effective May 1, 2009 (Supp. 10-1). Amended by exempt rulemaking at 16 A.A.R. 160, effective October 26, 2009 (Supp. 10-2). Amended by exempt rulemaking at 16 A.A.R. 324, effective January 25, 2010 (Supp. 10-3). Amended by exempt rulemaking at 16 A.A.R. 1249, effective May 24, 2010 (Supp. 10-4). Amended by exempt rulemaking at 21 A.A.R. 2009, effective 12/8/2014. Amended by exempt rulemaking at 22 A.A.R. 648, effective 1/25/2016. Amended by exempt rulemaking at 24 A.A.R. 195, effective 8/9/2017. Amended by final exempt rulemaking at 27 A.A.R. 2353, effective 9/27/2021. Amended by final exempt rulemaking at 29 A.A.R. 183, effective 12/9/2022.