§ 33-4104 — INTERSTATE AGREEMENT ON QUALIFICATION OF EDUCATIONAL PERSONNEL

The interstate agreement on qualification of educational personnel is hereby enacted into law and entered into with all jurisdictions legally joining therein as outlined in the national association of state directors of teacher education and certification (NASDTEC) interstate agreement, 2010 – 2015 in the form substantially as follows:
The purpose of this interstate agreement is to provide a mechanism to inform the membership and the public of jurisdiction-specific requirements for educator licensure in each member jurisdiction.
(1) Education is a regulated profession.
(2) Each member jurisdiction has the authority to establish professional and ethical standards for preparation, licensure and continuing development of educators.
(3) Each member jurisdiction has the responsibility to adhere to federal requirements and guidelines regarding the qualification of educators.
(4) Understanding licensure requirements of the different member jurisdictions facilitates professional educator mobility.
(5) The term "reciprocity" is often inappropriately applied to educator mobility between member jurisdictions.
(6) As licensure criteria differ from member jurisdiction to member jurisdiction, an educator’s license from one (1) member jurisdiction is not automatically "exchanged" for a license in another member jurisdiction.
(7) Minimum essential components of an approved educator preparation program are completion of a:
(a) Bachelor’s degree, either prior to admission to the program or as part of the program;
(b) Supervised clinical practice; and
(c) Planned program of study.
A member jurisdiction may impose additional components to meet its own standards.
(8) Recognition of national certification of educators, for example, the national board for professional teaching standards, is at the discretion of member jurisdictions.
(9) The terms defined in this interstate agreement provide a common vocabulary, which member jurisdictions agree to use in disseminating information nationally and internationally.
(10) The interstate agreement is not intended to alter, amend or regulate individual member jurisdiction licensure requirements.
For purposes of this interstate agreement, the following terms are defined as:
(1) "Accredited institution" means a college or university which awards a baccalaureate or higher degree and, if located within the United States, is fully accredited by one (1) of the following regional accrediting bodies:
(a) Middle states association of colleges and schools;
(b) New England association of schools and colleges;
(c) North central association of colleges and schools;
(d) Northwest commission on colleges and universities;
(e) Southern association of colleges and schools; and
(f) Western association of schools and colleges.
If the college or university does not have regional accreditation as detailed above, consideration of the educator for licensure is at the discretion of the member jurisdiction.
(2) "Administrator" means an educator whose primary duties may include:
(a) The supervision of programs or curriculum; or
(b) Supervision or management of a local educational agency, a school building, a school program or a school system.
(3) "Approved program" means a planned program of study leading to licensure in the appropriate member jurisdiction. Approved programs may be either traditional or nontraditional. A nontraditional program is a post-baccalaureate program in which the candidate may be employed as an educator prior to completion of the program, as defined by the United States department of education (USDOE).
Teacher Traditional Program Nontraditional Program Rigorous Admission Standards Yes Yes, including a bachelor’s degree earned prior to admission Conferred Degree Upon Program Completion Yes or No Yes or No Delivered by an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) Yes Yes or No Supervised Clinical Practice Yes Yes, but may differ from a traditional program May Be Employed As An Educator While Completing Program No Yes
Administrator Traditional Program Nontraditional Program Rigorous Admission Standards Yes, including a bachelor’s degree or higher earned prior to admission Yes, including a bachelor’s degree or higher earned prior to admission Conferred Degree Upon Program Completion Yes or No Yes or No Delivered by an IHE Yes Yes or No Supervised Clinical Practice Yes Yes, but may differ from a traditional program May Be Employed As An Educator While Completing Program Yes or No Yes
A program approved in one (1) member jurisdiction may not lead to licensure in another member jurisdiction.
(4) "Educator" is categorized as a teacher, administrator or support professional who may be required by the member jurisdiction to hold a license. A member jurisdiction may recognize additional categories of licensure (e.g., career and technical educators) not addressed by this interstate agreement.
(5) "Experience" means employment and licensure as required by the member jurisdiction.
(6) "Jurisdiction-specific requirement" (JSR) means any criterion beyond the minimum essential components required by a member jurisdiction for licensure. The following is a noninclusive list of JSRs:
(a) Grade-point average;
(b) Testing or other forms of assessment;
(c) Mentoring;
(d) Supervised and evaluated pre-service or professional experience;
(e) Course delivery methodology;
(f) Program approval comparability;
(g) Specific coursework;
(h) Valid license, as defined by the receiving member jurisdiction;
(i) Post-baccalaureate coursework or degrees;
(j) Continuing professional development;
(k) Moral fitness or character; or
(l) Citizenship.
(7) "Stages of administrator license" are described below and are general categories of licensure. Member jurisdictions may or may not offer these stages of licensure or require licensure to be eligible for certain school administrator work assignments.
(a) "Stage 1 administrator license" means a license issued to an individual who holds a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, has met approved school administrator preparation program admission requirements, but has not met the jurisdiction-specific requirements of the issuing member jurisdiction.
(b) "Stage 2 administrator license" means a license issued to an individual who has completed an approved school administrator preparation program, but has not met the jurisdiction-specific requirements for a stage 3 license of the issuing member jurisdiction.
(c) "Stage 3 administrator license" means a license issued to an individual who holds a minimum of a master’s degree and has met all jurisdiction-specific requirements for licensure, including endorsements when applicable.
(8) "Stages of teacher licensure" are described below and are general categories of licensure. Member jurisdictions may or may not have licenses available in each stage.
(a) "Stage 1 teacher license" means a license issued to an individual who holds a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, has met approved teacher preparation program admission requirements, but has not met the jurisdiction-specific requirements of the issuing member jurisdiction.
(b) "Stage 2 teacher license" means a license issued to an individual who holds a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, has completed an approved teacher preparation program, but has not met the jurisdiction-specific requirements for a stage 3 license of the issuing member jurisdiction.
(c) "Stage 3 teacher license" means a license issued to an individual who holds a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, has completed an approved teacher preparation program and has met all jurisdiction-specific requirements of the issuing member jurisdiction.
(d) "Stage 4 teacher license" means a license issued to an individual who holds a minimum of a master’s degree or the equivalent, has completed an approved teacher preparation program and has met any jurisdiction-specific requirements beyond those required for the stage 3 license of the issuing member jurisdiction.
(9) "License" means certificate, credential or other similar term designated by the member jurisdiction.
(10) "Member jurisdiction" means an entity which is a voting member of NASDTEC.
(11) "School" means an institution, other than a home school, which offers instruction for students of any grade, from birth through grade 12, which satisfies the compulsory attendance requirements of the member jurisdiction in which the institution is located.
(12) "Support professional" means a person other than a teacher or administrator who is required to hold an educator license based upon at least a bachelor’s degree.
(13) "Teacher" means a person whose primary responsibility is to instruct students or as otherwise defined by the member jurisdiction.
In signing this interstate agreement, member jurisdictions agree to:
(1) Adopt and enforce quality standards for approved programs;
(2) Maintain and publish a current listing of programs approved within the member jurisdiction;
(3) Apply jurisdiction-specific requirements equitably to applicants completing approved programs in any other member jurisdiction;
(4) Agree in principle to the "Assumptions" set forth in this interstate agreement;
(5) Agree in principle to the "Minimum Essential Components";
(6) In addition to signing the NASDTEC "Interstate Agreement for Educator Licensure," each member jurisdiction signs the NASDTEC "Educator Information Clearinghouse Agreement" agreeing to notify the NASDTEC "Educator Information Clearinghouse" immediately upon denial, suspension, revocation or surrender of an educator’s license for reasons other than failing to meet academic requirements.
(1) Each member jurisdiction shall complete a jurisdiction-specific requirement (JSR) index for each educator category in the form and time frame as directed by the NASDTEC executive director.
(2) Each member jurisdiction shall revise the jurisdiction-specific requirement (JSR) index immediately in the event that its licensure criteria are amended or modified.
(3) The NASDTEC executive director shall compile a master index reflecting all member jurisdiction’s jurisdiction-specific requirements for distribution and for posting on the NASDTEC website.
(1) This interstate agreement shall have duration until September 30 of each year ending in a five (5) or a zero (0), unless terminated as provided below. The interstate agreement shall be automatically renewed in the then-current format for each subsequent five (5) year period unless written notice of intent not to renew is given to the executive director of NASDTEC by July 1 of the final year of an interstate agreement period.
(2) A member jurisdiction may withdraw from the interstate agreement upon one (1) year’s written notice to the executive director of NASDTEC, who shall in turn notify all other affected member jurisdictions. It shall be incumbent upon the executive director to notify other member jurisdictions.
(1) The NASDTEC executive board, by and through the chair of the NASDTEC interstate agreement committee, shall be responsible for administration and interpretation of this interstate agreement.
(2) NASDTEC recognizes the fluidity of educator preparation and licensure laws, regulations and policies in member jurisdictions. It is NASDTEC’s intent to maintain the jurisdiction-specific requirements (JSRs) index as a current and accurate reflection of each member jurisdiction’s requirements. However, circumstances beyond the control of NASDTEC may, on occasion, inhibit the accuracy of the master index. Accordingly, it is recommended that users of the JSR index refer to member jurisdictions’ websites to confirm specific requirements. Further, it is understood that this interstate agreement and the JSR index are provided to facilitate the exchange of information and are not intended to supplant or supersede individual jurisdiction’s authority.
Driven by the "Assumptions" identified in Article II of this document, as of October 2010, NASDTEC member jurisdictions recognize the complex nature of the interstate agreement and the public’s need for clear, accurate information when moving from one (1) member jurisdiction to another. Member jurisdictions agree to make "Levels of Licensure" and jurisdiction-specific requirements (JSRs) clear to each other and the public by completing and maintaining the JSR index. This index is intended to provide information to anyone seeking educator licensure in a member jurisdiction, whether prepared through a traditional or nontraditional pathway. It identifies specific requirements beyond the NASDTEC-identified "Minimum Essential Components" for educator preparation. A member jurisdiction’s laws and regulations in place at the time of application for licensure supersede information provided here.

Legislative History

[33-4104, added 1969, ch. 194, sec. 1, p. 565; am. 2012, ch. 37, sec. 1, p. 108.]