§ 21B-50 — Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers

(a) There is established an alternative educator licensure program, to be known as the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers. (b) The Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers may be offered by a recognized institution approved to offer educator preparation programs by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The program shall be comprised of up to 3 phases: (1) A course of study that at a minimum includes instructional planning; instructional strategies, including special education, reading, and English language learning; classroom management; and the assessment of students and use of data to drive instruction. (2) A year of residency, which is a candidate's assignment to a full-time teaching position or as a co-teacher for one full school year. An individual must hold an Educator License with Stipulations with an alternative provisional educator endorsement in order to enter the residency. In residency, the candidate must be assigned an effective, fully licensed teacher by the principal or principal equivalent to act as a mentor and coach the candidate through residency, complete additional program requirements that address required State and national standards, pass the State Board's teacher performance assessment, if required under Section 21B-30, and be recommended by the principal or qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator to be recommended for full licensure or to continue with a second year of the residency. (3) (Blank). (4) A comprehensive assessment of the candidate's teaching effectiveness, as evaluated by the principal or qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator, at the end of either the first or the second year of residency. If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators about the candidate's teaching effectiveness at the end of the first year of residency, a second year of residency shall be required. If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators at the end of the second year of residency, the candidate may complete one additional year of residency teaching under a professional development plan developed by the principal or qualified equivalent and the preparation program. At the completion of the third year, a candidate must have positive evaluations and a recommendation for full licensure from both the principal or qualified equivalent and the program coordinator or no Professional Educator License shall be issued. Successful completion of the program shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student teaching and content matter requirements established by law. (c) An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for up to 2 years of teaching in the public schools, including without limitation a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or Section 15-30 of the Department of Early Childhood Act or charter school, or in a State-recognized nonpublic school in which the chief administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State, but may be renewed for a third year if needed to complete the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers. The endorsement shall be issued only once to an individual who meets all of the following requirements: (1) Has graduated from a regionally accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree or higher. (2) (Blank). (3) Has completed a major in the content area if seeking a middle or secondary level endorsement or, if seeking an early childhood, elementary, or special education endorsement, has completed a major in the content area of early childhood reading, English/language arts, mathematics, or one of the sciences. If the individual does not have a major in a content area for any level of teaching, he or she must submit transcripts to the State Board of Education to be reviewed for equivalency. (4) Has successfully completed phase (1) of subsection (b) of this Section. (5) Has passed a content area test required for the specific endorsement, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code. A candidate possessing the alternative provisional educator endorsement may receive a salary, benefits, and any other terms of employment offered to teachers in the school who are members of an exclusive bargaining representative, if any, but a school is not required to provide these benefits during the years of residency if the candidate is serving only as a co-teacher. If the candidate is serving as the teacher of record, the candidate must receive a salary, benefits, and any other terms of employment. Residency experiences must not be counted towards tenure. (d) The recognized institution offering the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers must partner with a school district, including without limitation a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or Section 15-30 of the Department of Early Childhood Act or charter school, or a State-recognized, nonpublic school in this State in which the chief administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State. A recognized institution that partners with a public school district administering a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or Section 15-30 of the Department of Early Childhood Act must require a principal to recommend or evaluate candidates in the program. A recognized institution that partners with an eligible entity administering a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or Section 15-30 of the Department of Early Childhood Act and that is not a public school district must require a principal or qualified equivalent of a principal to recommend or evaluate candidates in the program. The program presented for approval by the State Board of Education must demonstrate the supports that are to be provided to assist the provisional teacher during the one-year or 2-year residency period and if the residency period is to be less than 2 years in length, assurances from the partner school districts to provide intensive mentoring and supports through at least the end of the second full year of teaching for educators who completed the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers in less than 2 years. These supports must, at a minimum, provide additional contact hours with mentors during the first year of residency. (e) Upon completion of phases under paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and, if needed, (3) in subsection (b) of this Section and all assessments required under Section 21B-30 of this Code, an individual shall receive a Professional Educator License. (f) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish and implement the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 103-111, eff. 6-29-23; 103-488, eff. 8-4-23; 103-594, eff. 6-25-24; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-780, eff. 8-2-24; 104-417, eff. 8-15-25.)