By Bart Reeves
AASB Associate Executive Director for Governmental Relations

The Alabama State Board of Education (SBOE) approved significant changes to teacher certification requirements to help address the teacher shortage facing many Alabama school systems. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey presented the board with multiple options to allow students to receive certification if their Praxis Assessment score falls within -1 standard error of measurement (-1SEM). By lowering the Praxis requirement by -1SEM, Mackey said the state would see an increase in the pool of teachers by approximately 700 students.

Jackie Ziegler (District 1) expressed concern about making the recommendation a permanent change and asked Mackey and board members to consider a sunset clause. After much discussion, an amendment was approved adding a sunset provision of two scholastic years, with the changes expiring June 30, 2024. 

The state requires prospective teachers pass the Praxis teacher assessment in their subject area, maintain a 2.5 GPA and pass the edTPA assessment to receive a professional educator certificate.  Now, students who are close to passing the Praxis will have the following additional options to pursue certification:

• Requires students to earn a score within (-1SEM) of the Alabama-approved Praxis subject area, pass edTPA and Foundation of Reading Assessment (where applicable) and meet an increased teaching field GPA of at least 2.75.
• Requires students to earn a score within (-1SEM) of the Alabama-approved Praxis subject area, pass edTPA and Foundation of Reading Assessment (where applicable), but does not require meeting an increased Teaching Field GPA of at least 2.75.  Under this option, the individual is not initially eligible for a Professional Educator Certificate; however, an employment option is available if an individual has completed all other state-approved requirements and graduated from an Alabama college/university.  An LEA may request up to three, one-year Non-Professional Temporary Certificates to facilitate employment of the individual. To progress to the Professional Educator Certificate, the individual must complete the following while holding a Non-Professional Temporary Certificate: (1) Earn current required score on Praxis subject area test; and (2) Successfully complete 100 hours of ALSDE approved high-quality professional learning or micro credentials. 

The changes take effect immediately and will be reviewed again in 2024 to determine impact and effectiveness.  

At last month’s board meeting, State Board Member Dr. Tonya Chestnut (District 5) asked that a fourth option be considered to help school systems in her district, which is facing particularly extreme teacher shortages. She stated many schools are staffing vacancies with long-term substitutes who only have a high diploma. Chestnut said she would rather see an individual in the classroom who passed the required teacher preparation courses and edTPA yet failed the Praxis or at least came close to passing the Praxis than to see systems utilizing long-term substitutes.  

Chestnut’s request led Mackey to develop the Extraordinary Critical Need Staffing Waiver, a temporary pathway that will not lead to a Professional Educator Certificate. School system superintendents experiencing critical shortages and, in some cases, with zero applicants for vacancies, can request a waiver to hire a teacher who scored within -2 SEM on the Praxis Assessment in their content areas and still be hired if they meet further requirements. That teacher would still be required to pass the edTPA and maintain at least 2.5 GPA in their teaching field. Ultimately, to be issued the Professional Educator Certificate, the individual would have to meet one of the three options approved by the SBOE.

In Other Work Session News

• Mackey discussed for board consideration the requirement of College & Career Readiness (CCR) as a graduation requirement. Mackey said the idea has been well received and he has “not talked with anyone who thought it was a bad idea.” Last month, Mackey asked board members to speak with educators and constituents in their district on the idea. Dr. Cynthia McCarty (District 6) said she received positive feedback from educators who believe the CCR graduation requirement would be a motivator for students. One concern that has been raised is school system capacity for CCR requirements, Mackey said. He asked the board to continue conversations with principals and superintendents on potential CCR barriers in their districts for a more in-depth discussion at next month’s board meeting. The SBOE would vote on the requirement in October so that, if passed, school systems would have time to implement the new requirement with this year’s 8th grade students.
• The SBOE established a tentative timeline for the FY24 ETF Budget recommendation overview,  with plans to start the budget discussion at next month’s work session and, if necessary, carry it over to the board retreat later in the month to finish. The budget must be approved in October to meet the November 1 deadline for submission to the governor.  

Board Meeting Updates

State Board Member Dr. Wayne Reynolds was elected Vice President for the 2022-23 school year.  Reynolds, who represents District 8, is a retired educator and former superintendent. Tracie West (District 2), former Auburn City Board of Education member, was elected as President Pro Tem and will preside over the SBOE in the absence of the vice-president. By virtue of her office, Gov. Kay Ivey serves as President of the Board.

In other board meeting action, the board: 

• Approved adoption of Administrative Code Rule pertaining to Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO), out-of-classroom learning experience. The change provides that an ELO may not duplicate or replace courses, programs or work-based learning experiences that are part of the school system’s academic guide.  
• Announced intent to adopt the following Alabama Administrative Code rules:
  
  ○ Annual Apportionment of Foundation Program Funds. Adopted annually, the rule will guide the state department of education on the distribution of foundation program funds in FY23.
  
  ○ Alternative Teacher Preparation Organizations. If adopted, the new rule would require for-profit teacher preparation organizations to follow the same rules required of teacher preparation programs.
  
  ○ Certain Teaching Techniques. A rule change is proposed that would subject educators to the Educator Code of Ethics if found to engage in inappropriate classroom discussion regarding sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-5, as passed in the state legislature.
  
  ○ Local Mechanic Certification. If adopted, the rule would allow a school bus shop foreman who performs the duties and meets the requirements of a certified mechanic to be counted as such regardless of fleet size, which now is set at 150 buses.  
  
  ○ Mental Health Service Coordinator. If adopted, the new rule would address the requirement for local school boards to employ a mental health coordinator, outline qualifications and certification requirements and create a local board requirement to adopt a policy concerning parent opt-in for mental health services.  

• Approved resolutions honoring Alabama’s 2022 U.S Presidential Scholars and recognizing the 2021-2022 Milken Educator Awards, Kaitlin McPeake of Rocky Ridge Elementary School, Hoover City Schools; and Kelsey Cooper of Discovery Middle School, Madison City Schools.
• Approved resolution to authorize review of Springhill College Educator Preparation Program
• Approved resolutions to extend approval of Educator Preparation Programs at the following institutions: Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Athens State University, Auburn University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of West Alabama and Miles College. For the areas of Collaborative Special Education Teacher (K-6) and Early Childhood Education (P-3), approval of these programs is contingent upon implementation of the recommendations presented from the Barksdale study by December 31, 2023.  

Next SBOE Meeting

The board’s next meeting will take place Thursday, August 11 at 10 a.m. in Montgomery with a work session immediately following.