Reference is to the bill as introduced.
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by deleting all after the enacting words and inserting:
/ SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 25, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-25-25.
(A) The State Board of Education is
authorized to approve alternative route providers and programs
for educator preparation and certification. The board shall
establish guidelines that must include a timely review of all
programs and providers and the guidelines must allow for
differentiated designs and delivery methodologies of both
providers and individual programs. Educator preparation programs
housed within an institution of higher education (IHE) may be
approved as an alternative route provider and may submit a
separate and distinct educator preparation program for
alternative certification to the State Board of Education and
the Commission on Higher Education for approval. These
alternative preparation programs are not required to be
nationally accredited, but, consistent with other alternative
preparation programs, IHE-led alternative programs must include,
but are not limited to, documented evidence of the
following:
(1)
budget and sources of revenue including fees paid by the
candidates;
(2)
organizational information including the names and
qualifications of administrators, support staff, and
faculty;
(3)
entry requirements for candidates for each certification
area program offered by the applicant;
(4)
plans for curriculum offerings including delivery method
and timeframe, field placements, field supervision plans, and
assessments of success;
(5)
partnerships with public schools for clinical experiences,
if applicable, including signed memoranda of agreement with
detailed responsibilities for the alternative route educator
provider program and the school district;
(6)
evidence of annual successful teaching experience by the
candidates and progress toward obtaining a professional
certificate;
(7)
ongoing monitoring of candidates' performances in the
classroom while in the alternative route program; and
(8)
mentoring provided by the educator preparation
program.
(B) The department
annually shall report the total number of individuals employed
in this State, by district, with certificates issued by IHE
alternative programs to the State Board of Education and the
General Assembly before March thirty-first of each year."
SECTION 2. Section 59-26-20 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding a subsection at the end to read:
"( )(1) The State
Board of Education, through the State Department of Education,
shall develop and implement a plan for the cyclical evaluation
process for all alternative route educator preparation providers
and programs every seven years. Institutions of higher education
that are approved providers the by Commission on Higher
Education must be consulted in the cyclical evaluation process.
The plan must include requirements for initial and continuing
approval and must include evidence of annual successful teaching
experience of educators differentiated by program. The board
shall include a process for revocation of program approval,
continuous evaluation and upgrading of standards for program
approval for all alternative route providers and programs;
(2)
For purposes of this section:
(a)
an alternative certification provider is defined as the
entity responsible for the preparation of educators; and
(b)
an alternative certification program is defined as a
sequence of academic courses and experiences leading to a state
certification."
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.