Access to Educator Pathways

The bill requires an early childhood special education, elementary, or special education generalist licensure endorsement candidate who meets the minimum coursework standards by successfully completing a content-based or a performance-based assessment (assessments) to successfully complete certain assessments.

A candidate for an early childhood special education licensure endorsement must successfully complete no more than 2 assessments that measure:

• Knowledge and skills important for the safe and effective practice of a special education teacher who serves students from birth through third grade; and
• Knowledge and skills that an initial teacher must have to support the reading and writing development of students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

A candidate for an elementary licensure endorsement must successfully complete no more than 2 assessments that measure:

• Mathematical knowledge and skills that are essential for students in kindergarten through sixth grade; and
• Knowledge and skills that an initial teacher must have to support the reading and writing development of students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

A candidate for a special education generalist licensure endorsement must successfully complete no more than 2 assessments that measure:

• Basic principles of general special education and the application of those principles to realistic situations; and
• Knowledge and skills that an initial teacher must have to support the reading and writing development of students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

The bill clarifies that 4-year institutions of higher education that offer programs of off-campus instruction and that have courses included in the guaranteed transfer pathway matrix or that are part of a statewide degree transfer agreement may participate in the teacher recruitment education and preparation program.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)