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House File 255 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1modifying requirements related to teacher intern
2license programs and licenses and authorizations issued
3by the board of educational examiners and establishing a
4temporary initial teaching license to be issued by the board
5of educational examiners to applicants who complete an
6alternative teacher certification program.
7BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 256.16, subsection 1, Code 2023, is
2amended by adding the following new paragraph:
3 NEW PARAGRAPH. m. If a higher education institution
4providing practitioner preparation offers a program that is
5designed to assist students in attaining a teacher intern
6license from the board of educational examiners, the program
7shall require participants to satisfy all of the following
8requirements before completing the program:
9(1) A participant in the program must have graduated from
10an accredited or state-approved college or university and must
11meet the requirements for an endorsement area approved by the
12board of educational examiners for a teacher intern license.
13(2) A participant in the program must submit with the
14application to the program a copy of an offer of employment
15from a school.
16(3) A participant in the program must complete the required
17pedagogy training.
18(4) A participant in the program must work under the
19supervision of a teacher leader assigned by the school district
20or accredited nonpublic school, including during co-teaching
21and planning time.
22 Sec. 2. Section 272.2, subsection 13, Code 2023, is amended
23to read as follows:
2413. Adopt rules to provide for nontraditional preparation
25options for licensing persons who hold a bachelor’s degree
26or higher from an accredited or state-approved college or
27university, who do not meet other requirements for licensure.
28The rules shall, at a minimum, require the board to do all of
29the following:
30a. Issue a teacher intern license to an applicant who has
31enrolled in a program established pursuant to section 256.16,
32subsection 1, paragraph “m”.
33b. Allow a licensee who has attained a teacher intern
34license pursuant to paragraph “a” to apply for an initial
35teaching license if the school that employed the licensee
-1-1during the licensee’s completion of the program established
2pursuant to section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph “m”, and
3the higher education institution that operated the program,
4recommend that the licensee be allowed to apply for an initial
5teaching license.
6 Sec. 3. Section 272.2, Code 2023, is amended by adding the
7following new subsection:
8 NEW SUBSECTION. 26. Adopt rules pursuant to chapter
917A that allow an individual seeking a career and technical
10secondary authorization to apply, and if eligible, be issued
11the secondary authorization prior to accepting an offer of
12employment with a school.
13 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 272.17 Temporary initial license for
14applicants who complete an alternative teacher certification
15program.
161. The board shall grant a temporary initial teaching
17license to an applicant who meets all of the following
18requirements:
19a. The applicant shall hold a bachelor’s degree from an
20accredited college or university.
21b. The applicant shall successfully complete an alternative
22teacher certification program that includes all of the
23following:
24(1) The required content training in the area in which the
25applicant seeks to be licensed.
26(2) Pedagogy training, including an examination, that
27teaches effective instructional delivery, classroom management
28and organization, assessment, instructional design, and
29professional learning and leadership.
302. To be considered an alternative teacher certification
31program for purposes of this section, an alternative teacher
32certification program shall meet all of the following
33requirements:
34a. The alternative teacher certification program must
35operate in at least five states.
-2- 1b. The alternative teacher certification program must have
2been in operation for at least ten years.
33. An individual who successfully completes an alternative
4teacher certification program and who is granted a temporary
5initial teaching license by the board under this section is
6authorized to teach the subjects and grade levels that the
7individual successfully completed during the alternative
8teacher certification program.
94. The board shall treat an individual who successfully
10completes an alternative teacher certification program and who
11is granted a temporary initial teaching license by the board
12under this section in the same manner as an individual who
13completes a traditional teacher preparation program and who
14receives an initial teaching license, including during the
15process of converting the temporary initial teaching license
16to a standard teaching license.
17 Sec. 5. Section 272.28, Code 2023, is amended to read as
18follows:
19272.28 Licensure beyond a temporary initial license or an
20 initial license.
211. Requirements for teacher licensure beyond a temporary
22initial license or an initial license shall include successful
23completion of a beginning teacher mentoring and induction
24program approved by the state board of education pursuant to
25section 284.5; or two years of successful teaching experience
26in a school district with an approved career paths, leadership
27roles, and compensation framework or approved comparable system
28as provided in section 284.15; or evidence of not less than
29three years of successful teaching experience at any of the
30following:
31a. An accredited nonpublic school in this state.
32b. A preschool program approved by the United States
33department of health and human services.
34c. Preschool programs at school districts approved to
35participate in the preschool program under chapter 256C.
-3- 1d. Shared visions programs receiving grants from the child
2development coordinating council under section 256A.3.
3e. Preschool programs receiving moneys from the school
4ready children grants account of the early childhood Iowa fund
5created in section 256I.11.
62. A teacher from an accredited nonpublic school or another
7state or country is exempt from the requirement of subsection 1
8if the teacher can document three years of successful teaching
9experience and meet or exceed the requirements contained in
10rules adopted under this chapter for endorsement and licensure.
11EXPLANATION
12The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
13the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
14This bill modifies requirements related to teacher intern
15license programs and licenses and authorizations issued by
16the board of educational examiners (BOEE) and establishes a
17temporary initial teaching license to be issued by the BOEE to
18applicants who complete an alternative teacher certification
19program.
20The bill provides that if a higher education institution
21providing practitioner preparation offers a program that is
22designed to assist students in attaining a teacher intern
23license from the BOEE, the program shall require participants
24to satisfy certain specified requirements.
25Current law requires the BOEE to adopt rules to provide
26for nontraditional preparation options for licensing persons
27who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college
28or university and who do not meet other requirements for
29licensure. The bill provides that the rules shall require
30the BOEE to issue a teacher intern license to an applicant
31who has completed a program offered by a higher education
32institution providing practitioner preparation that is designed
33to assist students in attaining a teacher intern license. The
34bill requires the BOEE to allow a licensee who has attained
35a teacher intern license under such a program to apply for
-4-1an initial teaching license if the school that employed
2the licensee during the program and the higher education
3institution recommend that the licensee be allowed to apply.
4The bill requires the BOEE to adopt rules that allow
5an individual seeking a career and technical secondary
6authorization to apply, and if eligible, be issued the
7secondary authorization prior to accepting an offer of
8employment with a school.
9The bill requires the BOEE to grant a temporary initial
10teaching license to an applicant who holds a bachelor’s degree
11from an accredited college or university and successfully
12completes an alternative teacher certification program. The
13bill describes what an alternative teacher certification
14program must include.
15The bill establishes requirements for alternative teacher
16certification programs, including that the program must operate
17in at least five states and must have been in operation for at
18least 10 years.
19The bill provides that an individual who successfully
20completes an alternative teacher certification program and who
21is granted a temporary initial teaching license is authorized
22to teach the subjects and grade levels that the individual
23successfully completed during the program.
24The bill requires the BOEE to treat an individual who
25successfully completes an alternative teacher certification
26program and who is granted a temporary initial teaching license
27in the same manner as an individual who completes a traditional
28teacher preparation program and who receives an initial
29teaching license, including during the process of converting
30the temporary initial teaching license to a standard teaching
31license.
32Code section 272.28 establishes requirements for teacher
33licensure beyond an initial license. Pursuant to current
34Code section 272.28, the requirements for teacher licensure
35beyond an initial license include successful completion of a
-5-1beginning teacher mentoring and induction program; two years
2of successful teaching experience in a school district with
3an approved career paths, leadership roles, and compensation
4framework; or evidence of not less than three years of
5successful teaching experience with certain specified programs.
6The bill modifies Code section 272.28 to impose these same
7requirements on individuals attempting to obtain teacher
8licensure beyond a temporary initial teaching license.
-6-jda/jh
2license programs and licenses and authorizations issued
3by the board of educational examiners and establishing a
4temporary initial teaching license to be issued by the board
5of educational examiners to applicants who complete an
6alternative teacher certification program.
7BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 256.16, subsection 1, Code 2023, is
2amended by adding the following new paragraph:
3 NEW PARAGRAPH. m. If a higher education institution
4providing practitioner preparation offers a program that is
5designed to assist students in attaining a teacher intern
6license from the board of educational examiners, the program
7shall require participants to satisfy all of the following
8requirements before completing the program:
9(1) A participant in the program must have graduated from
10an accredited or state-approved college or university and must
11meet the requirements for an endorsement area approved by the
12board of educational examiners for a teacher intern license.
13(2) A participant in the program must submit with the
14application to the program a copy of an offer of employment
15from a school.
16(3) A participant in the program must complete the required
17pedagogy training.
18(4) A participant in the program must work under the
19supervision of a teacher leader assigned by the school district
20or accredited nonpublic school, including during co-teaching
21and planning time.
22 Sec. 2. Section 272.2, subsection 13, Code 2023, is amended
23to read as follows:
2413. Adopt rules to provide for nontraditional preparation
25options for licensing persons who hold a bachelor’s degree
26or higher from an accredited or state-approved college or
27university, who do not meet other requirements for licensure.
28The rules shall, at a minimum, require the board to do all of
29the following:
30a. Issue a teacher intern license to an applicant who has
31enrolled in a program established pursuant to section 256.16,
32subsection 1, paragraph “m”.
33b. Allow a licensee who has attained a teacher intern
34license pursuant to paragraph “a” to apply for an initial
35teaching license if the school that employed the licensee
-1-1during the licensee’s completion of the program established
2pursuant to section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph “m”, and
3the higher education institution that operated the program,
4recommend that the licensee be allowed to apply for an initial
5teaching license.
6 Sec. 3. Section 272.2, Code 2023, is amended by adding the
7following new subsection:
8 NEW SUBSECTION. 26. Adopt rules pursuant to chapter
917A that allow an individual seeking a career and technical
10secondary authorization to apply, and if eligible, be issued
11the secondary authorization prior to accepting an offer of
12employment with a school.
13 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 272.17 Temporary initial license for
14applicants who complete an alternative teacher certification
15program.
161. The board shall grant a temporary initial teaching
17license to an applicant who meets all of the following
18requirements:
19a. The applicant shall hold a bachelor’s degree from an
20accredited college or university.
21b. The applicant shall successfully complete an alternative
22teacher certification program that includes all of the
23following:
24(1) The required content training in the area in which the
25applicant seeks to be licensed.
26(2) Pedagogy training, including an examination, that
27teaches effective instructional delivery, classroom management
28and organization, assessment, instructional design, and
29professional learning and leadership.
302. To be considered an alternative teacher certification
31program for purposes of this section, an alternative teacher
32certification program shall meet all of the following
33requirements:
34a. The alternative teacher certification program must
35operate in at least five states.
-2- 1b. The alternative teacher certification program must have
2been in operation for at least ten years.
33. An individual who successfully completes an alternative
4teacher certification program and who is granted a temporary
5initial teaching license by the board under this section is
6authorized to teach the subjects and grade levels that the
7individual successfully completed during the alternative
8teacher certification program.
94. The board shall treat an individual who successfully
10completes an alternative teacher certification program and who
11is granted a temporary initial teaching license by the board
12under this section in the same manner as an individual who
13completes a traditional teacher preparation program and who
14receives an initial teaching license, including during the
15process of converting the temporary initial teaching license
16to a standard teaching license.
17 Sec. 5. Section 272.28, Code 2023, is amended to read as
18follows:
19272.28 Licensure beyond a temporary initial license or an
20 initial license.
211. Requirements for teacher licensure beyond a temporary
22initial license or an initial license shall include successful
23completion of a beginning teacher mentoring and induction
24program approved by the state board of education pursuant to
25section 284.5; or two years of successful teaching experience
26in a school district with an approved career paths, leadership
27roles, and compensation framework or approved comparable system
28as provided in section 284.15; or evidence of not less than
29three years of successful teaching experience at any of the
30following:
31a. An accredited nonpublic school in this state.
32b. A preschool program approved by the United States
33department of health and human services.
34c. Preschool programs at school districts approved to
35participate in the preschool program under chapter 256C.
-3- 1d. Shared visions programs receiving grants from the child
2development coordinating council under section 256A.3.
3e. Preschool programs receiving moneys from the school
4ready children grants account of the early childhood Iowa fund
5created in section 256I.11.
62. A teacher from an accredited nonpublic school or another
7state or country is exempt from the requirement of subsection 1
8if the teacher can document three years of successful teaching
9experience and meet or exceed the requirements contained in
10rules adopted under this chapter for endorsement and licensure.
11EXPLANATION
12The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
13the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
14This bill modifies requirements related to teacher intern
15license programs and licenses and authorizations issued by
16the board of educational examiners (BOEE) and establishes a
17temporary initial teaching license to be issued by the BOEE to
18applicants who complete an alternative teacher certification
19program.
20The bill provides that if a higher education institution
21providing practitioner preparation offers a program that is
22designed to assist students in attaining a teacher intern
23license from the BOEE, the program shall require participants
24to satisfy certain specified requirements.
25Current law requires the BOEE to adopt rules to provide
26for nontraditional preparation options for licensing persons
27who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college
28or university and who do not meet other requirements for
29licensure. The bill provides that the rules shall require
30the BOEE to issue a teacher intern license to an applicant
31who has completed a program offered by a higher education
32institution providing practitioner preparation that is designed
33to assist students in attaining a teacher intern license. The
34bill requires the BOEE to allow a licensee who has attained
35a teacher intern license under such a program to apply for
-4-1an initial teaching license if the school that employed
2the licensee during the program and the higher education
3institution recommend that the licensee be allowed to apply.
4The bill requires the BOEE to adopt rules that allow
5an individual seeking a career and technical secondary
6authorization to apply, and if eligible, be issued the
7secondary authorization prior to accepting an offer of
8employment with a school.
9The bill requires the BOEE to grant a temporary initial
10teaching license to an applicant who holds a bachelor’s degree
11from an accredited college or university and successfully
12completes an alternative teacher certification program. The
13bill describes what an alternative teacher certification
14program must include.
15The bill establishes requirements for alternative teacher
16certification programs, including that the program must operate
17in at least five states and must have been in operation for at
18least 10 years.
19The bill provides that an individual who successfully
20completes an alternative teacher certification program and who
21is granted a temporary initial teaching license is authorized
22to teach the subjects and grade levels that the individual
23successfully completed during the program.
24The bill requires the BOEE to treat an individual who
25successfully completes an alternative teacher certification
26program and who is granted a temporary initial teaching license
27in the same manner as an individual who completes a traditional
28teacher preparation program and who receives an initial
29teaching license, including during the process of converting
30the temporary initial teaching license to a standard teaching
31license.
32Code section 272.28 establishes requirements for teacher
33licensure beyond an initial license. Pursuant to current
34Code section 272.28, the requirements for teacher licensure
35beyond an initial license include successful completion of a
-5-1beginning teacher mentoring and induction program; two years
2of successful teaching experience in a school district with
3an approved career paths, leadership roles, and compensation
4framework; or evidence of not less than three years of
5successful teaching experience with certain specified programs.
6The bill modifies Code section 272.28 to impose these same
7requirements on individuals attempting to obtain teacher
8licensure beyond a temporary initial teaching license.
-6-jda/jh