SB 68 — Provisional teacher licensure; teachers licensed or certified outside of the United States.

SESSION ENROLLED VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY ––-- 2022 SESSION CHAPTER E657 An Act to amend and reenact § 22.1-298.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Board of Education;

R O [S 68] Approved LApril L11, 2022 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

E § 22.1-298.1.

DA. "Alternate route to licensure" means a nontraditional route to teacher licensure available to individuals who meet the criteria specified in the guidelines developed pursuant to subsection N or regulations issued by the Board of Education.

"IndustryAs certificationused credential" means an active career and technical education credential that is earned by successfully completing a Board of Education-approved industry certification examination, being issued a professional license in thethis Commonwealth,section: or successfully completing an occupational competency examination.

B"Alternate "Licensureroute byto reciprocity"licensure" means a processnontraditional usedroute to issueteacher alicensure licenseavailable to anindividuals individualwho comingmeet i8to the ofcriteria Education's regulations.tate when that individual meets certain conditions specified in the Eoardguidelines "Professionaldeveloped teacher'spursuant assessment"to meanssubsection thoseN testsor mandatedregulations forissued licensure as prescribed by the Board of Education.

earned by successfully completing a Board of Education-approved industry certification examination,at is being issued a professional license in the Commonwealth, or successfully completing an occupational competency examination.

"Licensure by reciprocity" means a process used to issue a license to an individual coming into the Commonwealth from another state when that individual meets certain conditions specified in the Board of Education's regulations.

"Professional teacher's assessment" means those tests mandated for licensure as prescribed by the Board of Education.

who"Renewable meetslicense" themeans requirementsa specifiedlicense inissued by the Board of Education'sEducation regulations.0for 10 years to an individual B.who meets the requirements specified in the Board of Education's regulations.

B.

and (iii) the immediate and thorough investigation by the division superintendent or his designee of any complaint alleging that a license holder has engaged in conduct investigationsthat containedmay inform such regulations shall require (a) the divisionbasis superintendent to petition for the revocation of thehis licenselicense. upon completing such investigation and finding that there is reasonable cause to believe that the license holder has engaged in conduct that forms the basis for revocation of a license;

At a minimum, such procedures for investigations contained in such regulations shall require (a) the division superintendent to petition for the revocation of the license upon completing such investigation and finding that there is reasonable cause to believe that the license holder has engaged in conduct that forms the basis for revocation of a license;

The Board of Education shall revoke the license of any person for whom it has received a notice of dismissal or resignation pursuant to subsection F of § 22.1-313 and, in the case of a person who is the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse or neglect, after allnd,all rights to any administrative appeal provided by § 63.2-1526 have been exhausted.

Teachers who hold a 10-year renewable license issued by the Board of Education may teaC.teach online courses for which they are properly endorsed.

C.

of 4 1.

Demonstrate proficiency in the relevant content area, communication, literacy, and other core skills for educators by achieving a qualifying score on professional assessments or meeting alternative of 4 evaluation standards as prescribed by the Board;

The Board shall issue a license to an individual seeking initial licensure who has not completed professional assessments as prescribed by the Board, if such individual (i) holds a provisional license that will expire within three months or, at the discretion of the school board and division superintendent, within six months if the individual has received a satisfactory mid-year performance review in the of 4 current school year;

(iv) has attempted, unsuccessfully, to obtain a qualifying score on thEthe professional assessments as prescribed by the Board;

(v) has received an evaluation rating of proficient or above on the performance standards for each year of the provisional license, and such evaluation was conducted in a manner consistent with the Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Rof 4 Evaluation Criteria for Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents;

and (vi) meets all other requirements forG.for initial licensure.

G.

L H.

The Board's regulations shall require that initial licensure for principals and assistantEprincipalsassistant principals be contingent upon passage of an assessment as prescribed by the Board.

Such alternate routes shall include eligibility for any individual to receive, notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a renewable one-year license to teach in public high schools in the Commonwealth if he has:

contrary, a renewable one-year license to teach in public 1.

S 3.

Received qualifying scores on the professional teacher's assessments prescribed by the Bo6rd,Board, including the communication and literacy assessment and the content-area assessment for the E endorsement sought;

and R 4.

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Board (i) may provide for the issuance of a provisional license, valid for a period not to exceed three years, pursuant to subdivision D 5 or to any person who does not meet the requirements of this section or any other requirement for licensure imposed by law and;

K.

The Board's licensure regulations shall also provide for licensure by reciprocity:

Each such individual shall establish a file in the Department of Education by requirementssubmitting ora licensingcomplete assessmentsapplication shallpacket, bewhich requiredshall forinclude anyofficial suchstudent individual;transcripts.

andcripts.No service requirements or licensing assessments shall be required for any such individual;

Noand service 3.

Each such alternate route to licensure shall require individuals to (i) meet the qualifying scores on the content area assessment prescribed by the Board for the endorsements sought and (ii) complete an alternative certification program that provides training in the pedagogy and methodology of the respective content or special education areas prescribed by the Board.

Nothing in this subsection shall preclude the Board from of 4 establishing other alternate routes to licensure.

The Board shall develop guidelines that establish a process to permit a school board or any organization sponsored by a school board to petition the Board for approval of an alternate route to licensure that may be used to meet the requirements for a provisional or renewable license or any of 4 endorsement.