ALTERNATIVE TEACHER CERTIFICATION

House Bill 5596 (Substitute H-1)

Sponsor:  Rep. Phil Pavlov

Committee:  Education

Complete to 12-1-09

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5596 (SUBSTITUTE H-1)

House Bill 5596 (H-1) would amend the Revised School Code to provide for an alternative process for teacher certification as authorized by the Michigan Department of Education.

The bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a process for a person to earn an interim teaching certificate.  That interim teaching certificate would qualify a person both to teach in the public schools and to earn a permanent teaching certificate. The alternative certification process would have to meet all of the requirements for an alternate route to certification under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Under the alternative certification process specified in the bill, the state school superintendent could grant an interim teaching certificate to a person who met all of the following criteria:

·                    Was a participant in an alternative teaching program approved by the state superintendent.  Such approval would be earned when the program demonstrated that it:

o                   provided an intensive training program in teaching that was determined by the state superintendent to constitute at least 12 college credits hours and that included training in at least all of the following subject areas:  child development or child psychology; family and community relationships; diverse learners; instructional strategies; and a form of field-based experience in the classroom; and

o                    only accepted individuals with bachelor's degrees from accredited colleges and universities and with grade point averages of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent on another scale).

·                    Holds a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent).

·                    Passes the applicable examinations, including for secondary teaching both the basic skills examination and the appropriate subject area examination (or an equivalent examination); and including for elementary teachers, the basic skills examination and the elementary certification examination, as well as the appropriate subject area examination (or an equivalent examination).

The bill specifies that a person who had an interim teaching certificate under this section of the law could be employed to teach in a public school in the same manner as a person holding a Michigan teaching certificate, if all of the following requirements were met:

·                    The school district or charter school where the teacher taught provided intensive observation and coaching in a manner and to the extent prescribed by the state superintendent.

·                    The teacher was making satisfactory progress toward meeting the requirements for being awarded a Michigan teaching certificate.

Under the bill, the state school superintendent would be required to develop standards for granting a Michigan teaching certificate after a teacher had demonstrated satisfactory teaching performance for two years under an interim teaching certificate, and had met the requirements established by the state superintendent for a Michigan teaching certificate.

Finally, the state school superintendent would be required to promulgate the rules necessary to implement the alternative certification program.

As used in this section, "basic skills examination," "elementary certification examination," and "subject area examination," mean those terms as defined in Section 1531 of the Revised School Code.

MCL 380.1531i

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact for both local school districts and the Department of Education.  There may be administrative costs involved in creating and maintaining an alternative teacher certification process.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Mary Ann Cleary

                                                                                                                           Bethany Wicksall

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.