Talented and Gifted Waiver
Individuals who were licensed in Iowa prior to August 31, 1995, and were allowed to teach talented and gifted students without completing the endorsement requirements must complete the endorsement requirements by July 1, 2012, in order to teach or continue to teach talented and gifted students. A waiver provision is offered through the Board of Educational Examiners for individuals who have been successfully teaching in a talented and gifted program. Go to the BOEE website to download the waiver and the FAQ at
http://www.boee.iowa.gov/forms/TAGWaiver.pdf
The completed waiver must be submitted by June 1, 2012 for review.
Will the BOEE add the TAG endorsement to the licenses of any of the people who have been “grandfathered in”?
The endorsement will be added when the applicant completes the state minimum requirements or the applicant has successfully met the waiver requirements.
Is there an option for a conditional license to teach TAG for those people who do not meet the waiver requirements or the endorsement requirements?
A person may obtain a Class B two year conditional license if the person is fully licensed in one area and has completed 6 of the 12 semester hours of credit necessary for the TAG endorsement. A person may be eligible for an administrative decision license which is a one year license that authorizes a person to teach TAG while completing the 6 credits necessary for the Class B license. These applications are located at the BOEE website: http://www.boee.iowa.gov/ChooseNew.html
Additional questions may be directed to Susan Fischer at susan.fischer@iowa.gov or 515.281.3605.
Iowa Teacher Intern Program
The Iowa Teacher Intern Program was designed to allow persons with an earned bachelor’s degree or higher to enter the teaching field, at the secondary level, without completing a traditional teacher education program. To qualify to enter the program a person must meet the following criteria:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale from a regionally accredited institution.
- Meet the subject matter course work requirements for one of the secondary teaching endorsements
- Have at least three years of post-baccalaureate work experience
- Successfully complete the introductory teacher intern program at a four-year college or university approved by the State Board of Education.
Approved Teacher Intern Programs in Iowa
- The Iowa Regent’s Collaborative
- Kaplan University
- Maharishi University of Management
- Morningside College
How the Program Works
- Complete the introductory pedagogy coursework that includes a minimum of 50 contact hours of field experience with students.
- Apply for the teacher intern license upon successful completion of the introductory program, which allows the person to serve as the teacher of record in a high school during a one year teaching internship.
- Obtain support by the postsecondary institution in partnership with the employing district and/or area education agency which includes extensive supervision and participation in a state-approved mentoring and induction program.
- Complete a teacher intern seminar during the internship year that includes an extension of coursework from the teacher intern introductory program.
- Complete all course requirements in the teacher intern program
- Obtain an initial teaching license.
For more information go to http://www.iowa.gov/boee/tilal.html
Tutuoring
Last summer the Board of Educational Examiners reviewed and discussed IAC 282-25.3(6), often referred to as the tutoring rule. After much discussion and many questions, the Board has decided not to make any rule changes, but would like to provide guidance on the definition of “solicitation”. At the October 1, 2010 board meeting the Board decided that this definition is key to understanding the intent of this rule. Solicit is defined by Merriam-Webster as to approach with a request or plea. During discussion at the October 1 board meeting examples of soliciting were shared. One was being in charge of a detassling crew. This would NOT be a violation, however, asking specific students to sign up for your team would be a violation and even announcing in class to “Join my detassling team” or passing out flyers during class could be considered soliciting.
Who Can Teach Reading in Iowa?
This fairly simple question has many possible answers. Before it can be answered the school district needs to determine the content and purpose of the course.
Chapter1/Title 1 Reading class: The person teaching this class must have the reading endorsement.
Literature based class: Many courses are called “reading” even though they are language arts or literature based courses. So first ask, is this a literature class? Is an anthology being used? If so, then a person who holds an English endorsement may teach this language arts class.
Reading Skills class: If the primary goal is to teach reading skills then a reading endorsement is required.
Reading Skills taught in a departmentalized setting: If the person holds a K-6 general elementary classroom teaching endorsement, the person may teach the reading skills class in a departmentalized setting through the 6th grade. If the reading skills class is in the 7th or 8th grade, then the person would have to hold the reading endorsement.
The person teaching the reading skills class does not have a reading endorsement: A practitioner must be endorsed in the areas in which they are teaching. A two year conditional license may be obtained if the person has completed 75% of the credits necessary for the reading endorsement.
Free Reading class with no remediation or skill building. If the students receive credit for the class, the teacher must hold the English or reading endorsement. If the class is an exploratory or a class without a credit, then any licensed teacher may teach this class as long as the teacher holds an endorsement at the level of the student.
Second Chance Reading class. If the teacher has completed the Second Chance Reading course AND the students are not being awarded credit for the class, then the Second Chance Reading preparation is sufficient to teach the course. If the students are awarded reading credit, then the teacher must also have the reading endorsement.
Delivered by Special Education teacher. If a special education teacher is responsible for the reading skills class, he or she needs to have a reading endorsement or team teach with an appropriately licensed teacher.
Conditional Licensure
We are entering the time of the year when administrators are working hard to ensure that each of their teachers is properly licensed to teach the classes they have been assigned for the fall. With state-wide teacher cutbacks this year, more administrators are having to deal with this issue.
All currently licensed practioners can receive conditional licensure to teach in an area outside of their current endorsements. Conditional licensure normally falls into two categories, Class B and Administrative Decisions. Both applications are $85 and will require an administrator signature.
Class B: If the teacher has half of the credits needed for an endorsement in a shortage area or two-thirds of the credits needed in a non shortage area, they are eligible for a two year Class B license. This license allows them to teach the subject while they continue to take the classes necessary to obtain the full endorsement. Class B licenses issued for this fall will expire on June 30, 2012.
Administrative Decisions: If a teacher does not have the credits necessary for a Class B license, they can apply for the Administrative Decision License. Applicants in special education, reading, guidance counseling, ESL, teacher librarians, middle school, family and consumer science and PK-3 with special education must submit a program of study from a college or university listing the courses needed and a possible time line for completion. Additionally, the administrator must show that the district performed due diligence in trying to hire a fully endorsed teacher for the position. Administrative Decision licenses issued this fall will expire on June 30, 2011. It is expected that the applicant will then have at least 12 credits and can apply for the Class B license.
Applications for both licenses are found on our website at http://www.iowa.gov/boee/ChooseClassBC.html
You may speak to a consultant about conditional licensure by calling (515) 281-3245.
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