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1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1413 By: Hicks
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to teachers; directing public school
7 districts to provide certain notification regarding
8 teachers with emergency certificates; directing
8 notification to include certain information;
9 providing certain application; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
9 Section 6-122.3, as last amended by Section 162,
10 Chapter 452, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section
10 6-122.3), which relates to requirements for
11 alternative certification; establishing clock hour
11 limitation for certain adjunct teachers; updating
12 statutory language; providing for codification;
12 providing an effective date; and declaring an
13 emergency.
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16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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17 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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18 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 6-101.9 of Title 70, unless
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19 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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20 A. A public school district in this state that employs a
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21 teacher who has been issued an emergency certificate pursuant to
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22 subsection G of Section 6-187 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes
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23 shall provide written notification to the parents and legal
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24 guardians of students who are in the teacher's class. The
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1 notification shall include the name of the teacher issued the
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2 emergency certificate and the classes he or she teaches.
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3 B. The requirements of subsection A of this section shall apply
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4 to any teacher who has been issued an emergency certificate and is
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5 employed by a school district upon the effective date of this act.
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6 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-122.3, as
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7 last amended by Section 162, Chapter 452, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
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8 2025, Section 6-122.3), is amended to read as follows:
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9 Section 6-122.3. A. The State Board of Education shall grant
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10 an alternative placement teaching certificate to a person who makes
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11 application to the Board and meets the following criteria:
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12 1. a. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
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13 institution whose accreditation is recognized by the
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14 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has
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15 attained a retention grade point average of not less
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16 than 2.50 on a 4.0 scale, or
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17 b. has successfully completed a terminal degree, such as
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18 a doctorate of philosophy, a doctorate in education,
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19 professional doctorates, a master of fine arts degree,
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20 or a master of library science degree, from an
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21 institution accredited by a national or regional
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22 accrediting agency which is recognized by the
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23 Secretary of the United States Department Secretary of
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24 Education. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
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1 Education shall be consulted to verify other terminal
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2 degrees, or
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3 c. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
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4 institution whose accreditation is recognized by the
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5 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has
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6 qualified work experience in a field that corresponds
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7 to an area of certification as determined by the State
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8 Board of Education, and
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9 d. in addition to the requirements of subparagraphs a, b,
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10 and or c of this paragraph, has demonstrated
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11 competency or completed a major in a field that
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12 corresponds to an area of specialization for an
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13 Elementary-Secondary Certificate or a Secondary
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14 Certificate as determined by the State Board of
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15 Education or a vocational-technical certificate as
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16 recommended by the Oklahoma Department of Career and
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17 Technology Education;
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18 2. Declares the intention to earn standard certification by
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19 means of an alternative placement program in not more than three (3)
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20 years. The State Board of Education shall determine the subject
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21 matter and the number of clock or semester hours required for the
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22 professional education component for each person making application
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23 for an alternative placement teaching certificate based on the
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24 criteria of paragraph 1 of this subsection.
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1 The State Board of Education shall establish a core minimum of
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2 six (6) semester hours or ninety (90) clock hours and a maximum of
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3 eighteen (18) semester hours or two hundred seventy (270) clock
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4 hours for the professional education component.
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5 The requirements set forth in this subsection shall exclude all
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6 student teaching requirements pursuant to the provisions of
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7 subsection E F of this section;
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8 3. Has passed the subject area portion of the competency
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9 examination required in Section 6-187 of this title in the area of
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10 specialization for which certification is sought; and
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11 4. Either presents a document from an accredited public school
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12 district in this state offering employment in the area of
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13 specialization for which certification is sought on condition that
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14 the person enroll in an alternative placement program approved by
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15 the State Board of Education or declares the intention to seek
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16 employment as a teacher at an accredited public school district in
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17 this state. The certificate granted pursuant to this subsection
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18 shall be considered a "valid valid certificate of qualification"
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19 qualification for the purposes of Sections 6-107 and 6-108 of this
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20 title, and the holder of the certificate shall be considered an
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21 inductee for the purposes of Section 6-195 of this title.
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22 B. An alternative placement teaching certificate shall be
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23 renewed for not more than a maximum of three (3) years upon
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24 presentation of a document from an accredited public school district
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1 in this state offering renewed employment in the same area of
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2 specialization and a document from a teacher education institution
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3 verifying satisfactory progress in an appropriate alternative
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4 placement program.
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5 C. Persons enrolled in an alternative placement program shall:
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6 1. Have never been denied admittance to a teacher education
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7 program approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,
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8 the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher
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9 Learning Commission, and by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher
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10 Preparation Educational Quality and Accountability to offer teacher
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11 education programs, nor have enrolled in and subsequently failed
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12 courses necessary to successfully meet the minimum requirements of
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13 the program, except those persons who hold a certificate;
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14 2. Have on file with the director of teacher education at an
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15 Oklahoma institution of higher education in this state a plan for
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16 meeting standard certification requirements within three (3) years;
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17 and
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18 3. Participate in an induction program as required in Section
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19 6-195 of this title and have the same duties and responsibilities as
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20 other inductees.
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21 D. The State Board of Education may grant an exception to the
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22 requirements for certification and, upon demonstration by an
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23 individual of specific competency in the subject area of
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24 specialization, may grant a certificate to the individual. The
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1 State Board of Education may establish other requirements necessary
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2 to grant exceptions.
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3 E. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
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4 Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, may grant an
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5 exception to the requirement to complete a subject area examination
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6 for initial certification in a field which does not require an
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7 advanced degree pursuant to this section if the candidate has an
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8 advanced degree in a subject that is substantially comparable to the
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9 content assessed on a subject area examination. The degree shall be
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10 from an institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting
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11 agency which is recognized by the United States Secretary of the
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12 U.S. Department of Education. The Commission shall provide the
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13 Board with the necessary information to determine comparability.
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14 F. Student teaching and a prestudent teaching field experience
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15 shall not be required of alternative placement program participants
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16 for standard certification.
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17 G. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules
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18 authorizing adjunct teachers who shall be persons with distinguished
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19 qualifications in their field. Adjunct teachers shall not be
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20 required to meet standard certification. A person employed as an
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21 adjunct teacher pursuant to this subsection who does not hold a
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22 valid certificate to teach shall not be considered a teacher as
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23 defined by Section 1-116 of this title and shall be limited to two
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1 hundred seventy (270) clock hours of classroom teaching per
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2 semester.
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3 H. Each teacher education institution shall provide the
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4 Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Educational Quality and
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5 Accountability an annual report of information as specified by the
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6 Commission regarding participation in the alternative placement
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7 programs offered by the institution.
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8 I. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Educational
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9 Quality and Accountability shall not accredit, renew the
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10 accreditation of, or otherwise approve any teacher education program
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11 of any institution of higher education in this state that has not
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12 implemented alternative placement programs in at least four areas of
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13 specialization including mathematics, science, and a foreign
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14 language. Each institution shall allow individuals who meet the
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15 criteria of subsections A and C of this section to be:
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16 1. Admitted to an alternative placement program without further
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17 qualification; and
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18 2. Offered the opportunity to complete the requirements for
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19 standard certification set forth in subsection A of this section
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20 during the summer preceding and the summer following the first year
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21 of teaching with an alternative placement teaching certificate. Any
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22 person seeking standard certification through an alternative
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23 placement program shall be permitted to take necessary courses
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24 during regular semesters if offered.
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1 J. The criteria specified in subsection I of this section can
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2 may be met through a cooperative arrangement entered into by two or
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3 more institutions of higher education.
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4 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
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5 SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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6 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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7 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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8 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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10 60-2-2607 EB 1/5/2026 9:00:28 AM
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Req. No. 2607 Page 8Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.