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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 1614 By: Seifried
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to teachers; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
7 Section 6-122.3, as last amended by Section 162,
8 Chapter 452, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section
8 6-122.3), which relates to requirements for
9 alternative teaching certification; modifying
9 requirements for adjunct teachers; updating statutory
10 language; updating statutory references; providing an
10 effective date; and declaring an emergency.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-122.3, as
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15 last amended by Section 162, Chapter 452, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp.
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16 2025, Section 6-122.3), is amended to read as follows:
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17 Section 6-122.3. A. The State Board of Education shall grant
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18 an alternative placement teaching certificate to a person who makes
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19 application to the Board and meets the following criteria:
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20 1. a. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
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21 institution whose accreditation is recognized by the
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22 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has
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23 attained a retention grade point average of not less
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24 than 2.50 on a 4.0 scale, or
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Req. No. 2865 Page 1
1 b. has successfully completed a terminal degree, such as
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2 a doctorate of philosophy, a doctorate in education,
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3 professional doctorates, a master of fine arts degree,
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4 or a master of library science degree, from an
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5 institution accredited by a national or regional
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6 accrediting agency which is recognized by the
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7 Secretary of the United States Department Secretary of
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8 Education. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
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9 Education shall be consulted to verify other terminal
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10 degrees, or
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11 c. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an
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12 institution whose accreditation is recognized by the
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13 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has
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14 qualified work experience in a field that corresponds
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15 to an area of certification as determined by the State
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16 Board of Education, and
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17 d. in addition to the requirements of subparagraphs a, b,
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18 and or c of this paragraph, has demonstrated
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19 competency or completed a major in a field that
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20 corresponds to an area of specialization for an
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21 Elementary-Secondary Certificate or a Secondary
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22 Certificate as determined by the State Board of
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23 Education or a vocational-technical certificate as
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Req. No. 2865 Page 2
1 recommended by the Oklahoma Department of Career and
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2 Technology Education;
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3 2. Declares the intention to earn standard certification by
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4 means of an alternative placement program in not more than three (3)
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5 years. The State Board of Education shall determine the subject
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6 matter and the number of clock or semester hours required for the
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7 professional education component for each person making application
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8 for an alternative placement teaching certificate based on the
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9 criteria of paragraph 1 of this subsection.
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10 The State Board of Education shall establish a core minimum of
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11 six (6) semester hours or ninety (90) clock hours and a maximum of
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12 eighteen (18) semester hours or two hundred seventy (270) clock
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13 hours for the professional education component.
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14 The requirements set forth in this subsection shall exclude all
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15 student teaching requirements pursuant to the provisions of
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16 subsection E F of this section;
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17 3. Has passed the subject area portion of the competency
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18 examination required in Section 6-187 of this title in the area of
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19 specialization for which certification is sought; and
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20 4. Either presents a document from an accredited public school
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21 district in this state offering employment in the area of
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22 specialization for which certification is sought on condition that
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23 the person enroll in an alternative placement program approved by
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24 the State Board of Education or declares the intention to seek
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Req. No. 2865 Page 3
1 employment as a teacher at an accredited public school district in
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2 this state. The certificate granted pursuant to this subsection
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3 shall be considered a "valid valid certificate of qualification"
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4 qualification for the purposes of Sections 6-107 and 6-108 of this
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5 title, and the holder of the certificate shall be considered an
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6 inductee for the purposes of Section 6-195 of this title.
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7 B. An alternative placement teaching certificate shall be
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8 renewed for not more than a maximum of three (3) years upon
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9 presentation of a document from an accredited public school district
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10 in this state offering renewed employment in the same area of
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11 specialization and a document from a teacher education institution
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12 verifying satisfactory progress in an appropriate alternative
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13 placement program.
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14 C. Persons enrolled in an alternative placement program shall:
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15 1. Have never been denied admittance to a teacher education
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16 program approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,
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17 the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher
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18 Learning Commission, and by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher
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19 Preparation Educational Quality and Accountability to offer teacher
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20 education programs, nor have enrolled in and subsequently failed
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21 courses necessary to successfully meet the minimum requirements of
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22 the program, except those persons who hold a certificate;
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23 2. Have on file with the director of teacher education at an
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24 Oklahoma institution of higher education in this state a plan for
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1 meeting standard certification requirements within three (3) years;
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2 and
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3 3. Participate in an induction program as required in Section
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4 6-195 of this title and have the same duties and responsibilities as
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5 other inductees.
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6 D. The State Board of Education may grant an exception to the
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7 requirements for certification and, upon demonstration by an
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8 individual of specific competency in the subject area of
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9 specialization, may grant a certificate to the individual. The
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10 State Board may establish other requirements necessary to grant
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11 exceptions.
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12 E. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
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13 Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, may grant an
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14 exception to the requirement to complete a subject area examination
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15 for initial certification in a field which does not require an
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16 advanced degree pursuant to this section if the candidate has an
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17 advanced degree in a subject that is substantially comparable to the
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18 content assessed on a subject area examination. The degree shall be
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19 from an institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting
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20 agency which is recognized by the United States Secretary of the
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21 U.S. Department of Education. The Commission shall provide the
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22 Board with the necessary information to determine comparability.
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1 F. Student teaching and a prestudent teaching field experience
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2 shall not be required of alternative placement program participants
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3 for standard certification.
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4 G. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules
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5 authorizing adjunct teachers who shall:
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6 1. Shall have high school diplomas and be persons with
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7 distinguished qualifications in their field. Adjunct teachers shall
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8 fields;
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9 2. Shall not be required to meet standard certification; and
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10 3. Shall not be employed by a public school district or a
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11 public charter school in this state as a full-time mathematics or
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12 English language arts teacher in grades one through five.
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13 A person employed as an adjunct teacher pursuant to this subsection
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14 who does not hold a valid certificate to teach shall not be
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15 considered a teacher as defined by Section 1-116 of this title.
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16 H. Each teacher education institution shall provide the
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17 Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Educational Quality and
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18 Accountability an annual report of information as specified by the
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19 Commission regarding participation in the alternative placement
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20 programs offered by the institution.
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21 I. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Educational
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22 Quality and Accountability shall not accredit, renew the
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23 accreditation of, or otherwise approve any teacher education program
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24 of any institution of higher education in this state that has not
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Req. No. 2865 Page 6
1 implemented alternative placement programs in at least four areas of
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2 specialization including mathematics, science, and a foreign
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3 language. Each institution shall allow individuals who meet the
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4 criteria of subsections A and C of this section to be:
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5 1. Admitted to an alternative placement program without further
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6 qualification; and
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7 2. Offered the opportunity to complete the requirements for
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8 standard certification set forth in subsection A of this section
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9 during the summer preceding and the summer following the first year
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10 of teaching with an alternative placement teaching certificate. Any
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11 person seeking standard certification through an alternative
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12 placement program shall be permitted to take necessary courses
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13 during regular semesters if offered.
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14 J. The criteria specified in subsection I of this section can
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15 may be met through a cooperative arrangement entered into by two or
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16 more institutions of higher education.
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17 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
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18 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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19 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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20 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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21 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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23 60-2-2865 EB 1/13/2026 1:59:57 PM
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Req. No. 2865 Page 7Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.