1. 1. Rationale of Alternative Class A Programs. The purposes of an Alternative Class A program shall be identical to the purposes for preparing teachers at the Class B level in the same teaching field, except that persons who complete the Alternative Class A program shall have acquired knowledge and skill above the level required for completion of a Class B program. Implementation of the standards will be in the Alabama Continuous Improvement guidance.

2. 2. Unconditional Admission to Alternative Class A Programs. Each institution shall establish and enforce a policy that specifies when the candidate must meet criteria for unconditional admission to the program. Admission to the graduate school is not equivalent to unconditional admission to an approved program. Requirements for unconditional admission shall include:

   1. a. A criminal history background check. See Rule 290-3-3-.03 (College and University Requirements).

   2. b. Degree requirements. A person who is eligible for admission to an Alternative Class A program shall have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited institution with an overall GPA of 2.50. The institution must have been approved at the time the degree was conferred. Institutions may choose to have a higher GPA requirement. (Caution: CAEP cohort GPA requirements must still be met.) If the GPA is below a 2.50, the applicant may:

      1. i. Take four additional undergraduate courses in the teaching field post degree conferral and make no grade below a B; or
      2. ii. Earn the alternate score on the Alabama-prescribed Praxis subject-area test; or
      3. iii. Earn a master’s degree with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA at the time of degree conferral; or

      4. iv. Earn no less than a B in the first four courses of the Alternative A program while conditionally admitted. (at least one of the courses must be in the teaching field.)

         If the degree was earned from an accredited institution, at the discretion of the head of the EPP, the person may be unconditionally admitted to the program if:

      5. 1. The requisite score on the required Praxis assessment(s) had already been earned; or
      6. 2. The applicant has a valid certificate from another state in another area of certification.

   3. c. General studies. Individuals applying for admission to an Alternative Class A program in early childhood education, elementary education, early childhood special education, or collaborative special education teacher (K-6 or 6-12) shall have earned six hours of credit, as verified on official transcripts, in each of the following: English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Six hours in English language arts must be completed. If the applicant has not completed six hours in either math, science or social studies, the applicant shall pass the following Praxis subject assessments:

      1. i. Praxis 5903 for mathematics
      2. ii. Praxis 5905 for Science
      3. iii. Praxis 5904 for Social Studies

   4. d. Teaching field. Prior to unconditional admission, a person who wishes to earn certification in a teaching field listed below shall have met one of the following:

      1. i. For teaching fields other than Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Collaborative Special Education (K-6 or 6-12), earn a current passing score on the prescribed Praxis subject assessment of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program.
      2. ii. Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Collaborative Special Education Teacher K-6 or 6-12. Additional information is provided in General Studies above.
      3. iii. Single Teaching Field for Middle Level or Secondary: An academic major in the teaching field, or if an academic major is not on the official transcript, 30 semester hours appropriate to the teaching field including at least 18 semester hours of upper-division credit.

      4. iv. Comprehensive Middle Level or Secondary Teaching Fields:

         1. a. English Language Arts: An academic major or 30/18 in an area included in English language arts and at least one course in each of the other listed areas of English language arts (literature, grammar, reading skills, writing, speech, theatre, and print or broadcast journalism).
         2. b. General Science: An academic major or 30/18 in an area included in the sciences and at least one course in each of the other listed areas of general science (biology, chemistry, Earth or space science, and physics).
         3. c. General Social Studies: An academic major or 30/18 in an area included in social studies and at least one course in each of the other areas listed in the social studies (economics, geography, history, and political science).
         4. d. Career and Technical Education: At least 30 semester hours appropriate to the teaching field including at least 18 semester hours of upper-division credit.
      5. v. P-12 Programs: An academic major in the teaching field or, if an academic major is not on the official transcript, 30 semester hours of credit appropriate to the teaching field including at least 18 semester hours of upper-division credit.
      6. vi. ESOL Programs: No specific major must be identified. Only items (2) (a) and (b) must be met.

3. 3. Curriculum of Alternative Class A Programs. In addition to meeting Rule 290-3-3-.04 (InTASC Model Core Teaching, ISTE, and Alabama Specific Standards), these programs shall be designed to develop teaching competencies above the level required for Class B program completion (Rules 290-3-3-.08 through 290-3-3-.29).

   1. a. Include a teaching field of at least one-third of the total number of graduate hours in the program.

      1. i. The teaching field for programs in early childhood education, elementary education, and collaborative special education (K-6) shall meet Rules 290-3-3-.06 and 290-3-3-.07.
      2. ii. English Language Arts, general science, and general social studies programs shall require at least one course in two areas within the broader field.
   2. b. Include a methods course specific to the teaching field or to the general area of the teaching field (e.g., science methods or social studies methods), and either have a standalone classroom management course or embed the content for classroom management across courses.
   3. c. Include extensive field experiences and/or practica.

   4. d. Include an internship.

      1. i. The internship shall the equivalent of a full semester, full-time in the teaching field for which certification is sought and may include more than one classroom or grade level, with experiences of the intern progressing to the full responsibilities of the teacher.
      2. ii. The internship may be divided in accordance with the rules for the content area.
      3. iii. Entry and exit criteria shall be clearly identified for the internship.
   5. e. A Survey of Special Education course is required. If the course was previously completed, it may be utilized for recommending completers of Alternative A programs. If course was completed more than 10 years ago, a new Survey of Special Education course is required.

4. 4. Requirements for Class A Certification. Readiness to serve as a teacher shall include:

   1. a. An official transcript from an accredited institution documenting an earned master’s degree.
   2. b. Satisfactory completion of a program approved by the Alabama State Board of Education with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on all courses on the approved checklist.
   3. c. Competence to teach students as demonstrated in an internship. Individuals may complete internship requirements while serving as the teacher of record on an Interim Employment Certificate (IEC), on an emergency certificate, or while serving as a long-term substitute if requirements are completed in the subject are where certification is sought, and a cooperating teacher has been assigned.
5. 5. Testing for Class A Certification. Applicants for initial certification through the completion of an Alternative Class A program must meet the testing requirements of the AECAP as a precondition for certification.

6. 6. Faculty. The faculty must include at least one full-time person who meets faculty qualifications in Rule 290-3-3-.03 (College and University Requirements) unless specified otherwise in another Rule.

   The faculty who teaches professional education courses or supervise field experiences, practica, or internships in the teaching field shall have recent experiences in the subject matter and at the grade level of the certification.

Author: Dr. Eric G. Mackey

Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§16-3-16; 16-23-1, and 16-23-2.

Editor’s Note: Previous Rule .18 was renumbered .31 per certification published August 31, 2021; effective October 15, 2021.

History: New Rule: Filed December 13, 1990; effective February 1, 1991. Repealed and Replaced: Filed January 9, 1997; effective February 13, 1997; operative July 1, 1997. Repealed and New Rule: Filed September 11, 2003; effective October 16, 2003. Repealed and New Rule: Filed July 13, 2004; effective August 17, 2004. Repealed and New Rule: April 14, 2005; effective May 19, 2005. Repealed and New Rule: Filed August 6, 2007; effective September 10, 2007. Repealed and New Rule: Filed August 3, 2009; effective September 7, 2009; operative October 1, 2009. Repealed and New Rule: Filed August 13, 2015; effective September 17, 2015. Amended: Filed September 13, 2018; effective October 28, 2018; operative June 1, 2019. Repealed and New Rule: Published August 31, 2021; effective October 15, 2021. Repealed and New Rule: Published March 31, 2025; effective May 15, 2025.