1. (1)

   1. (a) Higher Education Institutions. The state board shall review teacher preparation programs at the institutions of higher education.

   2. (b) Nonpublic Teacher Preparation Programs.

      1. (i) The state board shall grant teaching certificates to graduates of all already board-approved nonpublic teacher preparation programs that require their graduates to satisfy the following:

         1. Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four (4) year institution;

         2. Submit to a criminal history check as described in section 33-130, Idaho Code;

         3. Pass the required content training in the area or areas in which the graduate seeks to be endorsed. The content training must be in substantive alignment with knowledge or equivalent standards set forth in the initial standards for teacher certification, if any; and

         4. Pass pedagogical training in substantive alignment with knowledge or equivalent standards set forth in the core standards of the initial standards for teacher certification, if any.

      2. (ii) Teaching certificates granted pursuant to this subsection shall be equivalent to certificates granted to graduates of teacher preparation programs at public higher education institutions. Interim certificates shall be made available to graduates of programs without a student teaching or clinical component and standard certificates subsequently shall be made available upon satisfaction of state board of education mentoring requirements and other state statutory requirements pertaining to all teachers. All performance requirements shall be considered satisfied by completion of state board mentoring requirements. Reviews of nonpublic teacher preparation programs shall be limited to verification of the criteria set forth in this subsection.
2. (2) For all Idaho teachers working on interim certificates, alternate routes or coming from out of state, completion of a state-approved reading instruction course shall be a onetime requirement for full certification.
3. (3) The board of trustees of every school district shall include, in its plan for in-service training, coursework covering reading skills development, including diagnostic tools to review and adjust instruction continuously, and the ability to identify students who need special help in reading. The district plan for in-service training in reading skills shall be submitted to the state department of education for review and approval, in a format specified by the department.

4. (4) A board-approved nontraditional educator preparation program that has a contract with a local education agency or consortium thereof to recruit, select, train, and retain teachers to teach in public schools that struggle to recruit and retain teachers may obtain funding from the state department of education, subject to appropriation or other available funds, provided that the program shall match no less than one hundred percent (100%) of any cost to the state for implementation. The board-approved program must have a documented history of recruiting, training, and retaining high-quality teachers who achieve above-average academic growth from students in Idaho and other states. The nontraditional educator preparation program may apply to the state department of education for available funding at the time one (1) or more teachers recruited by the program enters into an employment contract with a local education agency (LEA). The amount of funding per teacher provided by the department to the program shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of each teacher’s annual salary for each year the program is providing services in support of the teacher. Such funding is limited to two (2) academic years per teacher. In order for the program to obtain funding from the department:

   1. (a) The program and the LEA shall provide to the department verification of each teacher’s fulfillment of the annual employment contract; and
   2. (b) The program and the LEA shall provide verification that the LEA is providing funding to the program for recruiting and training each teacher in an amount equal to at least ten percent (10%) of the amount the department is providing to the program.

[33-1207A, added 1999, ch. 362, sec. 1, p. 957; am. 2000, ch. 269, sec. 1, p. 769; am. 2002, ch. 71, sec. 1, p. 157; am. 2010, ch. 309, sec. 1, p. 828; am. 2017, ch. 78, sec. 1, p. 218; am. 2019, ch. 259, sec. 1, p. 768; am. 2020, ch. 325, sec. 1, p. 940; am. 2021, ch. 292, sec. 1, p. 873.]