PURPOSE: The State Board of Education is authorized to grant certificates of license to teach in any of the public schools of the state and establish requirements and qualifications for those certificates. This rule outlines the procedures for application for a certificate of license to teach where the applicant has a recommendation from a state-approved teacher preparation program or has earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The secretary of state has determined that the publication of the entire text of the material which is incorporated by reference as a portion of this rule would be unduly cumbersome or expensive. Therefore, the material which is so incorporated is on file with the agency who filed this rule, and with the Office of Secretary of State. Any interested person may view this material at either agency’s headquarters or the same will be made available at the Office of Secretary of State at a cost not to exceed actual cost of copy reproduction. The entire text of the rule is printed here. This note refers only to the incorporated by reference material.

1. (1) An applicant for a Missouri certificate of license to teach who possesses good moral character and has successfully completed a state-approved teacher preparation program or earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree may be granted an initial Missouri certificate of license to teach in their major area of study subject to the specific certification requirements found in the Compendium of Missouri Certification Requirements which is incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule.
2. (2) Applications for a Missouri certificate of license to teach shall be submitted on the forms provided by the State Board of Education and may be obtained by writing the Teacher Certification Section of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or downloading from the Internet.

3. (3) An application is not considered officially filed with the board until it has been determined by the board or department staff to be complete and the application is submitted on the forms provided by the board, signed and accompanied by two (2) full sets of fingerprints with the appropriate fee as set by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and any other applicable forms. All information should be received by the board within ninety (90) days of the date of the application.

   1. (A) The applicant is responsible for the payment of any fees required by the Missouri Highway Patrol and/or FBI.
   2. (B) For the purposes of this rule, the fingerprint cards shall be completed by any law enforcement agency and sent directly to the department.
4. (4) The applicant shall request that each state or United States territory regulatory entity in which a professional license including a certificate of license to teach is held or has ever been held to submit verification of certification or licensure directly to the department, including information regarding any disciplinary action.

5. (5) An applicant for a Missouri certificate of license to teach who has successfully completed a state-approved teacher preparation program must comply with the following additional criteria:

   1. (A) The applicant must possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
   2. (B) The applicant must possess a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, both overall and in the major area of study;
   3. (C) The applicant must request and obtain the recommendation of the designated certification official from a state-approved baccalaureate or higher level teacher preparation program; and
   4. (D) The applicant must achieve a score equal to or in excess of the qualifying score on the exit assessment(s) as defined in the rules promulgated by the board. The official score report shall be submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
6. (6) In addition to the above criteria, an applicant for a Missouri certificate of license to teach who has successfully obtained certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and possesses good moral character may be granted a Missouri certificate of license to teach in their area of NBPTS certification most closely aligned with the current areas of certification approved by the board. The certificate of license to teach will be a professional classification II (PC II) or a continuous professional classification (CPC), if the applicant possesses a masters degree.

7. (7) An applicant for an initial Missouri certificate of license to teach who has earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.) from an institution of higher education accredited by a regional accreditation agency including but not limited to North Central Association of Colleges and Schools must comply with the following additional criteria:

   1. (A) The applicant must have completed and provide documentation of a valid Ph.D. degree being conferred in their major area of post-graduate study; and
   2. (B) The applicant may only be granted a professional classification I (PC I) level and/or a PC II level certificate of license to teach pursuant to the rules promulgated by the board. A CPC level certificate of license to teach will not be issued.

8. (8) Additional certificates of license to teach may be granted as follows:

   1. (A) The applicant may take the appropriate content knowledge or specialty area exit assessment(s) for certification and must achieve a score equal to or in excess of the qualifying score on the content knowledge or specialty area exit assessment(s) as defined in the rules promulgated by the board; or
   2. (B) If the board has not designated a content knowledge or specialty area exit assessment(s) for a particular certification area or grade level or the applicant chooses not to take the appropriate content knowledge or specialty area exit assessment(s), the applicant must meet the certification standards for the area of certification as set forth in the Compendium of Missouri Certification Requirements which is incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule.
9. (9) Following review by the department, the applicant shall be informed in writing of the decision regarding the application for a certificate of license to teach.

10. (10) The holder of a certificate of license to teach shall ensure that DESE has their current legal name and address.

    1. (A) A holder of a certificate of license to teach whose name is changed by marriage or court order shall notify the department within ninety (90) days of the name change and provide a copy of the appropriate documents verifying the name change.
    2. (B) A holder of a certificate of license to teach whose address has changed shall inform the department in writing of the change within ninety (90) days of the effective date of the change.

AUTHORITY: sections 161.092, 168.011, 168.021, 168.071, 168.081, 168.400, 168.405 and 168.409, RSMo 2000.* Original rule filed April 26, 2000, effective Nov. 30, 2000. Amended: Filed March 27, 2001, effective Oct. 30, 2001. *Original authority: 161.092, RSMo 1963, amended 1973; 168.011, RSMo 1963, amended 1984; 168.021, 5 CSR 80-800 RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1998, 2000; 168.071, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1978, 1984, 1988, 1993, 1998; 168.081, RSMo 1963, amended 1984; 168.400, RSMo 1985, amended 1990; 168.405, RSMo 1985; 168.409, RSMo 1985.