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 alternative certification by application for a special assignment certificate of license to teach when the applicant is employed by a Missouri public school district.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The publication of the full text of the material that the adopting agency has incorporated by reference in this rule would be unduly cumbersome or expensive. Therefore, the full text of that material will be made available to any interested person at both the Office of the Secretary of State and the office of the adopting agency, pursuant to section 536.031.4, RSMo. Such material will be provided at the cost established by state law.

1. (1) An applicant for a special assignment Missouri certificate of license to teach who possesses good moral character may be granted a certificate of license to teach in one (1) of the areas of special assignment upon joint application with a Missouri public school district. The special assignment certificate of license to teach is limited to the employing Missouri public school district. Additional certificates of license to teach will not be granted.
2. (2) Applications for a special assignment 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 at 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 must possess a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited college or university.
5. (5) 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.
6. (6) Applicants must document a minimum of three (3) years of work experience in which the content of their baccalaureate or higher degree major is significantly applied in the area of special assignment. Exceptions may be made on the school district’s recommendation and approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
7. (7) 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.
8. (8) The employing school district must develop a mentoring program to provide adequate support to the special assignment certificate of license to teach holders to ensure proper transition into the classroom environment.

9. (9) The applicant for a special assignment certificate of license to teach under the five percent (5%) program must comply with the following additional criteria:

   1. (A) Submission of a joint application with a Missouri public school district whose total classroom teachers with a special assignment certificate of license to teach reported semiannually to DESE core data does not exceed five percent (5%);
   2. (B) The applicant must not hold, have held or be eligible to hold a certificate of license to teach;
   3. (C) The five percent (5%) special assignment certificate of license to teach is limited to the baccalaureate major or higher degree area of study. The major area of study must be listed as an area of secondary and/or middle school education certification in the rules promulgated by the board. In addition, a five percent (5%) special assignment certificate of license to teach may be granted in art, music or foreign language, grades kindergarten through twelve (K–12), if the area was the applicant’s baccalaureate or higher degree major area of study. Five percent (5%) special assignment certificates of license to teach will not be issued in early childhood education, elementary education, special education, pupil personnel services, and/or administrator; and
   4. (D) The five percent (5%) special assignment certificate of license to teach is limited to the baccalaureate major or higher degree 5 CSR 80-800

area of study and the original sponsoring Missouri public school district. The five percent (5%) special assignment certificate of license to teach may only be used in the original sponsoring Missouri public school district.

1. (10) The five percent (5%) special assignment certificate of license to teach is valid for up to one (1) school year. The five percent (5%) special assignment certificate of license to teach may be renewed annually for a maximum total of three (3) school years by joint application from the original sponsoring Missouri public school district and the five percent (5%) certificate holder and documentation by the school district administrator that the five percent (5%) certificate holder is being mentored and progressing annually towards a professional classification certificate of license to teach in the area of assignment as set forth in the Compendium of Missouri Certification Requirements which is incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule. A five percent (5%) special assignment certificate of license to teach may only be issued for a maximum of three (3) years and the holder is ineligible for consideration of another five percent (5%) special assignment certificate of license to teach.

2. (11) The applicant for a special assignment certificate of license to teach under the alternative teacher certification program must comply with the following additional criteria:

   1. (A) Documentation of the applicant’s acceptance into an Alternative Teacher Certification Program offered by Missouri colleges/universities with state-approved teacher education programs. Early childhood, elementary education and administrators will not be included in the Alternative Teacher Certification Program;
   2. (B) Verification of the completion of a general education background satisfactory to the teacher education institution;
   3. (C) Documentation of participation in a structured interview selected by the teacher education institution. The interview should assess the candidate’s beliefs regarding the nature of teaching, the nature of students and the goals and mission of education as a profession. The interview may be utilized for screening purposes (for example, the Missouri preprofessional teacher interview) or for diagnostic and counseling purposes (for example, the selection research, incorporated preservice teacher perceiver);

   4. (D) Documentation of a contract between the applicant and the higher education institution which has an Alternative Teacher Certification Program approved by the board. The contract should permit the applicant to enroll in course work demonstrating understanding of the following:

      1. 1. Adolescent development;
      2. 2. The psychology of learning; and
      3. 3. Teaching methodology in the content

area. The course work must be completed prior to special assignment certification and employment; and

1. (E) Documentation of a four (4)-party contract with the applicant, the employing Missouri school district, the recommending teacher preparation program, and DESE upon the completion of the course work outlined above.

1. (12) The alternative teacher certification special assignment certificate of license to teach is valid for a period of one (1) school year and may be renewed by joint application from the original sponsoring Missouri public school district and the certificate holder and documentation by the school district administrator that the certificate holder is being mentored and progressing annually towards a professional classification certificate of license to teach in the area of assignment as set forth in the Compendium of Missouri Certification Requirements which is incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule.

2. (13) The applicant for a special assignment certificate of license to teach under the critical needs program must comply with the following additional criteria:

   1. (A) Submission of a letter from the school district’s superintendent documenting a critical need in the area of certification as approved by DESE;
   2. (B) Documentation of a plan of an academic program of study from a stateapproved teacher preparation program;
   3. (C) Documentation of a four (4)-party contract with the applicant, the employing school district, the recommending teacher preparation program, and DESE.
3. (14) The critical needs special assignment certificate of license to teach is valid for up to one (1) school year and may be renewed by joint application from the original sponsoring Missouri public school district and the certificate holder and documentation by the school district administrator that the certificate holder is being mentored and progressing annually towards a professional classification certificate of license to teach in the area of assignment as set forth in the Compendium of Missouri Certification Requirements which is incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule.

4. (15) The applicant for a special assignment certificate of license to teach under the foreign exchange program must comply with the following additional criteria:

   1. (A) Possession of a valid certificate of license to teach or similar title from a country with which DESE has a memorandum of understanding; and
   2. (B) The applicant must obtain a criminal history and background check similar to the FBI check from the applicant’s country of origin.
5. (16) The foreign exchange special assignment certificate of license to teach is valid for up to one (1) school year and may be renewed pursuant to the memorandum of understanding and the criteria as set forth in the Compendium of Missouri Certification Requirements which is incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule.
6. (17) The applicant shall be informed in writing of the decision regarding the application for a certificate of license to teach.

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

   1. (A) A holder of a special assignment certificate of license to teach whose name is changed by marriage or court order shall notify the department within thirty (30) days of the name change and provide a copy of the appropriate documents verifying the name change.
   2. (B) A holder of a special assignment certificate of license to teach whose address has changed shall inform the department in writing of the change within thirty (30) days of the effective date of the change.

AUTHORITY: sections 161.092, 168.011 and 168.081, RSMo 1994 and 168.021 and 168.071, RSMo Supp. 1999.* Original rule filed April 26, 2000, effective Nov. 30, 2000. *Original authority: 161.092, RSMo 1963, amended 1973; 168.011, RSMo 1963, amended 1973; 168.021, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1998; 168.071, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1978, 1984, 1988, 1993, 1998; 168.081, RSMo 1963, amended 1984.