PURPOSE: This rule provides procedures and standards for approval of professional education programs in baccalaureate degree granting four-year colleges and universities in Missouri.

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) For the purpose of this rule, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the following terms shall mean:

   1. (A) Advanced certification program—A post-baccalaureate degree program leading to advanced certification or endorsement;
   2. (B) Annual reports—Written reports prepared by the professional education unit each year attesting to its continuing capacity to meet the board’s standards and requirements;
   3. (C) Approved program—The status granted a professional education program by the State Board of Education authorizing the recommendation of candidates for certification as a result of the program having demonstrated its capacity to satisfy the board’s standards for the preparation of educational professionals, not to exceed five (5) years;
   4. (D) Board—The Missouri State Board of Education;
   5. (E) Candidates—Individuals who are seeking admission to or are enrolled in programs for initial or advanced preparation of teachers or other professional school staff;
   6. (F) Certification—The official recognition by the State Board of Education that an individual has met state requirements and is, therefore, approved to practice as a duly certified/licensed education professional;
   7. (G) Clinical experiences—Program components that are conducted in off-campus settings such as a school, classroom, community center. They include classroom observations, tutoring, assisting teachers and administrators, student teaching, and internships;
   8. (H) Conceptual framework—The rationale and organizing principles that guide the development of the design and curriculum for professional education including the categorization of knowledge;
   9. (I) Conditional program approval—The status granted a professional education program by the State Board of Education authorizing an institution to recommend candidates for certification from such programs for a period, not to exceed two (2) years, with conditions and limitations stipulated by the board;
   10. (J) Denial of approval—State Board of Education action which removes the authorization of an institution to recommend candidates for state certification from programs which fail to meet the board’s standards and requirements for the preparation of educational professionals;
   11. (K) Department—The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education;
   12. (L) Diversity—The variety of backgrounds of candidates, faculty, and school personnel based on culture, ethnicity, race, language, socio-economic status, gender, regional/geographic background and exceptionalities. The department does not consider diversity of geographic origins, religion, or language group to be good faith representation of widerange cultural diversity;
   13. (M) Evaluation team—A team selected by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the purpose of conducting an on-site review and evaluation of an institution’s professional education unit and programs; the team includes a member of the department, faculty from elementary or secondary schools and institutions of higher education possessing State Board of Education approved professional education programs;
   14. (N) Governance—The system and structure for defining policy and administering procedures for the professional education unit;
   15. (O) Initial certification programs—Programs at the baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate levels that prepare candidates for their first teaching certificate;
   16. (P) Interim review—A review conducted during a period of program approval, consistent with board procedures and standards and authorized by the commissioner of education when s/he has reason to believe that an institution or an approved program is no longer in compliance with state standards or when an institution recommends a candidate for certification from a nonapproved program; 5 CSR 80-805
   17. (Q) Professional community—Professional education candidates, faculty/staff in PK–12 schools, higher education faculty, and others in the educational enterprise;
   18. (R) Professional education unit—The professional education unit is the institution, college, school, department, or other administrative entity within the institution that is primarily responsible for the initial and advanced preparation of teachers and other professional school personnel;
   19. (S) Professional education faculty—Those individuals who teach one (1) or more courses in education, provide services to education students (e.g., advising or supervising student teaching), or administer some portion of the unit; professional education faculty may include both higher education faculty and school-based personnel who are considered to be members of an institution’s professional education unit;
   20. (T) Professional education program—A planned sequence of courses and experiences leading to a degree, state certification, and/or adequate preparation to provide professional education services in schools;
   21. (U) Program approval—The process by which professional education programs are reviewed and evaluated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to determine if they meet the board’s standards for the preparation of school personnel; and
   22. (V) Scholarly activities—The active involvement in one’s area of specialization as demonstrated through such faculty activities as research, articles published, program evaluation studies, documentation of on-going activities, grant seeking, and presentations at professional meetings.
2. (2) Each institution of higher education desiring board approval of its professional education program(s) shall submit a written request to the commissioner of education.
3. (3) An institution desiring program approval shall submit to the department, Teacher Education Section, annual reports in a form consistent with the rules, regulations and appendices promulgated by the board.

4. (4) Professional education programs at institutions of higher education shall be evaluated according to the unit standards listed below and in the appendices, which are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule.

   1. (A) Standard 1: Performance Standards for Education Professionals. (Initial and Advanced) The professional education unit ensures that candidates for professional certification possess the knowledge, skills, and AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

competencies defined as appropriate for their area of responsibility.

1. (B) Standard 2: Program and Curriculum Design. (Initial and Advanced) The professional education unit has high quality professional education programs that are derived from a conceptual framework that is knowledge-based, articulated, shared, coherent, consistent with the unit and/or institutional mission, and continuously evaluated.
2. (C) Standard 3: Clinical Experiences. (Initial and Advanced) The professional education unit ensures that clinical experiences for programs are well-planned, of high quality, integrated throughout the program sequence, and continuously evaluated.
3. (D) Standard 4: Composition, Quality, and Competence of Student Population. (Initial and Advanced) The professional education unit has and implements plans to recruit, admit, and retain a diverse student population who demonstrate potential for professional success in schools.
4. (E) Standard 5: Qualifications, Composition, Assignments, and Development of Professional Education Faculty, and Quality of Instruction. (Initial and Advanced) The professional education unit has and implements plans to recruit, employ, and retain a diverse faculty who demonstrate professional qualifications and high quality instruction.
5. (F) Standard 6: Governance, Organization, Authority. (Initial and Advanced) Governing boards and administrators shall indicate commitment to the preparation of educational personnel, as related to the institution’s mission and goals, by adopting and implementing policies and procedures supportive of programs for the preparation of professional educators.
6. (G) Standard 7: Professional Community. (Initial and Advanced) The professional education unit and the professional education community collaborate to improve programs for the preparation of school personnel and to improve the quality of education in the schools.
7. (H) Standard 8: Resources For Operating Unit And For Supporting Teaching And Learning. (Initial and Advanced) The professional education unit has sufficient facilities, equipment, and budgetary resources to fulfill its missions and offer quality programs. The unit has adequate resources to support teaching and scholarship by faculty and candidates.

1. (5) An evaluation team shall conduct an onsite review of an institution’s professional education program(s) based upon the institution’s responses to the standards in its annual reports and shall prepare a report for the commissioner of education.
2. (6) The commissioner of education shall review the team report and may request additional information from the institution before recommendations are made to the board.
3. (7) For professional education programs rated unsatisfactory by the evaluation team or programs for which the commissioner has indicated to the institution that s/he may recommend denial of approval, the institution shall be afforded an opportunity for a hearing to provide evidence to support approval or conditional approval of those programs. The hearing shall be conducted by the commissioner or his/her designee according to the provisions of Chapter 536, RSMo.
4. (8) The commissioner shall recommend to the board that the professional education program(s) of the institution be granted approval, conditional approval or be denied approval. The recommendation of the commissioner shall not include denial of approval to programs for which the institution was not afforded an opportunity for a hearing to provide evidence to support approval or conditional approval.
5. (9) The board shall review the recommendations of the commissioner and shall grant approval or conditional approval, or deny approval of an institution’s professional education program(s). The board shall not deny approval to programs for which the institution was not afforded an opportunity for a hearing to provide evidence to support approval or conditional approval.
6. (10) Should the board grant conditional approval to any programs offered by an institution, the institution’s authorization to recommend candidates for certification shall not exceed two (2) years with conditions and limitations stipulated by the board. Conditional approval for programs shall not be extended or renewed without consent of the board or its designee.
7. (11) Should the board deny approval to any of an institution’s professional education programs, the commissioner of education shall notify the institution of the denial and inform the institution of the reasons for the denial.
8. (12) The commissioner of education may authorize an interim review of an institution or an approved program consistent with the rules and regulations promulgated by the board. As a result of the review, and upon the recommendation of the commissioner of education, the board may discontinue an institution’s authorization to recommend candidates for certification.
9. (13) Requisite conditions, guidelines, procedures and standards, as set forth in the rules, regulations and appendices promulgated by the board, shall be followed by institutions seeking board approval of their professional education programs.

AUTHORITY: sections 161.092, 161.097 and 161.099, RSMo 1994 and 168.021, RSMo Supp. 1999.* This rule was previously filed as 5 CSR 80-800.015. Original rule filed Sept. 29, 1986, effective Jan. 12, 1987. Amended: Filed Aug. 1, 1988, effective Nov. 25, 1988. Amended: Filed April 25, 1990, effective Sept. 28, 1990. Amended: Filed Oct. 31, 1996, effective June 30, 1997. Amended: Filed Dec. 23, 1998, effective Aug. 30, 1999. Amended: July 28, 2000, effective Feb. 28, 2001.

*Original authority: 161.092, RSMo 1963, amended 1973; 161.097, RSMo 1985; 161.099, RSMo 1993; and 168.021, RSMo 1963, amended 1973, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1998, 2000.