1. (a) Licenses shall indicate grade levels, content areas and specializations for which the professional shall be eligible for employment.

2. (b) Licenses shall be of the following types:

   1. (1) Teacher. The license shall entitle the holder to teach in some designated area of specialization at the elementary, middle, or secondary level. There shall be four levels of preparation:

      1. (A) bachelor's degree (A level);
      2. (B) master's degree (G level);
      3. (C) sixth-year (AG level); and

      4. (D) doctorate (DG level).

         The teacher license shall further be categorized as prekindergarten B-K, elementary K-6, middle grades 6-9, secondary 9-12, special subjects K-12, or work force development.

   2. (2) Administrator/supervisor. The holder may serve in generalist and program administrator roles such as superintendent, assistant or associate superintendent, principal, assistant principal or curriculum-instructional specialist. There shall be three levels of preparation:

      1. (A) master's degree;
      2. (B) sixth-year; and

      3. (C) doctorate.

         A person shall be eligible to serve as a superintendent without qualifying for or holding a license as long as the person has earned at least a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university and has a minimum of five years leadership or managerial experience that the employing local board of education considers relevant to the position of superintendent.

   3. (3) Student services area. The holder may provide specialized assistance to the learner, the teacher, the administrator and the education program in general. This category shall include school counseling, school social work, school psychology, audiology, speech language pathology, and media. There shall be three levels of preparation as in the case of the administrator/supervisor, except that school psychology shall be restricted to the sixth-year or doctorate levels and school social work may be earned at the bachelor's level.

3. (c) The department shall base license classification on the level and degree of career development and competence. There shall be two classifications of licenses:

   1. (1) The Standard Professional License I, which shall be valid for three years, shall allow the holder to begin practicing the profession on an independent basis in North Carolina. To be issued a Standard Professional License I, the individual must complete a teacher education program approved in accordance with these Rules and meet the federal requirement to be designated "highly qualified."
   2. (2) The Standard Professional License II shall authorize professional school service on an ongoing basis, subject to renewal every five years.

History Note: Authority G.S. 115C-12(9)a;115C-271(a); N.C. Constitution, Article IX, s. 5;
Eff. July 1, 1986;
Amended Eff. August 1, 2000; March 1, 1990;
Temporary Amendment Eff. December 17, 2001;
Amended Eff. January 2, 2006; April 1, 2003.