1. (1) The Superintendent shall issue an associate educator license to an individual that applies for the license and that meets all requirements in this Section R277-301-4.
2. (2) An associate educator license, license area, or endorsement is valid until June 30 of the third school year after the Superintendent issues or renews the license.

3. (3)(a) Except as provided in Subsection (4), the Superintendent may extend an associate educator license for up to two school years if an LEA or Utah-based accredited private school requests the extension for an employee.

   1. (b) The Superintendent may extend an associate educator license for up to one school year for an educator with a license area in special education or related services, if the educator has up to two years of experience in special education or related services.
4. (4) The Superintendent may not extend an associate license with a license area in special education or related services, if the educator has three years of experience in special education or related services.

5. (5) The general requirements for an associate educator license shall include:

   1. (a) completion of a criminal background check, including:

      1. (i) review of any criminal offenses and clearance in accordance with Rule R277-214; and
      2. (ii) continued monitoring in accordance with Subsection 53G-11-403(1);
   2. (b) completion of the educator ethics review within one calendar year before the application;

   3. (c) one of the following:

      1. (i) a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution;
      2. (ii) currently enrolled in a university-based Board-approved educator preparation program that will result in a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution; or
      3. (iii) skill certification in a specific CTE area as established by the Superintendent; and
   4. (d) minimum competencies, as defined by the Superintendent.

6. (6) The content knowledge requirements for an associate educator license shall include:

   1. (a) for an elementary license area, demonstration of the content competency criteria established by the Superintendent;

   2. (b) for a secondary or CTE license area with a content endorsement, or for an endorsement being added to a professional license area, one of the following:

      1. (i)(A) passage of a content knowledge test approved by the Superintendent, where required; or

         1. (B) demonstration of the competency criteria established by the Superintendent if no content knowledge test is required;
      2. (ii) a bachelor's degree or higher with a major in the content area from an accredited university; or
      3. (iii) enrollment in a program that will result in a bachelor's degree and complete all requirements except completion of capstone school-based clinical experience and any co-requisite coursework;
   3. (c) for an early childhood license area, demonstration of the content competency criteria established by the Superintendent; and

   4. (d) for a school leadership license area, enrollment in:

      1. (i) an accredited university-based school leadership educator preparation program that results in:
   5. (a) a masters degree or higher; and

   6. (b) a NASDTEC Stage 2 educator license in school leadership or equivalent, as determined by the Superintendent; or

      1. (ii) an educator preparation program administered by the Superintendent.

7. (7) Notwithstanding, Subsection (5)(c)(ii);

   1. (a) an applicant for an associate educator license with the following license areas:

      1. (i) special education (K-12);
      2. (ii) pre-school special education;
      3. (iii) deaf education;
      4. (iv) audiologist;
      5. (v) speech-language technician; or
      6. (vi) speech-language pathologist;

   2. (b) shall meet the following requirements for an associate educator license:

      1. (i) demonstrate content knowledge competencies approved by the Superintendent;
      2. (ii) complete a special education law and instruction training approved by the Superintendent;
      3. (iii) earn a bachelor's degree in a field approved by the Superintendent; and
      4. (iv) enroll in a preparation program as provided in Subsection (9).

8. (8)(a) For a special education or pre-school special education license area, an applicant shall enroll in a:

   1. (i) Board-approved non-university-based special education preparation program; or

      1. (ii) a special education program at an accredited institution that will yield a NASDTEC Stage 2 educator license.

   2. (b) For a deaf education license area, an applicant shall:

      1. (i) earn a master's degree in deaf education from an accredited institution; or

      2. (ii) enroll in:

         1. (A) a deaf education program at an accredited institution that will yield a NASDTEC Stage 2 educator license; or
         2. (B) a Board-approved non-university based deaf education preparation program.

   3. (c) For a speech-language pathologist license area, an applicant shall enroll in a speech-language pathologist program at an accredited institution of higher education that:

      1. (i) results in a master's degree or higher in speech-language pathology; and
      2. (ii) will yield a NASDTEC Stage 2 educator license.

   4. (d) For a school counselor license area, an applicant shall:

      1. (i) enroll in a school counselor program at an accredited institution of higher education that:

         1. (A) results in a masters degree or higher in school counseling; and
         2. (B) will yield a NASDTEC Stage 2 educator license; or
      2. (ii) demonstrate minimum school counselor competencies as defined by the Superintendent.

   5. (e) For a speech-language technician license area, an applicant shall possess a bachelor's degree in communication disorders, or the equivalent as determined by the Superintendent, and:

      1. (i) enroll in a speech-language technician program that is:

         1. (A) approved by the Board; or
         2. (B) administered by the Superintendent; or
      2. (ii) complete the requirements of certified speech-language pathology assistant through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.
   6. (f) For an audiologist license area, an applicant shall enroll in an audiology program at an accredited institution of higher education that will yield a NASDTEC Stage 2 educator license.

9. (9) Notwithstanding Subsection (5)(c)(ii), an applicant for an associate educator license with a license area in school psychologist or school social worker shall meet the following requirements:

   1. (a) demonstrate content knowledge competencies approved by the Superintendent;
   2. (b) earn a bachelor's degree; and
   3. (c) complete all requirements for an accredited master's level preparation program, except completion of capstone school-based clinical experience and any co-requisite coursework.

10. (10) Additional requirements for an associate educator license shall include:

    1. (a) successful completion of professional learning modules created or approved by the Superintendent in:

       1. (i) educator ethics;
       2. (ii) classroom management and instruction;
       3. (iii) basic special education law and instruction;
       4. (iv) the Utah Effective Educator Standards described in Rule R277-330; or
    2. (b) enrollment in a university-based Board-approved educator preparation program that will result in a bachelor's degree and completion of all requirements except capstone school-based clinical experience and any co-requisite coursework.
    3. (c) Notwithstanding Subsection (10)(a), the Superintendent may waive an individual module, if the module is not necessary given the preparation of an applicant.
11. (11) An educator that holds a professional license area of concentration and has met the competency criteria established by the Superintendent need not complete the requirements detailed in Subsection (10).
12. (12) A license applicant who has received or completed license preparation activities inconsistent with this rule may present compelling information and documentation for review and approval by the Superintendent to satisfy the associate educator license requirements.
13. (13) The Superintendent shall designate a panel of at least three Board staff members to review an appeal made under Subsection (12).

14. (14) An LEA that employs an individual that holds an associate educator license shall develop a personalized professional learning plan designed to support the educator in meeting the requirements for a professional educator license no later than 60 days after beginning work in the classroom, which shall:

    1. (a) be provided to the Superintendent upon request;
    2. (b) include a formal discussion and observation process no later than 30 days after beginning work in the classroom; and

    3. (c) consider:

       1. (i) previous education related experience; and
       2. (ii) previous educational preparation activities.
15. (15) An educator with an associate educator license may upgrade to a professional educator license at any time before expiration of the associate educator license if the educator meets all requirements of Section R277-301-5.

KEY: professional competency, educator licensing

Date of Last Change: November 7, 2025

Notice of Continuation: November 5, 2021

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: Art X Sec 3; 53E-6-102; 53E-3-401