[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6590850,"mediaKeyId","5550532-f62031c9d3b05882af402599953cfdb1","parentId",5550532,"title","Standards board votes to publish revised teacher-licensure pathways after debate on coursework for higher-education faculty","audioSeconds",3493,"startMs",2232000,"endMs",5725000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5550532-f62031c9d3b05882af402599953cfdb1&start=2232&end=5725","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5550532-f62031c9d3b05882af402599953cfdb1/thumbnail_2232000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6590850/Maryland/Standards-board-votes-to-publish-revised-teacher-licensure-pathways-after-debate-on-coursework-for-higher-education-faculty","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590850-07def3f3eacfdfbab7e551de81a838a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1776628112&Signature=dbk4auq8q8kbPpcONbp0Pjj-uXHQNQ2Fcim0XFx248lwC02aOkyw425pa-kDP8pESouggD0pxj0c2j7LUAiNBmZfs393HT7QARCLQEafuD9jcsV~KNWE~a1Esj-9NsHiQPow4OL0O20tHUZPDCfRN074gO5RpF9wpYcafbgmOftKu-V4syVLSWBTYjNaQHy4ycAQGZWc857sHfCFkB2BSFHOPDxU10rGYenfJysHWsOI~dP~kW3f663NZowzqHOEamEGlL3dJ2ZrYwbV0JFHxEzUQRwkM3avQlF452i0mQGNCwIpP0x6AVDRQZsFzAKyppe~WurcbCEzDS1y9Q34Gw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland Department of Education","date","2025-08-08T04:34:17Z","article","The Professional Standards board voted to request publication of amended regulations for teacher licensure (COMAR 13A.12.0203) after a day of public comment and detailed discussion about what coursework should be required for certain alternative pathways.

Board members voted to seek permission to publish the regulations with revisions after hearing public comment from special-education advocates and arts teachers and receiving a staff presentation explaining three new or revised transcript-analysis and experience-based pathways, including a specific pathway for postsecondary faculty transitioning to 7–12 classrooms.

The action matters because the regulations, if published in the Maryland Register and later adopted, will change who can earn an initial Maryland teaching license and how they demonstrate preparation. The board’s vote sends the revised text to the State Board of Education for its permission to publish; if the State Board grants permission it will appear in the Maryland Register for public comment.

The changes discussed at the meeting add a fine-arts transcript-analysis pathway (art, dance, music, theater), a 7–12 secondary general-education transcript-analysis pathway, and a higher-education faculty pathway that would let qualified postsecondary instructors seek a K–12 license. Under the proposed language, candidates may demonstrate content knowledge by: a degree in the content area, a degree plus a minimum number of content semester hours, or a combination of occupational (including postsecondary teaching) experience plus, in some options, a passing content assessment. During debate the board also agreed to add professional coursework requirements for some of those routes.

Public comment influenced the discussion. Liz Zogby, a special-education policy advocate and co‑chair of the Maryland Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition, told the board that postsecondary faculty and high-school teachers are subject to different federal requirements and raised concerns that the proposed postsecondary-faculty pathway did not require coursework in special education. “High school teachers are responsible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for implementing the individualized education programs of students with disabilities,” Zogby said, and she asked the board to require coursework so teachers entering secondary classrooms would be prepared to serve students with disabilities.

Two arts educators also addressed the board. Emily McCourt, a teacher with Apex Arts, urged the board to restore and quickly finalize a fine-arts transcript-analysis route after she said the removal of that option forced art teachers into costlier master’s-degree pathways. “The decision to take away our options for licensure was cruel,” McCourt said, adding that conditional teachers have limited time to obtain licenses and that tuition reimbursement programs require up-front payment.

Board members discussed whether the portfolio-based assessment (the state’s performance assessment) and two years of effective evaluations would be a sufficient gate for the higher-education faculty pathway or whether additional coursework should be required. Members repeatedly returned to three categories: special education, classroom management, and content-area literacy. Several board members said an introductory special-education course should be required; others urged adding a classroom-management course. One member noted that the edTPA portfolio includes a requirement to document instruction for a range of learners, but multiple members said that alone would not reliably ensure familiarity with K–12 special-education law and practice.

MSDE staff (staff member Kelly Meadows and Miss Fitzpatrick) summarized regulatory text changes the board was being asked to publish. Staff also proposed adding a content-pathway option that recognizes three years of satisfactory postsecondary teaching experience at an accredited institution as proof of content knowledge (so a candidate would not need the separate content assessment). That language was added in the meeting and read aloud before the vote.

The motion to request permission to publish COMAR 13A.12.0203 with the revisions passed; the board recorded no roll-call tally in the meeting transcript. After the vote staff explained the next steps: the State Board of Education must also grant permission to publish, the regulations would appear in the Maryland Register for 30 days if the State Board concurs, and any substantive changes made by the State Board would restart the promulgation process and return the item to the Professional Standards board.

The board’s discussion left open implementation details — including which exact introductory special-education and classroom-management courses would be acceptable and how LEAs and institutions would ensure access — but the policy change moves Maryland toward formalizing multiple alternative entry routes intended to expand the teacher pipeline while attempting to keep minimum standards for practice.

Votes at a glance
• Motion to request permission to publish COMAR 13A.12.0203 (Pathways to initial teacher licensure) with revisions: outcome — approved; vote tally — not specified in transcript; mover and second — not specified in transcript. The motion was read and the board voted in favor.

What happens next: If the State Board of Education grants permission to publish, the regulation text will be posted in the Maryland Register for public comment and then returned to the boards for final action; if the State Board makes substantive edits the regulation must return to this board.

— End —","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Professional Standards & Teacher Education Board Meeting | Thursday 08/07/25 9:30 a.m EST","oneSentenceSummary","The Professional Standards board voted to request publication of amended regulations for teacher licensure (COMAR 13A.12.0203) after public comment urged special-education coursework and restoration of a fine-arts pathway and board members debated adding coursework requirements for faculty transitioning from higher education.","taxTitle","Maryland Department of Education, School Boards, Maryland","taxId",79256,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6590845,"Anne Arundel launches in-district training pathway for conditional teachers, targeting secondary special education",2313,6919000,9232000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5550532-f62031c9d3b05882af402599953cfdb1&start=6919&end=9232","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5550532-f62031c9d3b05882af402599953cfdb1/thumbnail_6919000.jpg","/articles/6590845/Maryland/Anne-Arundel-launches-in-district-training-pathway-for-conditional-teachers-targeting-secondary-special-education","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590845-9bc54d8aee627c1cb0244a4fba20f167/orig.mp4?Expires=1776628112&Signature=deatYjCRpS0znBbaXg1ICoaoZ5-BcEdvRZFmjtcEHeS8QnngZVAfihJF0McrSDjm8SUn6vmVlSaBiJWnlq-kRpw-OfCgQUW~~7ZNe1N~U9BdZmZ4NnvZcAiGRsZh0GrIWRIF50-p6mYTaSTfh~ViRZ0dX6pOWgA7K-cwIYtTCUati2a1jxzhNycXV6brXn9YwcUTBj34ZBBPGIi~KBJtcIhO0k1i70KAUd-ttn158ng4aWbryYqk~DmyuU96yz5wNG3-t2LeTuihho49ZdAw4Cp4y0QEtNTb2DME~PfjMW7JlmOenyNLEfNi7~W0LaMeoD3Ku0E4pg59IoZdtmPeVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) will launch Maryland’s first MSDE‑approved in‑district training licensure pathway this fall, the school system told the Professional Standards board. The pathway is designed for conditionally licensed teachers and will begin by prioritizing secondary special education positions.

AACPS presented the program’s design and implementation plan. The pathway requires four core elements: (1) demonstration of content knowledge, (2) completion of an intensive Maryland induction program with on-site supervision and coaching, (3) completion of an MSDE‑approved sequence of pedagogical coursework, and (4) passing the state reading instruction requirement where applicable. Completion culminates in formal attestation by district leaders that a candidate is prepared for professional licensure.

Zipporah Miller, director for organizational learning at Anne Arundel County Public Schools, described the district’s decision to focus on secondary special education because conditional teacher concentrations and student need were highest in that area. Miller said AACPS already had a mandatory three‑year induction program and a cadre of trained mentors (called RightStart advisers) and built the in‑district proposal around existing supports. “We already had a very robust 3‑year induction program,” Miller said; the district adapted and documented those practices to meet MSDE’s approval criteria.

MSDE’s program-approval manager described the review process: LEAs must submit a full program plan by February 1 of the school year before implementation; MSDE convenes experts to review the proposal, returns written feedback, and requires revisions until approval criteria are met. Approved programs are subject to monitoring that includes site visits, surveys, data collection and multi‑year retention tracking for program participants.

AACPS described operational details intended to reduce barriers for conditional teachers: the district negotiated direct billing with Anne Arundel Community College so candidates would not have to pay course tuition up front; coursework was pared to a smaller set of required modules that map to on‑the‑job coaching and mentoring; and a multi‑tiered mentoring structure pairs RightStart advisers, content department chairs, central office specialists and induction coaches with each candidate. Miller said the district has made the coursework mandatory for participating candidates, embedded formative checkpoints throughout each year, and planned attestation at each year’s end rather than waiting until program completion.

Miller acknowledged the work was resource‑intensive. The district organized a cross‑functional team and met weekly between September and February to produce the February 1 submission; MSDE returned feedback and the district revised its plan before approval in May. She urged other LEAs considering the pathway to bring MSDE in early and to be prepared for an intensive development timeline. “We were going all the way,” Miller said of the district’s decision to pursue approval.

MSDE staff encouraged other districts to examine existing local capacity and to contact MSDE early in the planning process. Staff emphasized the pathway is a multi‑year effort and recommended that LEAs budget adequate time — one MSDE presenter suggested beginning work at least one year ahead of a February 1 submission to allow for iteration and monitoring.

AACPS said it has held information sessions and is currently reviewing transcripts and applications from potentially eligible candidates; anticipated candidate numbers were not finalized at the meeting. The district said it expects to continue monitoring and to report outcomes to MSDE as required.

— End —","Anne Arundel County Public Schools will launch Maryland’s first MSDE‑approved in‑district training pathway this fall, targeting secondary special education and pairing district mentoring and MSDE‑approved coursework with direct billing through Anne Arundel Community College.","actionData","errors"]

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Standards board votes to publish revised teacher-licensure pathways after debate on coursework for higher-education faculty

Anne Arundel launches in-district training pathway for conditional teachers, targeting secondary special education