State board adopts rewritten educator-preparation code, approves UAB programs and ABCTE as alternative route

The Alabama State Board of Education on March 13 voted to repeal and replace Alabama Administrative Code chapter 290-3-3 governing educator preparation, approved educator preparation programs for the University of Alabama at Birmingham and certified the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence as an approved alternative teacher-preparation organization.

The changes to the educator-preparation chapter were presented to the board after a public hearing that included six speakers from Alabama educator-preparation programs and related agencies. Supporters said the rewritten chapter reduces duplication, offers greater flexibility for educator-preparation providers and aligns state rules with recent statutory changes tied to the Alabama Numeracy Act.

Dean Beth Quick of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, one of six public commenters, said the proposed administrative code ‘‘provides greater flexibility to our EPPs, our colleges and universities’’ and thanked the State Department for inviting educator-preparation providers into the drafting process. Robin McGill, deputy director for academic affairs at the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, said the Commission supported the changes and praised staff who ‘‘streamlined these regulations down from 200 pages to 100 pages.’’

Other speakers focused on topic-specific clarifications the board should track during implementation. Dr. Jeremy Ziolkowski, a mathematics teacher educator, urged clearer definitions of field experiences and practica so secondary candidates get balanced middle- and high-school preparation. Dr. Sarah McDaniel, a special-education professor at the University of Alabama, said the draft reduced the special-education section from 15 pages and asked the board to restore or clarify standards she described as ‘‘broad and [not] point[ing] to the individual nature and the comprehensive nature’’ of special-education practice; she referenced page 443 of the draft. Dr. June Priest, program coordinator for the state’s nationally approved school-psychology program, requested that the board exempt school-psychology candidates from a two-year prior-teaching-experience requirement and increase internship hours from 300 to 1,200.

After the public hearing and brief remarks from Department staff, the board made three separate motions and approved each. The board approved a resolution to recognize educator-preparation programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; it approved a resolution to recognize the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence as an alternative teacher-preparation organization; and it voted to repeal and replace Alabama Administrative Code chapter 290-3-3 pertaining to educator preparation. Meeting minutes record the votes as unanimous or as ‘‘vote carries’’; the board did not provide an individual roll-call tally in the meeting transcript.

Department staff said the code change ‘‘aligns the code with the Alabama Numeracy Act’’ and committed to continued collaboration with universities and educator-preparation programs during implementation. Staff also said they received ‘‘dozens and dozens of comments’’ on the draft and that earlier public feedback led to numerous revisions, including changes to faculty-qualification alignment and expanded program offerings.

The board’s action replaces the current educator-preparation chapter but staff told the board they will continue working with colleges and universities to refine program- and endorsement-level details during implementation. Several public commenters asked the department to return to the board with clarifications on field-experience definitions, special-education standards, internship hours for school psychologists, and access to the data educator-preparation programs need for national accreditation.

Votes at a glance: - Resolution to approve educator-preparation programs for the University of Alabama at Birmingham: adopted (motion and second; outcome recorded as unanimous vote). - Resolution to approve the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence as an alternative teacher-preparation organization: adopted (motion and second; outcome recorded as passed). - Motion to repeal and replace Alabama Administrative Code chapter 290-3-3 (educator preparation): adopted (motion and second; transcript recorded ‘‘vote carries").

Board members and Department staff said they will continue outreach and technical conversations with educator-preparation providers as the Department implements the new chapter.