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State Board adopts rule altering licensure grade bands, allows conversion and removes school psychologist license
Summary
The State Board adopted an administrative rule revising educator grade bands, permitting conversions back to prior grade bands, and removing school psychologist licensing from the board’s jurisdiction. The board voted 19-0 to adopt the rule after counsel and staff explained clarifying edits and implementation timelines.
The State Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt an administrative-rule amendment that changes educator grade bands and clarifies how professional licenses convert under recent legislation.
Chief Legal Counsel Jason Wagner and licensure staff briefed the board on the rule changes before the vote. The adopted rule updates license grade bands in response to recent legislation and, in response to stakeholder feedback, allows educators who convert to a new grade band to convert back to a prior band in certain circumstances. Counsel also removed the school psychologist license from the board’s rule because that license is now administered by the psychology board; staff said they transferred data to the psychology board as part of the change.
Licensure staff described practical timelines in the rule language: conversions for current license holders will be available relatively soon for those who qualify, while first-time applicants under the new grade bands will be phased in later as educator-preparation programs adjust to the new bands. Board staff and counsel said they added sunset dates for issuance of the old grade-band licenses and projected dates when first-time applicants can expect the new band credentials.
Board members who asked for clarification were told the rule will not require educators converting grade bands to take a second pedagogy (teaching methods) test; instead, staff will require content-specific assessments when an educator changes to a license with substantially different content expectations (for example, moving from a middle-level math assignment to a secondary math assignment).
After discussion the board voted to adopt the administrative rule by roll call. Member Jackson moved adoption and a colleague seconded; the clerk called the roll and the board recorded a unanimous vote of 19–0 to adopt the rule.
Board staff said the rule implements parts of recent legislation and that additional technical guidance will be sent to districts and preparation programs to help with conversion and application timing.
