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Committee hears bill to clarify educator licensing rules, preserve CTE exemptions for industry credentials
Summary
House Bill 440 would set rules the State Board must require of initial educator licensure, while preserving substitute pathways and allowing career-and-technical education (CTE) teachers to substitute industry-recognized credentials for some tests. Department of Education staff said the bill mainly codifies current practice and limits testing to
Representative Glenn Cordelli, a sponsor of House Bill 440, said the bill aims to specify topics the State Board should address in administrative rules related to educator licensure and to provide predictability for candidates and teacher-preparation programs.
"This legislation specifies the rules that should be required related to licensing and also very importantly, specifies that CTE teachers can be exempt from some of these tests, especially if they have an industry-recognized credential," Cordelli told the committee.
Steve Appleby, Director of the Department of Education program that oversees licensure, described the bill as consistent with existing practice. Appleby said the provisions would apply to initial licensure only, not to license renewals. "These are for initial licensure only, not for renewal," he said, adding that the department accepts exams from major vendors such as ETS and Pearson and will evaluate other vendors for comparability.
Committee members asked whether alternate pathways to initial certification would still be available; Appleby said they would, and that candidates ultimately must meet testing or equivalent standards to receive a full license. Appleby also said the State Board sets cut scores for assessments and typically aligns with national scores to preserve reciprocity.
On CTE teachers, Appleby confirmed the current practice allowing industry credentials (for example, an ASE master mechanic credential) to substitute for standardized tests remains in force and that the bill would place that practice into statute.
No formal vote was taken during the hearing. The department and CT directors said they could supply technical assistance and examples of acceptable credentials when the committee requests them.
