State board adopts rule for alternative teacher‑preparation organizations, requires third‑party test alignment review

The Alabama State Board of Education voted unanimously on Nov. 9 in Montgomery to adopt Alabama Administrative Code Rule 290‑3‑.60, permitting private alternative teacher preparation organizations (ATPOs) to recommend candidates for state teacher certification while establishing an external review process for any vendor tests other than the Praxis.

The rule amends the department’s regulations to implement recent legislation authorizing private ATPOs and sets a framework for oversight, including third‑party alignment reviews of vendor assessments and the ability for the state teacher certification office to place providers on conditional approval or revoke their recommendation authority.

Isabel Welch, who identified herself as representing the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, spoke during the meeting’s public comment period in support of the proposed rule but said she had a concern about the draft’s lack of detail. “We do have 1 concern about the lack of specifics in section 5 B of the draft rule regarding the review of ATPO assessments, just because it doesn't have the specific things regarding timeline and how exactly that review would be carried out,” Welch said, and proposed that “an independent third party review be accepted as evidence of alignment.”

Jason Swan, the board’s general counsel, reviewed public‑comment ground rules and presided over procedural items before the board considered the rule. Dr. Mackey, presenting for the department, said the legislature authorized ATPOs but left technical details to the board’s rules. “The law says that they can use their own, but but it has to be, you have to prove or you have to show that it's it's basically equal and it's aligned to Alabama standards,” Dr. Mackey said, adding that the department agrees a third party should perform that alignment review.

Board members discussed implementation steps and oversight. The department told the board it will issue a request for proposals (RFP) to secure a third‑party vendor to review ATPO assessments for alignment with Alabama standards; until that vendor is selected and the alignment process is complete, candidates from organizations with their own tests would be required to take the Praxis. Dr. Mackey said the RFP process will be expedited but will take time, and that the department’s teacher certification section will perform full evaluations of ATPOs similar to reviews of college of education programs.

Board members raised questions about monitoring and timelines. Dr. Reynolds asked whether there would be a specific renewal timeline or automatic review cadence; the department said it would present an application and review process to the board and that reviews and potential conditional approvals are part of the oversight tools. The board also referenced Texas as an example where an alternate provider was suspended after student outcomes raised concerns; the department said the rule provides similar enforcement authority (conditional approval or removal of an organization’s ability to recommend candidates) if providers fail to meet performance expectations.

The board adopted the amended rule by voice vote after a motion and second were called; voting members raised their hands in a unanimous vote. The rule will allow ATPOs that do not use the Praxis to seek alignment clearance through the third‑party review once the RFP and review process are in place, while organizations that intend to use the Praxis may operate subject to the rule’s requirements.

The board and department said they will return to the board with the department’s proposed application and review procedures and related contracting steps. The department indicated it will provide additional technical details about timelines and the RFP schedule in subsequent staff materials.

The action affects prospective teacher candidates who seek certification through non‑traditional providers, and sets out both an expedited administrative path for vendor review and an oversight mechanism tied to the teacher certification office’s authority to conditionally approve or withdraw recommendation privileges.