State Board adopts multiple resolutions, approves appointment and certification changes

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama State Board of Education on April 11, 2024 approved a series of routine and policy items, including an employee appointment, recognitions for schools and staff, two educator-preparation approvals and a change to certification testing rules. One motion to recognize an additional alternative certification provider failed for lack of a second.

The actions, taken at the Gordon Persons Building auditorium, included approving the agenda and March 14 minutes, appointing an employee to a classified pay grade, adopting resolutions recognizing Purple Star schools and honoring an employee, approving educator-preparation programs at two universities, approving one alternative teacher-preparation organization (iTeach) and adopting a modification to the practice assessment and score used as a precondition for initial teacher certification.

Votes at a glance - Agenda (April 11, 2024): Approved (motion and second; unanimous raised‑hand vote noted). - Minutes (March 14, 2024): Approved (motion and second; unanimous raised‑hand vote noted). - Appointment: Motion to appoint Chuck Markham to pay grade 92, step 22, effective May 1, 2024. Motion made by Wayne Reynolds (role not specified in the transcript); motion seconded and the appointment was approved. The transcript shows at least one abstention was recorded (a board member said, “I abstained as well”) but did not identify vote counts by name. - Resolution recognizing Alabama’s 2024 Purple Star Schools: Adopted (motion and second; raised‑hand vote). - Resolution honoring Elizabeth Fisher as the Barbara Fanning Memorial employee of the quarter (April–June 2024): Adopted (motion and second; raised‑hand vote). - Educator preparation approvals: Resolutions to approve educator-preparation programs for Jacksonville State University and for the University of Montevallo were adopted after motions and seconds; votes were taken by raised hand. - Alternative certification providers: A motion to approve the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence failed for lack of a second. A separate motion to approve iTeach as an alternative teacher-preparation organization passed after a motion and second and a raised‑hand vote. During discussion board members asked about program accreditation. - Practice assessment change: The board adopted a resolution to modify the practice assessment and score as a precondition for initial certification (motion and second; unanimous raised‑hand vote noted in the transcript).

Why it matters Many of the adopted items are procedural or ceremonial, but the approvals for educator-preparation programs, the addition of an approved alternative certification provider (iTeach), and the change to the practice assessment used for initial teacher certification affect the pathways individuals must follow to become certified teachers in Alabama. Approving or denying alternative providers determines which programs can be used by prospective teachers to qualify for certification under state rules.

What board members said and next steps Board members used the raised‑hand voting method for most actions. A board member asked whether an alternative program held accreditation; a response in the record indicated the board discussed CAPE (CAPE accreditation was referenced during that exchange). The transcript does not include a roll‑call breakdown of yes/no votes for each item; most actions were recorded as adopted or passed during the meeting.

The board announced its next regular meeting for Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in the Gordon Persons Building auditorium.