State board to propose administrative‑code change allowing AQUP‑accredited alternative teacher prep providers; members ask quality and timeline questions

Shavon Harris, a department official, presented a proposed administrative‑code amendment that would implement a legislative change permitting alternative teacher preparation organizations that are AQUIP‑accredited to apply to be Alabama providers, provided they applied for CAEP accreditation by April 1, 2024 and attain full CAEP accreditation by Oct. 1, 2026.

"No longer will we just look at CAEP accreditation," Harris said, explaining the new option added by the legislature. The department said any provider approved under the provision would receive a limited window of approval tied to a sunset date: if the organization does not attain CAEP accreditation by Oct. 1, 2026, the state approval would lapse.

Board members asked how many organizations would qualify under the new path; staff said only one organization was known to have met the April 1, 2024 application threshold, though others might later qualify. Members asked for more comparative information about AQUIP’s standards and how many states accept AQUIP versus CAEP accreditation; staff said they would provide a comparison to the board at a future meeting.

The department outlined a near‑term process: announce the intent to change the administrative code at the September meeting, proceed through rulemaking with no emergency rule, and accept applications under the provision after the rule is finalized (likely early in the next calendar year). The department cautioned that, because the CAEP deadline is Oct. 1, 2026, any organization approved under the new pathway would likely only participate in the 2025–26 school year before the sunset enforcement.

Board members raised follow‑up quality questions — how the state would track classroom outcomes for teachers prepared by such providers and what reporting would be required — and staff noted that the legislation requires reporting on the same indicators required of existing educator‑preparation providers. Several members asked the department to return with a comparative briefing on AQUIP and CAEP, including how many states use each accreditor.

Why it matters: the change implements recent legislative direction and creates a limited pathway for additional alternative teacher preparation providers to operate in Alabama classrooms. Board members emphasized they were amending code to comply with statute and not pre‑approving any specific organization.

Ending: Staff said they would publish the proposed rule at the September meeting and return to the board with additional information, including an AQUIP vs. CAEP comparison and the exact number of potential applicants.