State licensure board outlines NORA to resolve uneven credit requirements for Algebra add-on and geometry endorsements
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Summary
Staff presented a proposal to open regulations after data from educator-preparation programs showed wide variation in course credit values, creating barriers to the 24-semester-hour requirement for an Algebra 1 add-on; board members suggested alternatives including a 12-hour minimum or competency-based language.
Rob Gilstrap, presenting for the Virginia Department of Education, briefed the Advisory Board on Teacher Licensure (AdTel) on a proposed No-Notice-to-Open-the-Regulations (NORA) to address inconsistencies created when a law preserved a 24-semester-hour requirement for an Algebra 1 add-on endorsement. Gilstrap said data from 13 educator-preparation programs (EPPs) show credit values for comparable courses vary widely — in some cases a course counts for 3 credits at one institution and 12 at another — making a uniform 24-hour threshold difficult to achieve for candidates without taking unrelated coursework.
Board members and EPP representatives told the board many candidates pursue endorsements by passing Praxis tests rather than completing additional courses. One board member suggested setting a minimum of 12 semester hours in remaining subject areas, rather than insisting on a strict 24-hour total that could force candidates to take unnecessary classes. Gilstrap said staff will study coursework minimums across endorsement areas and return with guidance and proposed regulatory language.
The discussion also covered the geometry add-on endorsement, for which assessment materials received from a colleague are being reviewed by the department’s math, licensure and teacher-education teams for alignment to standards. No vote was taken; staff said they will bring revised NORA language and supporting analysis back to AdTel for recommendation to the state board.
What happens next: staff will produce a summary of coursework minimums across endorsement areas and a draft NORA for the board’s consideration; any regulatory changes would follow public-comment procedures.
