Board advances first reading on alternate licensure pathways including portfolios and modular testing

The State Board of Education on first reading approved proposed changes to Policy 5.105 to allow alternate pathways for candidates who narrowly miss required licensure assessments.

Taylor Reed, senior director of licensure, told the board the proposals would authorize vendor‑aligned alternate passing options including portfolio or evidence‑based demonstrations, modular or component testing, and targeted remediation for candidates who fall within a narrowly defined margin of a cut score. Reed said these flexibilities are already in use in roughly half of U.S. states in various forms and that vendors present today could speak to psychometrics.

Board members pressed for clarity on the meaning of 'narrowly missed' and requested standardized language. Reed said narrowly missed thresholds would generally be defined by vendor recommendations—often one standard error from the qualifying score—and that communications to candidates would come from vendors. The board and staff discussed how alternate passes would be represented in licensure records (an alternate pass flag versus a new score) and asked for a 'cheat sheet' explaining pathways before final reading.

Several board members expressed concern about perceptions of lowering standards and asked for data on how many educators would be affected. The department estimated a triple‑digit pool of candidates could be impacted and said the department will continue engagement between first and final readings, including vendor input and clarifying language to reduce judgment calls.

The board adopted the first reading with directions for staff to provide more specificity and stakeholder engagement ahead of final reading.