A. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, the State Board of Education shall issue a one-year provisional certificate to teach in the area of mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities to any qualified candidate who has:

1. Earned a bachelor's level college degree from an accredited institution of higher education;

2. Been recommended for a certificate by a school district board of education or an accredited institution of higher education;

3. Satisfactorily completed a one-hundred-fifty-clock-hour special education program prescribed by the Board; and

4. On file with the Board a national criminal history record check as required pursuant to Section 5-142 of this title. The individual applying for a provisional certificate shall be responsible for the cost of the national criminal history record check.

B. The one-year provisional certificate issued pursuant to this section may be renewed for two (2) additional periods of one-year each upon proof from an accredited institution of higher education that the individual has successfully completed at least six (6) credit hours of prescribed coursework during the previous year in a nontraditional route to certification program in either mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities or toward a master's degree in special education.

C. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Board of Education shall issue a standard certificate in the area of mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities to any individual who has:

1. Been issued one or more provisional certificates pursuant to this section;

2. Successfully completed the prescribed coursework of a nontraditional route to certification program in either mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities or a master's degree in special education from an accredited institution of higher education within three (3) years of issuance of the original provisional certificate and any examinations required to obtain a standard certificate in mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities;

3. Successfully completed the appropriate subject area competency examination as required pursuant to Section 6-187 of this title; and

4. Submitted an application and payment of the required certification fee.

D. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an individual who holds a current provisional certificate pursuant to subsection A or B of this section or a current standard certificate pursuant to subsection C of this section may satisfy the highly qualified teacher requirement for early childhood education or elementary education by successful completion of the early childhood education or elementary education examinations.

E. To obtain standard certification in early childhood education or elementary education, an individual shall complete an appropriate teacher education program approved by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation.

F. Nothing in this section shall change the requirements an individual is required to satisfy to be considered highly qualified in a secondary core academic area.

G. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this section.

Added by Laws 2013, c. 336, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013. Amended by Laws 2014, c. 120, § 1, eff. July 1, 2014.