Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-2-.10

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 290-3-2-.10 - Interim Employment Certificate In An Area Of Instructional Support (IEC) Approach

(1) Overview. This approach was previously named the Special Alternative Certificate (SAC) Approach for Areas of Instructional Support. A superintendent or administrator who wishes to employ an individual may request an Interim Employment Certificate in a certain Areas of Instructional Support (IEC). The individual must be unconditionally admitted to one of the following:

(a) State-approved Class A program in school counseling, library media, or instructional leadership; or

(b) Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited program in school counseling at an Alabama institution.

(2) General Information.

(a) An individual may complete up to three scholastic years of employment while holding a valid IEC and/or SAC. All three IECs and/or SACs must be issued within a four consecutive scholastic year time period. The employment does not have to be full-time and does not have to be in the same public school system and/or nonpublic school.

(b) An individual must hold a valid certificate for teaching fields and/or areas of instructional support to which he or she is assigned. An individual who holds only a valid IEC must be assigned only to the area of instructional support for which the IEC was issued.

(c) The superintendent or administrator must monitor the applicant's compliance with the requirements of the IEC approach.

(d) The IEC is not a prerequisite for a Professional Educator Certificate or a Professional Leadership Certificate.

(e) An individual who held the first Special Alternative Certificate (SAC) valid for the 2013-2014, 2014-2015, or 2015-2016 scholastic year may be issued the second and/or third IEC in the same teaching field if all requirements have been met.

1. An individual who held the first SAC valid for the 2013-2014 scholastic year and the second SAC valid for the 2014-2015 or the 2015-2016 scholastic year may be issued the third IEC valid for the 2016-2017 scholastic year.

2. An individual who held the first SAC valid for the 2014-2015 scholastic year and the second SAC valid for the 2015-2016 scholastic year may be issued the third IEC valid for the 2016-2017 or 2017-2018 scholastic year.

3. An individual who held the first SAC valid for the 2014-2015 scholastic year may be issued the second IEC valid for the 2016-2017 scholastic year and the third IEC valid for the 2017-2018 scholastic year.

4. An individual who held the first SAC valid for the 2015-2016 scholastic year may be issued the second IEC valid for the 2016-2017 or 2017-2018 scholastic year and the third IEC valid for the 2017-2018 or 2018-2019 scholastic year.

(3) Areas of Instructional Support Available for IECs.

Grade Levels: P-12
Areas of Instructional Support Personnel^a	Instructional Leadership, School Counseling, or Library-Media

^a First, second, and third IECs and/or SACs must be issued in the same area.

(4) Limitations on Issuance.

(a) The IEC is not available in the areas of School Psychometry, School Psychology or Speech-Language Pathology.

(b) An individual may not be employed for more than three scholastic years on the basis of holding an Alternative Baccalaureate-Level Certificate, a Career and Technical Alternative Baccalaureate-Level Certificate, a Preliminary Certificate, a Preliminary Certificate Through Exception, a Special Alternative Certificate, an Interim Employment Certificate, a Provisional Certificate, a Business and Industry to Educational Administrator Certificate, an alternative-approach certificate issued by another state or issuing authority, or any combination thereof.

(c) An individual who has not completed all requirements for professional educator certification or professional leadership certification by the expiration date of the third IEC shall no longer be eligible for certification through the IEC approach.

(d) An individual who earns a Professional Educator Certificate or Professional Leadership Certificate in the area for which the alternative certificates were issued may be eligible to follow an alternative approach to earning a Professional Educator Certificate or Professional Leadership Certificate in another area.

(e) Individuals who held a first Special Alternative Certificate (SAC) in an area of instructional support prior to the 2011-2012 scholastic year are no longer eligible for a second or third SAC in that area of instructional support under the rules that were in effect at the time the first SAC was issued. If the three year alternative certificate cap as prescribed in Rule 290-3-2-.10(4)(b) has not been exceeded, an individual may meet all requirements for a first IEC as prescribed in Rule 290-3-2-.10(5) and possibly a second IEC as prescribed in Rule 290-3-2-.10(6).

(5) First IEC in an Area of Instructional Support.

(a) Application.

1. The applicant is required to submit to the superintendent or administrator the current application for this approach and documentation of having met all requirements as prescribed in Rule 290-3-2-.10 and on the application.

2. The superintendent or administrator who wishes to employ the applicant to serve in the area of instructional support of the State-approved or CACREP-accredited program to which the applicant has been unconditionally admitted and for which the IEC is to be issued is required to submit to the Educator Certification Section:

(i) A recommendation on the current application for this approach during the scholastic year for which the IEC is requested.

(ii) Official verification from the Alabama college or university of unconditional admission to the appropriate State-approved or CACREP-accredited program and documentation of having met all requirements.

(iii) The applicant's current application and documentation of having met all requirements.

(b) Requirements. All requirements must be successfully completed prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.

1. Successful completion of the Alabama Special Requirements in Rule 290-3-2-.02(4).

2. For Class A State-approved programs in School Counseling.

(i) At least a valid Class B Professional Educator Certificate in a teaching field, a valid Class A Professional Educator Certificate in a teaching field or another area of instructional support, or a valid Class A Professional Leadership Certificate as prescribed in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

(ii) Verification on the current application form for this approach of unconditional admission to a Class A State-approved program in school counseling as prescribed in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

3. For Class A State-approved programs in Library Media.

(ii) Verification on the current application form for this approach of unconditional admission to a Class A State-approved program in library media as prescribed in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

4. For Class A State-approved programs in Instructional Leadership.

(i) At least a valid Class B Professional Educator Certificate in a teaching field or a valid Class A Professional Educator Certificate in a teaching field or an area of instructional support as prescribed in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

(ii) Verification on the current application form for this approach of unconditional admission to a Class A State-approved program in instructional leadership as prescribed in the Educator Preparation Chapter of the Alabama Administrative Code.

5. For CACREP-accredited School Counseling programs.

(i) Verification on an official transcript of at least an earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited senior institution.

(ii) Verification on the current application form for this approach of unconditional admission to a CACREP-accredited school counseling program at an Alabama institution.

(iii) Verification of current passing scores for the basic skills assessments of the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program (AECAP). This requirement does not apply to an applicant holding a valid Professional Educator Certificate or a valid Professional Leadership Certificate.

6. An assigned mentor as required in Rule 290-3-2-.01(29).

(6) Second IEC in an Area of Instructional Support.

(a) Application.

2. The superintendent or administrator who wishes to employ the applicant to serve in the area of instructional support for which the IEC is to be issued is required to submit to the Educator Certification Section:

(i) A recommendation on the current application for this approach during the scholastic year for which the IEC is requested.

(ii) The applicant's current application and documentation of having met all requirements.

(b) Requirements. All requirements must be successfully completed prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.

1. Successful completion of the Alabama Special Requirements in Rule 290-3-2-.02(5).

2. Verification on an official transcript of credit earned for at least three courses in one of the following:

(i) The State-approved program for the area of instructional support in which the first IEC or SAC was issued; or

(ii) The CACREP-accredited school counseling program.

3. An assigned mentor as required in Rule 290-3-2-.01(29).

(7) Third IEC in an Area of Instructional Support.

(a) Application.

(i) A recommendation on the current application for this approach during the scholastic year for which the IEC is requested.

(ii) The applicant's current application and documentation of having met all requirements.

(b) Requirements. All requirements must be successfully completed prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.

1. Successful completion of the Alabama Special Requirements in Rule 290-3-2-.02(4).

2. Verification on an official transcript of credit earned for at least four additional courses in one of the following:

(i) The State-approved program for the area of instructional support in which the second IEC or SAC was issued; or

(ii) The CACREP-accredited school counseling program.

3. An assigned mentor as required in Rule 290-3-2-.01(29).

(8) Degree Level. The IEC shall be issued only at the bachelor's degree level.

(9) Valid Period. The valid period of the IEC shall be no more than one scholastic year (July 1 to June 30). The IEC will be valid from the date the certificate is issued through June 30 of the scholastic year for which it is issued.

(10) Application for the Professional Educator Certificate or Professional Leadership Certificate.

(a) The IEC is not a prerequisite for a Professional Educator Certificate or a Professional Leadership Certificate.

(b) An applicant who completes all requirements of a State-approved Class A program and is recommended by the institution may be issued a Class A Professional Educator Certificate or a Class A Professional Leadership Certificate.

(c) An applicant who completes a CACREP-accredited school counseling program may apply for the Class A School Counselor Professional Educator Certificate through the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) Approach as prescribed in Rule 290-3-2-.22.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-2-.10

Adopted by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXIV, Issue No. 06, March 31, 2016, eff. 4/24/2016.

Author: Dr. Thomas R. Bice.

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, Ala. Const. Amend. 284, §§ 16-3-11, 16-23-1, 16-23-2.