Statutes, codes, and regulations
West Virginia Administrative Code
Agency 126 - EducationTitle 126 - LEGISLATIVE RULE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Series 126-114 - Approval of Educational Personnel Preparation Programs (Policy 5100)
Section 126-114-10 - Additional Program Requirements

W. Va. Code R. § 126-114-10

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Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024
Section 126-114-10 - Additional Program Requirements
10.1. Educator Program Provider Advisory Council (EPPAC). Each EPP that offers a WVBE-approved EPP of study shall have an EPPAC comprised of representatives from college and university educators, teacher candidates, public school administrators and classroom teachers, and community representatives. The WVDE shall appoint a liaison to serve as a member of each institution's EPPAC. The liaison to the IHE from the WVDE shall serve in a nonvoting role. EPPAC serves as an advisory body to the EPP's chief officer in developing and reviewing all programs and policies for the preparation of educational personnel with the EPP. The EPPAC shall meet at least once a semester and shall review matters pertaining to the preparation and licensure of teachers including the following:
10.1.a. new and revised preparation programs;
10.1.b. admission, retention and exit criteria;
10.1.c. pre-professional skills, including trauma-informed and social-emotional best practices, content specialization, and professional education assessments;
10.1.d. educational technology activities and assessments;
10.1.e. annual testing and supply demand reports;
10.1.f. WVBE and national program reviews and findings;
10.1.g. WVBE educational preparation and licensure policies and statutes;
10.1.h. recruitment of students;
10.1.i. clinical and field experiences; and
10.1.j. development and preparation of policies and programs for inclusion in WVBE self-study materials.
10.1.k. EPP of Study Modifications. Substantive program of study modification (e.g., addition or deletion of courses, significant changes in course content or clinical experiences) must be submitted to the EPPAC for review. Following the EPPAC review, the EPP's administrator for programs of study shall submit a letter summarizing the nature of changes and new curriculum summary sheet to the WVBE. An EPP may change up to 25 percent of a teaching certification program's credit hours in either the professional knowledge components or the content specialization courses without EPPRB re-approval. (This applies to adding/dropping courses, not content changes to courses.) If more than 25 percent of a program's credit hours change from the initial EPPRB approval or last EPPRB approval of a revision in either the professional knowledge components or the content specialization courses, then the EPP must resubmit the proposed changes to the EPPRB for review and re-approval. After its review of proposed program modifications, the EPPRB will submit its recommendation for acceptance or rejection of the proposed changes to the WVBE. The WVBE shall acknowledge by letter to the IHE's administrator for programs of study the WVBE's acceptance or rejection of the modification. If accepted, the modification shall be incorporated into the EPP's approved program materials on file with the WVDE and with a WVBE-approved national accreditor. Any changes made to an existing WVBE-approved EPP shall be included in the IHE's annual report submitted to the WVBE-approved national accreditor and will subsequently be reviewed as part of the accreditation review process.
10.1.l. An executive summary, including supporting appendices of all EPPAC meetings, shall be included in the EPP's annual report.
10.2. Second Field/Programmatic Level Requirements. An EPP may offer specializations at single or multiple programmatic levels as found in Policy 5202, Appendix A. However, the IHE may establish a policy related to the number of programmatic levels and specializations required for a candidate to satisfy an approved program and recommendation for licensure except for specializations identified in section 9.3.
10.3. Specialization Prerequisites and Restrictions.
10.3.a. Reading Education. Reading education must be taken in combination with a general education specialization leading to an endorsement on a Professional Teaching Certificate. The reading education endorsement shall reflect those grade levels that appear on an individual's Professional Teaching Certificate as they relate to the general education endorsement(s).
10.3.b. Special Education. Effective July 1, 2016, individuals who were admitted to EPPs in autism, emotional disturbance (excluding autism), intellectual disabilities (mild/moderate), multi-categorical, and specific learning disabilities and who held, qualified for, or were simultaneously completing a specialization in biology, chemistry, early childhood, elementary education, English, general science, mathematics, physics, and/or social studies, may be recommended for licensure at which time they have met to the satisfaction of the IHE's content requirements of the WVBE-approved program.
10.3.b.1. Additional Endorsement in Autism. Individuals who hold a Professional Teaching Certificate endorsed in Emotional Disturbance, Multi-Categorical Special Education, Intellectual Disabilities (Mild/Moderate), Severe Disabilities, or Pre-School Special Needs or the equivalent to these endorsements as previously defined in this policy may receive an additional endorsement in Autism provided they make application and successfully complete six semester hours of coursework in Autism from a regionally accredited IHE.
10.3.b.1.A. Autism Field Experience. At least one and one-half credit hours of the six required semester hours of coursework must be comprised of field-based experiences or applicant must provide written verification of a minimum of 30 hours of field-based experiences serving students with Autism.
10.4. Program Requirements, Assessments, and Test Scores.
10.4.a. Validity of Test Scores.
10.4.a.1. The licensure tests and passing scores required by the WVBE as set forth in this policy shall remain valid for 12 months after completion of an approved program for licensure (as stated in Policy 5202, section 4.71.a) where the applicant was continuously enrolled even if the test and or score required by this policy has changed.
10.4.3.2. A candidate whose test and/or scores do not meet current testing requirements at the time of application for licensure is required to satisfy current tests and passing scores.
10.4.b. Failure to Apply for Licensure. A candidate who fails to apply for licensure within 12 months from the date of completing an approved program for licensure is required to satisfy any current and additional test and program components in effect at the time of application and to comply with conditions outlined for the validity period.
10.4.c. Tests Required for New Specializations on a Professional Certificate. A candidate who wishes to add a new specialization to the candidate's Professional Teaching Certificate by completing an approved program at an accredited IHE is required to satisfy, in addition to the approved program content requirements, the content test requirement, if a test is required. It is assumed that a candidate who holds a Professional Teaching Certificate has previously satisfied requirements in preprofessional skills and professional education components and that a candidate who holds either the Professional Support or Professional Administrative Certificate has satisfied the preprofessional skills component. Institutions may modify this requirement for a candidate seeking an additional specialization based on the candidate's work or career experiences. In addition to satisfying the approved program content requirements and testing requirements for the new content specialization, if available, individuals wishing to add a new specialization to the Professional Teaching Certificate must also complete a clinical experience which includes a performance assessment as defined in section 6.7.b. EPPs will determine the method for and the amount of clinical and/or field-based experiences necessary to satisfy the requirements specified in section 6.7.b.
10.4.d. Content test requirement as a requirement of program completion: Effective January 1, 2017, candidates shall obtain passing scores on grade-level appropriate, WVBE-adopted Praxis II content test(s) as described in the West Virginia Licensure Testing Directory on the WVDE website as a requirement of program completion.
10.4.e. Content test requirement as a requirement for clinical experience. Effective July 1, 2017, candidates shall obtain passing scores on grade-level appropriate, WVBE-adopted Praxis II content test(s) or meet the criteria as described in the West Virginia Licensure Testing Directory in order to enter the student teaching assignment/clinical experience component of the WVBE-approved program. Speech-language pathologist candidates are exempt from this requirement and do not need to provide passing content proficiency scores prior to completing the clinical experience.

W. Va. Code R. § 126-114-10