H.B. 299

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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2 REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATORS
3 1998 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Richard M. Siddoway
6 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; PROVIDING THAT A TEACHER IS
7 EXEMPT FROM HAVING A SPECIFIC SUBJECT ENDORSEMENT IF THE TEACHER
8 HAS MET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING MEETING CONTINUING
9 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS; AND PROVIDING THAT AN
10 INITIAL TEACHING CERTIFICATE WILL REMAIN VALID IF THE HOLDER VERIFIES
11 COMPLIANCE WITH CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
12 REQUIREMENTS.
13 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
14 AMENDS:
15 53A-6-101, as last amended by Chapter 78, Laws of Utah 1990
16 53A-6-102, as enacted by Chapter 2, Laws of Utah 1988
17 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
18 Section 1. Section 53A-6-101 is amended to read:
19 53A-6-101. State board certification -- Student teachers -- Insurance coverage of
20 certified employee -- Necessity of certification -- Exemption from specific subject
21 endorsement.
22 (1) (a) The State Board of Education may issue certificates for teachers, supervisors,
23 administrators, and other professionals.
24 (b) A person employed in a position that requires certification by the state board shall hold
25 the appropriate certificate. [This subsection]
26 (c) Subsection (1)(b) does not apply to substitutes employed to take the place of regular
27 teachers who are temporarily absent.

1 (2) The state board may issue certificates to persons engaged in student teaching.
2 (a) A certificate for student teaching is issued only upon recommendation of a teacher
3 training institution in the state approved and accredited by the state board.
4 (b) A student teacher certificate authorizes the holder to teach in a specified school or
5 schools under the specific direction of a qualified and regularly certified person.
6 (c) The certificate is valid only for the student teaching period.
7 (d) A person may not engage in student teaching without a current student teacher
8 certificate.
9 (3) The state board may rank, endorse, or otherwise classify certificates when necessary.
10 (4) A person employed in a position requiring state certification who holds a current
11 certificate issued by the state board is a certified employee and shall be covered by a liability
12 insurance program carried by the entity which employs the person.
13 (5) A teacher is exempt from the requirement of having a specific subject endorsement in
14 the area in which he teaches if the teacher has:
15 (a) [the teacher has] been assigned by the district to teach a subject outside his area of
16 certification;
17 (b) [the teacher has] taught for more than three consecutive years in the subject area that
18 is outside his area of certification; [and]
19 (c) met continuing professional development requirements established under rules of the
20 board; and
21 [(c) the teacher has] (d) received at least a satisfactory evaluation for his three previous
22 years of teaching from evaluators employed by the school district.
23 Section 2. Section 53A-6-102 is amended to read:
24 53A-6-102. Certificates -- Period of validity.
25 (1) Unless revoked for cause by the State Board of Education, an initial certificate is valid
26 if the certificate holder verifies compliance with continuing professional development
27 requirements, in accordance with rules of the board, [educational employment of at least three
28 years] during each succeeding five-year interval.
29 (2) The board shall establish minimum requirements for recertification of persons who are
30 unable to qualify under Subsection (1).


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Legislative Review Note
as of 1-20-98 5:07 PM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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