Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-6-122.7: Issuance of one-year provisional certificates to teach

in the area of mild-moderate or severe-profound disabilities or

comprehensive special education.

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 disabilities, severe-profound

disabilities or comprehensive special education 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 disabilities, severe-profound disabilities or comprehensive

special education 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 disabilities, severe-profound

disabilities or comprehensive special education;

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.