Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-6-182: Definitions

As used in the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act:

1. "Board" means the State Board of Education;

2. "Commission" means the Commission for Educational Quality

and Accountability;

3. "State Regents" means the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher

Education;

4. "Professional development program" means the program

mandated by the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act for the continuous

improvement and enrichment of the certified and licensed teachers of

this state;

5. "Teacher education professional development committee" means

the committee created in Section 6-186 of this title for the

continuous improvement and enrichment of higher education faculty in

teacher education programs in institutions of higher education;

6. "Department" means the State Department of Education;

7. "Induction" means a program that provides support,

mentorship and coaching to educators at the beginning of their

careers or as they transition to new roles within a school or

district. Induction programs work with inductees to assist in all

matters concerning classroom management and professional development

for that teacher. Induction programs may involve a committee of one

or more mentor teachers, the principal or an assistant principal of

the employing school, one or more administrators designated by the

school district board of education, a teacher educator in a college

or school of education of an institution of higher education or an

educator in a department or school outside the institution's teacher

education unit;

8. "Teacher" means a person defined as a teacher in Section 1-

116 of this title;

9. "Inductee" means any certified teacher who is employed in an

accredited school to serve as a teacher and the school district has

elected to place under the guidance and assistance of a mentor

teacher or induction committee. Inductees shall include those

individuals having completed the program of the college or school of

education of the accredited institution of higher education from

which the person has been graduated, and shall have successfully

completed the competency examination in areas of approval in which

the inductee seeks certification, those individuals eligible for the

alternative placement teaching certificate according to Section 6-

122.3 of this title, and those individuals issued an emergency or

provisional certificate according to Section 6-187 of this title.

All teachers working in a new role, including classroom teachers

transitioning to a new role, shall be considered inductees for

purposes of induction programs;

10. "Certified teacher" means any teacher who has been issued a

certificate by the Board in accordance with the Oklahoma Teacher

Preparation Act and the rules of the Board;

11. "Mentor teacher" means any teacher who has been appointed

to provide guidance, support, coaching and assistance to an inductee

employed by the school district. A mentor teacher shall be a

current or former classroom teacher and have a minimum of two (2)

years of classroom teaching experience as a certified teacher.

When possible, a mentor teacher shall have participated in

mentor teacher professional development and have expertise in the

teaching field of the inductee;

12. "Higher education faculty" means any individual who is

employed in a teaching capacity in an institution of higher

education, approved or accredited by the Commission for the

preparation of education personnel; and

13. "Competency examination" means the assessment required in

the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act for certification as a teacher

and shall consist of tests over professional education and subject

areas as defined by the Commission for Educational Quality and

Accountability.