{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-6-186","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-6-186","heading":"Criteria for approval and accreditation of teacher","body":"education programs.\n\nA. Criteria for the approval and accreditation of teacher\n\neducation programs in Oklahoma institutions of higher education\n\nshall include, but not be limited to, substantial evidence that\n\npersons who enter teacher education programs demonstrate:\n\n1. Competency in the oral and written use of the English\n\nlanguage;\n\n2. A minimum grade point average as established by the\n\nCommission for Educational Quality and Accountability; and\n\n3. The ability to meet criteria established pursuant to the\n\nOklahoma Teacher Preparation Act at the completion of the teacher\n\neducation program and provide evidence of having worked with\n\nchildren or youth in a variety of situations.\n\nCriteria shall also include a greater emphasis upon field work\n\nin accredited schools by prospective teachers under the supervision\n\nof higher education faculty.\n\nB. The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability\n\nshall work with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and\n\nthe various institutions of higher education in developing\n\nguidelines for a paid teacher internship program which may be\n\noffered at each institution for prospective teachers. The purpose\n\nof each program shall be to provide mentorship and support for\n\nprospective teachers. Students enrolled in a teacher education\n\nprogram shall be eligible to participate in the program.\n\nC. It is hereby declared to be the intent of the Legislature\n\nthat the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability work\n\nwith the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the various\n\ninstitutions of higher education in establishing a procedure whereby\n\nfull-time teacher education faculty continue their professional\n\ndevelopment during their tenure at an institution of higher\n\neducation to ensure that the future teachers of this state are\n\ntaught by professional educators fully trained in their area of\n\nexpertise. Each approved or accredited program of teacher education\n\nshall have a system for documenting and reporting the annual\n\nprofessional development activities of all teacher education faculty\n\nmembers. Faculty professional development reports shall be reviewed\n\nby the Commission along with professional development activities as\n\na normal part of the accreditation process.\n\nIt is further declared to be the intent of the Legislature that\n\nsuch professional development plans provide alternative means of\n\neducation including, but not limited to:\n\n1. Professional development programs;\n\n2. Higher education courses;\n\n3. Exchange programs with public school classroom teachers,\n\nadministrators, and other school personnel; and\n\n4. Programs whereby all full-time teacher education faculty\n\nmembers directly involved in the teacher education process including\n\nall administrators of the teacher education program, are required to\n\nserve in a state accredited public school for at least ten (10)\n\nclock hours per school year in responsibilities related to their\n\nrespective teacher education teaching fields.\n\nAll public school systems shall participate in the programs\n\nprovided for in this subsection when needed.\n\nD. The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability\n\nshall adopt rules requiring specific improvements to strengthen the\n\nscreening of student applicants and field activity and placement as\n\nset out in subsection A of this section. Such rules shall be\n\nreviewed and amended or readopted by the Commission at least once\n\nevery five (5) years.\n\nE. To assist the Commission in setting specific requirements as\n\nset out in subsections A and D of this section, the Commission shall\n\nannually prepare a statistical report showing the percentage of\n\nstudents from each of the Oklahoma institutions of higher education\n\nwho have successfully completed or who have failed the competency\n\nexamination for certification. The annual report shall show the\n\npercentages for each institution of higher education and each\ns\n\nset out in subsections A and D of this section, the Commission shall\n\nannually prepare a statistical report showing the percentage of\n\nstudents from each of the Oklahoma institutions of higher education\n\nwho have successfully completed or who have failed the competency\n\nexamination for certification. The annual report shall show the\n\npercentages for each institution of higher education and each\n\nassessment area separately by student degree status and shall be\n\ndistributed annually to each member of the Commission for\n\nEducational Quality and Accountability, the Oklahoma State Regents\n\nfor Higher Education, the governing board of each institution which\n\nhas an approved or state accredited teacher education program, the\n\nState Board of Education, the State Board of Career and Technology\n\nEducation and the Legislature.\n\nF. By November 1, 2017, the Commission shall adopt rules\n\nrequiring coursework or training in the use of digital and other\n\ninstructional technologies as a requisite for program accreditation.","path":["OK Code","Title 70"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os70.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"53f29e4353179e2bb4b554b4607e52bb09d3d70a1ed65ded1ae4803ca4837430","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-6-185","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-6-186.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}