Educators in Kentucky may soon have more flexibility when it comes to which grades they can teach. The Certification Structure Workgroup made recommendations to the Education Professional Standards Board regarding teacher certification bands. Currently educators must be credentialed to teach either early childhood, elementary, middle, or secondary school.
The recommendation is to overlap the grades included in those categories, so teachers have more options. Todd Davis, Division Director at the Kentucky Department of Education, said currently, teachers with early childhood education certification can only teach up to the primary level.
“Then, the recommendation for consideration is to add an endorsement that would allow some of those preschool teachers to add those one through three grades. Then, considering also the impact that this has on our early literacy and numeracy efforts and preparation as we move forward as well,” said Davis.
Davis also said increasing the band by just one year will have benefits for students. For instance, advanced content required for graduation could be taught by the same teacher.
“Increasing the grade band width one level for seventh grade, down to seventh grade, was the decision of the group. That maintains that, like I say the highest grade, but seventh grade what it allows there is we've seen over the last several years courses for graduation requirements be met at the middle school level and the challenge is, who can teach those courses,” said Davis.
The recommendations would mean that seventh and eighth grades could be taught by both teachers with middle education certification and those with secondary certification. Officials said overlapping grade levels between certification bands will benefit some teachers who move between schools. All recommendations from the workgroup would require educator preparation providers to make minor adjustments to their programs. The board plans to discuss possible changes to the structure at a future meeting.