The Maine DOE and the State Board of Education have reopened for further public comments the rules regarding the qualifying examinations for credentialing purposes for teachers, educational specialists and administrators.
After the Dec. 1 comment deadline closed, an existing inequity in Section 13.3.10 was recognized as of sufficient importance to address during the rulemaking process. A new comment period is required for this change.
The inequity is the following: Existing Section 3.10 waives the PLT and Praxis I tests for “applicants who hold a current teaching certificate from another state who are seeking a teaching certificate in the same endorsement area,” while former certificate holders must retake the exams. The Department and the State Board believe that the waiver of the PLT and Praxis I should apply to both current and former certificate holders.
In-state applicants and out-of-state applicants have been treated equally regarding the need to take PLT and Praxis I. No rule made that explicit until this proposed revision.
The PLT test will still be required for Educational Specialists when applying for an educational specialty area that requires the PLT.
In addition, we feel that some clarification is needed regarding test code scores for endorsement #020 General Elementary. The Praxis II Test Code 5031 is the preferred test until Sept. 1 of this year. After that date, Praxis II Test Code 5001 is the preferred test. Either test may be taken, however, during the five- year transition period which ends at the close of business day on August 31, 2020.
If Test Code 5001 is taken before Sept. 1 the results will be honored, but only after Aug. 31.
Students who did not pass portions of Test 5031 may take either the unpassed portions of Test 5031 during the five-year transition, or those respective portions as presented on Test 5001.
The successful test results of either Test 5031 or Test 5001 will be honored during the transition period, providing a complete application is filed in the certification office on or before Aug. 31, 2020. The test results of Test 5031 will not be honored on any application received on or after Sept. 1, 2020.
The proposed revisions to the rule are available here.
Written comments may be submitted to Maine DOE Certification Legal Consultant Arthur Keenan via email at arthur.keenan@maine.gov; by mail at 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0023; or via hand delivery to the 5th Floor of the Burton Cross Office Building at 111 Sewall Street in Augusta. The deadline for all comments is 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27.