1. WV Association of School Human Resource Officials 2016 Annual Fall Conference Waterfront Hotel Conference Center Morgantown, WV
Robert Mellace & Linda Bragg
Office of Educator Effectiveness & Licensure
West Virginia Department of Education
October 19, 2016

2. Alternative Certification
May be considered as an option if--
Area of critical need and shortage: School district has posted a position at least twice (total of 10 days) and no certified applicants have applied for the position
The school district has a WVBE approved Alternative Certification (AC) Program
School districts are identified as the program provider
School districts will implement the program according to their approved program

3. Implementation of the Approved AC Program
Endorsements that the district may recommend
Recruitment efforts & conversations about employment including transparency of the AC process
Eligibility & qualifications
Enrollment in program of study & induction into the classroom
Program of study: calendar of events
Support, observations & evaluations
Partner roles and responsibilities for the above components
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Alternative Certification
**Approved AC programs contain details of the AC program components

4. Alternative Certification Process
The selected candidate and school district apply to WVDE for an Alternative Teaching Certificate - Form 25. Successful applicants have achieved an approved background check.
Qualifying applicants receive an Alternative Teaching Certificate and enroll into the school district’s state-approved alternative certification program. Candidates enter the classroom.

5. The applicant fills in this section to:
Commit to complete all AC program requirements
Verify understanding that they must make satisfactory progress to retain the Alternative Teaching Certificate until they qualify for an initial Professional Teaching Certificate

6. Projected enrollment date must match the projected employment date
Approved AC program name
Note: If requesting an endorsement for grades 5-9, the candidate must be eligible to pursue a second endorsement
Requested endorsement(s) & grade levels must be listed in the approved AC program.

7. All Applicants (General Education and Special Education)
Applicants Only
Note: Deaf and Hard of Hearing endorsement presently requires academic or occupational qualifications because there is no WVBE-required Praxis exam

9. Activity Imagine the AC Process with a Candidate Where a Critical Shortage Area Has Been Determined
In all scenarios, the applicant is at least 18 years of age and is determined to be of good character. The position referenced has been posted for the required period of time and no fully certified teacher has applied.
Use Form 25
You may also refer to the West Virginia Licensure Testing Directory or the FAQ Document
**Analyzation process for each scenario (and answers to the questions) can be found in the notes section of each slide.

10. Scenario # 1
Vandalia County’s Special Education AC program is approved for Multi-categorical K-6 & 5-Adult; Autism K-6 & 5-Adult
Jimmy Doe has a bachelor’s degree in communications from an accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA. Jimmy has little documented occupational experience. He is a US Citizen and has applied for an 8th grade multi-categorical special education position in his WV hometown. He has not taken any Praxis exams, but presents a composite ACT score of 26. During his interview, he presented himself in a manner that interviewers indicated may predict competency and potential success in the public school classroom (5-Adult).
Does Jimmy qualify to apply for an Alternative Teaching Certificate?
Explain why he does or why he does not.
Answer YES
Analyzing Jimmy’s eligibility and qualifications:
He is a US citizen.
He holds a bachelor’s degree with a qualifying GPA.
Since he is seeking a special education endorsement, we do not need to consider the academic major or occupational experience.
Since Jimmy qualifies for an exemption to the CASE exams, he does not need to submit passing scores. (Exemption documentation of ACT score of 26).
As depicted in their approved program for special education, the district will prepare Jimmy for the multi-categorical 5-Adult Praxis exam and the PLT.
Upon successful completion of the AC program of study and passing the required Praxis exams, Jimmy will be recommended for the multi-categorical 5-Adult Special Education certification (because his program of study and his clinical experience was within that grade-level band.

11. Scenario # 2
Vandalia County’s AC program is approved for Physics 9-AD, Mathematics 5-AD and English 5-9. Johnny Doe has been substitute teaching for 139 days as a long-term substitute in a 9th grade mathematics classroom in Vandalia County, WV and has applied for the position. No math-certified teacher has applied. Johnny has a bachelor’s of regents degree (academic major) and 2.5 overall cumulative GPA. His minor is in mathematics, and he previously worked in retail management. He is a US Citizen. He has passed the following Praxis Exams: # Reading, # Writing and # 5169 Middle School Mathematics. Does Johnny qualify for an Alternative Teaching Certificate? Explain why he does or why he does not?
Answer NO:
Analyzing Johnny’s eligibility and qualifications:
He is a US citizen.
He holds a bachelor’s degree with a qualifying GPA
However, he does not hold academic qualifications because he does not hold an academic major in mathematics. Therefore, occupational qualifications must be analyzed.
He does hold occupational qualifications as a long term substitute teacher within the math endorsement area (at least 133 days in a single year in the endorsement sought).
He has not passed Basic Skills Praxis # 5732 Mathematics
He has not passed the correct Math Content Praxis Exam 5161 Mathematics: Content Knowledge. The approved program is approved for Mathematics 5-Adult. The Praxis assessment must match the approved endorsement as well as the endorsement sought.

12. Scenario # 3
Vandalia County’s AC program is approved for Physics 9-AD, Mathematics 5-AD, Spanish 5-AD, and English 5-9. Joey Doe has been substitute teaching for one semester as a long-term substitute in a 9th grade Spanish classroom in Vandalia County, WV and has applied for the position. He has a bachelor’s of regents degree (academic major) and 3.5 overall cumulative GPA. His minor is in Spanish, and he previously worked as a coordinator of human resources in a county school system, but he desires to be a Spanish teacher. He is a US Citizen. He has passed the following Praxis Exams: # Reading, # 5722 – Writing, # Mathematics, and # 5195 World Languages: Spanish. Does Joey qualify for an Alternative Teaching Certificate? What are his options? Explain why he does or why he does not qualify?
Answer NO:
Analyzing Joey’s eligibility and qualifications:
He is a US citizen.
He holds a bachelor’s degree with a qualifying GPA
He has passed the required basic skills exams and the required content exam for the approved endorsement of Spanish 5-AD, which is 5195 World Languages: Spanish
He does not hold academic qualifications because he does not hold an academic major in Spanish. Therefore, occupational qualifications must be analyzed.
He does not hold enough occupational qualifications as a long term substitute teacher within the Spanish endorsement area, because he does not hold a full year of experience.
However, he has two unique opportunities:
He may be able to gain the occupational experience by substitute teaching within the endorsement area for 133 days or more OR
He may be able to qualify for qualifying vacancies in special education and then attempt to add additional endorsements based upon content proficiency (passing required content Praxis Exams) once he attains a professional teaching certificate.

13. Scenario # 4
Vandalia County’s general education AC program is approved for Physics 9-AD, Mathematics 5-AD, and English 5-9. Jenny Doe, a non-US citizen, has a bachelor’s degree with an academic major in mathematics with a 3.0 overall cumulative GPA. Her minor is in business. She wants to seek certification in mathematics 5-Adult. She has passed Praxis Exam # Reading, # 5722 – Writing, # 5732 Mathematics and # 5161 Mathematics: Content Knowledge. Does Jenny qualify for an Alternative Teaching Certificate? Explain why she does or why she does not?
Answer NO:
Analyzing Jenny’s eligibility and qualifications:
Since she is not a US citizen, she does not qualify. If she was a US citizen she would qualify.
She holds a bachelor’s degree with a qualifying GPA
She has passed the required basic skills exams and the required content exam for the approved endorsement of Mathematics 5-AD, which is 5161 Mathematics: Content Knowledge.
She holds academic qualifications because she holds an academic major in Mathematics. Therefore, she does not need occupational qualifications.

14. Your “to do” List
Ensure that your AC program is approved for the requested endorsement area
Confirm that the candidate meets eligibility and qualifications criteria
Ensure required Praxis exam scores are submitted to the WVDE
Ensure that general education applicants hold either an academic major on an official transcript OR occupational qualifications (1 year minimum) as documented on V10
Ensure that candidates begin the AC program of study
upon receiving the Alternative Teaching Certificate
Ensure that the Professional Support Team creates a
method of assessing/documenting the progress of AC
candidates and utilizes it consistently

15. Please DO NOT…
Do not submit Form 25 without fully analyzing candidate eligibility and qualifications
Especially critical when there is no WVBE-required Praxis exam
Do not request that general education candidates take content Praxis exams without first verifying that the endorsement sought is offered by the approved AC program and ensuring that the applicant holds adequate academic or occupational qualifications
Do not enroll applicants into the approved AC program and/or authorize applicants to teach before they have received an approved Alternative Teaching Certificate

16. Support, Observation, Supervision of AC Participants
Training of Professional Support Team is required (according to the district’s approved AC program)
Intensive support required consistent with district’s WVSIPP Plan for supporting, supervising, inducting and mentoring a beginning teacher §18A-3C-3
Comprehensive Documentation Required
Forms used by the Professional Support Team should narrate frequency & duration of support and provide a description of observation, mentoring & support. Documentation should reflect accuracy/actual implementation.
Dates should be recorded if different from the calendar of events in the proposal.

17. Program of Study & Support Guidelines
Adhere to the district’s approved program of study for all participants
AC participants, while credentialed with the Alternative Teaching Certificate, must remain in the position for which they were hired and are seeking an endorsement
Refer to the WVDE WVSIPP Guidelines for supporting beginning teachers and the district’s West Virginia Support Plan for Improving Professional Practice (WVSIPP)
Evaluation of AC candidate

18. Renewal of Alternative Teaching Certificate
Participants are required to achieve at least satisfactory progress in the AC program of study.
Participants are required to achieve “satisfactory” educator evaluations.
Alternative Teaching Certificate may be renewed twice for a total of three years.

19. Culmination of the Program of Study
ALL participants must present passing scores on the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT)
Special Education participants must also present passing scores on the Special Education Content Exam
Documentation of successful completion of AC program of study required with initial licensure application for ALL participants (ex. transcript, professional development certificate(s), etc.)
“Approved” rating on the Comprehensive Evaluation Report

20. Comprehensive Evaluation Report
Required for submission with application for initial teaching license upon completion of the program
Required to send to the OEEL if and when an individual fails to complete the program (Ex. AC teacher quits or is removed from the program)
School district keeps record of each individual’s comprehensive evaluation report for all AC participants whether or not they are program completers

21. Conversion from the Alternative Teaching Certificate to the Initial Professional Teaching Certificate
Must complete the state approved alternative certification program
Must complete all required Praxis Exams
Must have “approved” recommendation on the comprehensive evaluation report
Must maintain at least an overall cumulative GPA of 2.5 for all coursework attempted

22. Alternative Certification Resources
Respective alternative certification programs for general education and special education
The alternative certification FAQ document at
Alternative certification technical assistance and implementation webinars at
State Code (§18A-3-1f; §18A-3-1h)
WVBE Policy 5901
WVBE Policy 5202
Alternative Teaching Certificate (§ )
Initial Professional Teaching Certificate
(§ )

23. Contact Information:
West Virginia Department of Education
Office of Educator Effectiveness and Licensure
Robert Mellace
Linda Bragg