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Guidance on One Year Certification Related to the COVID19 Emergency

Guidance on One Year Certification Related to the COVID19 Emergency from ASTC

Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) has closed its testing centers, thus preventing some candidates who have completed an approved Teacher Education Program from taking the necessary Praxis exams that are required by the Office of Educator Licensure and Effectiveness (OELE) for certification.  In response to this crisis, the EPSB has authorized OELE to allow for a one-year certificate to be granted to candidates who have completed all aspects of their Teacher Education Program, except for Praxis testing. 

How this process will work:

  • Candidates will submit their regular certification packet to Christopher Reese (via mail for as long as the quarantine continues) in 166 Taylor Education Building. Christopher will submit the transcript request and $10 fee to the Registrar’s Office.  Once Christopher receives the final transcript for a candidate from the Registrar, he will submit the candidates CA-1 application to the OELE and will note in this submission that the candidate does not have Praxis scores due to the COVID-19 crisis.
  • The OELE will issue, at no additional charge to the candidate, a one-year certification credential. This credential will allow the candidate to seek and gain employment in a public school, while also giving them more time to take and pass the Praxis exams that are required for their certification area once ETS makes testing available again.
  • Once the candidate has successfully passed the necessary Praxis exams for their certification area, they will submit a CA-2 (Renewal) form directly to the OELE (the CA-2 form can be found at epsb.ky.gov Links to an external site.). Once the OELE receives the CA-2 from the candidate and can verify that the candidate has passed the Praxis exams required, they will issue the candidate a regular 5-year professional certificate.  If the candidate has not already paid the $85 fee to OELE for a regular 5-year professional certificate, they will also need to do so at this time.

 

Question 1:  What happens if I am not able to pass the necessary Praxis exams within the one year of certification?  The OELE will not renew this one-year certificate for an additional year.  Therefore, you either must be emergency certified by your district, or you would simply not have an active certification any longer.  You would still be eligible to apply for a regular professional certificate even if the one year certificate had expired, if you pass the exams after the year is over.

 

Question 2:  If I have already paid the $85 fee to the OELE for their regular professional license, will I have to pay anything additional for the one-year certificate?  No, the one-year certificate is free to you.  Also, if you have already paid the $85 fee, you will not have to pay anything when you submit their CA-2 form.  The fee will still show in your account, and the OELE will issue you the regular 5 year professional certificate. 

 

Question 3:  What if I have already passed all the necessary Praxis exams for my certification area?  This policy would not apply to you in that case.  When your CA-1 packet is submitted to the OELE with UK’s recommendation, you will receive your regular five-year professional certification.