US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

22-10A-6. Educational requirements for licensure.

A.     The state board [department] shall require a person seeking licensure or reciprocity in elementary or secondary education to have completed the following minimum requirements in the college of arts and sciences:   

(1)     twelve hours in English;   

(2)     twelve hours in history, including American history and western civilization;   

(3)     six hours in mathematics;   

(4)     six hours in government, economics or sociology;   

(5)     twelve hours in science, including biology, chemistry, physics, geology, zoology and botany; and   

(6)     six hours in fine arts.   

B.     In addition to the requirements specified in Subsections A and C of this section, the state board [department] shall require that a person seeking standard or alternative elementary licensure shall have completed six hours of reading courses, and a person seeking standard or alternative secondary licensure shall have completed three hours of reading courses in subject matter content. The state board shall establish requirements that provide a reasonable period of time to comply with the provisions of this subsection.   

C.     Except for licensure by reciprocity, the state board [department] shall require, prior to initial licensure, no less than fourteen weeks of student teaching, a portion of which shall occur in the first thirty credit hours taken in the college of education and shall be under the direct supervision of a teacher and a portion of which shall occur in the student's senior year with the student teacher being directly responsible for the classroom.   

D.     Nothing in this section shall preclude the state board [department] from establishing or accepting equivalent requirements for purposes of reciprocal licensure or minimum requirements for alternative licensure.   

E.     Vocational teacher preparatory programs may be exempt from Subsections A through C of this section upon a determination by the state board [department] that other licensure requirements are more appropriate for vocational teacher preparatory programs.