A. Beginning July 1, 2000, no school district shall employ any teacher to teach mathematics in grades seven or eight, unless the teacher is certified to teach middle or secondary level mathematics or has received middle level endorsement pursuant to subsection B of this section.

B. Any teacher who became certified to teach prior to September 1, 1999, does not have middle or secondary level certification in mathematics, and is serving in a school as a mathematics teacher for grades seven or eight shall be required to obtain middle level certification or middle level endorsement before September 1, 2003. For such teachers, middle level certification or middle level endorsement may be obtained as follows:

1. Middle level mathematics certification – A teacher may obtain middle level certification by successfully completing the appropriate Oklahoma Subject Area Test for middle level mathematics administered by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation. The teacher shall not be required to take the Oklahoma Professional Teacher Examination for secondary students administered by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation. A teacher granted middle level certification pursuant to this paragraph shall be entitled to teach mathematics in grades seven and eight for high school graduation credit; and

2. Middle level endorsement – A teacher may obtain a middle level endorsement by successfully completing a professional development institute in middle level mathematics developed and administered by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation. Any professional development institute developed pursuant to this paragraph shall meet the criteria as established in subsection H of this section. A teacher granted middle level endorsement pursuant to this paragraph shall not be entitled to teach mathematics for high school graduation credit.

C. Any teacher serving in a school as a mathematics teacher for grade six may obtain middle level endorsement by successfully completing a professional development institute in middle level mathematics developed pursuant to this section. Such teacher shall be eligible to participate in a professional development institute in middle level mathematics developed and administered by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation one time free of charge.

D. Any teacher seeking middle level certification or middle level endorsement pursuant to subsection B of this section shall be eligible to take the Oklahoma Subject Area Test in middle level mathematics one time free of charge after July 1, 2000, or participate in a professional development institute in middle level mathematics developed and administered by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation one time free of charge after July 1, 2000.

E. A teacher who is granted middle level certification in mathematics, pursuant to subsection B of this section, may teach grade nine only if the teacher successfully completes the Oklahoma Professional Teacher Examination for secondary students.

F. A teacher who is granted middle level endorsement pursuant to subsection B or C of this section may teach mathematics courses in grades seven or eight for high school credit only if the teacher has completed a minimum of twenty-four college credit semester hours of mathematics as specified by the State Department of Education.

G. Any teacher who became certified to teach prior to September 1, 1999, did not have middle or secondary level certification in mathematics and successfully completed the appropriate Oklahoma Subject Area Test for middle level mathematics between July 1, 1999, and July 1, 2000, shall be granted a middle level certificate pursuant to subsection B of this section.

H. 1. Any professional development institute in middle level mathematics developed pursuant to this section and administered by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall:

a.consist of a minimum of thirty (30) clock hours,

b.be competency based,

c.emphasize effective learning practices,

d.require collaboration among participants, and

e.require each participant to prepare a work product which can be utilized in the classroom by the participant.

2. Any professional development institute in middle level mathematics developed pursuant to this section and administered by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation shall be chosen through a competitive bid process, be reviewed by a professional development committee and other constituencies, and be subject to peer review. Invitations to bid for a professional development institute shall be open to any public or private entity.

I. Beginning July 1, 2013, any teacher with certification or endorsement to teach at the secondary level may teach the subject area in which the teacher has received certification or endorsement in grades five and six.

Added by Laws 1999, c. 320, § 4, eff. July 1, 1999. Amended by Laws 2000, c. 232, § 4, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2002, c. 291, § 1, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2005, c. 171, § 1, eff. July 1, 2005; Laws 2013, c. 8, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013; Laws 2014, c. 124, § 15, eff. July 1, 2014.