SerpApi.Org
North Carolina’s recently approved state budget includes major changes to teacher licensure laws aimed at making it easier for schools to recruit and retain educators. The changes come as 1 in 10 North Carolina teachers leave the profession annually.
FULL STORY: NC has changed teacher licensure laws. How it could impact your child’s school
Here are key takeaways:
- The budget eliminates the Praxis Core test and minimum SAT/ACT score requirements for entering educator preparation programs. DPI has said the Praxis test is a barrier to admission, particularly for Black students.
- The budget eliminates the requirement that beginning teachers had to have attempted their licensure exams in their first year to be eligible for a continuing license.
- Teachers with a limited license can now convert to a continuing license if their students show positive EVAAS growth on state exams for two of the past three years. State board member Olivia Oxendine said officials need to study how to help teachers of subjects like art and music who lack EVAAS growth data.
- Experienced teachers from other states and countries can more easily earn a North Carolina continuing license. The budget drops the previous “substantially similar licensure requirements” standard that forced some out-of-state teachers to retake exams.
- The budget expands elementary licenses to cover grades seven and eight, raising questions about the future of the middle grades license. Coltrane said DPI is still reviewing the impact.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
