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As Passed by the Senate
136th
General Assembly
Regular
Session
Sub. S. B. No. 144
2025-2026
Senator Ingram
Cosponsors: Senators Antonio,
Blackshear, Brenner, Cirino, Craig, DeMora, Gavarone, Hicks-Hudson,
Lang, Liston, Reineke, Weinstein, Wilson
To
amend sections 3319.079 and 3319.22 of the Revised Code
regarding
educator licensure.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section
1.
That
sections 3319.079 and 3319.22 of the Revised Code be amended to read
as follows:
Sec.
3319.079.
(A)
The holder of a valid educator license with a grade band
specification prescribed under division (A)(1) of section 3319.22 of
the Revised Code, as that division existed prior to October 3, 2023,
who renews that license may receive either of the following:
(1)
A grade band specification prescribed under division (A)(1) of
section 3319.22 of the Revised Code, as that division existed prior
to October 3, 2023;
(2)
A grade band specification prescribed under
division
(A)(1) of
section
3319.22 of the Revised Code as that
division
section
exists
on the date of its renewal.
(B)
The holder of a valid educator license with a grade band
specification prescribed under division (A)(1) of section 3319.22 of
the Revised Code, as that division existed on and after October 3,
2023, but prior to
the
effective date of this amendment
October 24, 2024
,
who renews that license may receive either of the following:
(1)
A grade band specification prescribed under division (A)(1) of
section 3319.22 of the Revised Code, as that division existed on and
after October 3, 2023, but prior to
the
effective date of this amendment
October
24, 2024
;
(2)
A grade band specification prescribed under
division
(A)(1) of
section
3319.22 of the Revised Code as that
division
section
exists
on the date of its renewal.
(C)
Upon renewal of a license under this section, the holder of a valid
educator license shall receive a grade band specification that
includes one or more of the grades the holder was authorized to teach
under the prior license.
Sec.
3319.22.
(A)(1)
The state board of education shall issue the following educator
licenses:
(a)
A resident educator license, which shall be valid for two years and
shall be renewable for reasons specified by rules adopted by the
state board pursuant to division (A)(3) of this section. The state
board, on a case-by-case basis, may extend the license's duration as
necessary to enable the license holder to complete the Ohio teacher
residency program established under section 3319.223 of the Revised
Code
;
.
(b)
A professional educator license, which shall be valid for five years
and shall be renewable;
(c)
A senior professional educator license, which shall be valid for five
years and shall be renewable;
(d)
A lead professional educator license, which shall be valid for five
years and shall be renewable.
Subject
to division (A)(4) of this section, licenses issued under division
(A)(1) of this section on and after the effective date of this
amendment shall specify whether the educator is licensed to teach
grades pre-kindergarten through eight or grades seven through twelve.
The changes to the grade band specifications under this section shall
not apply to a person who holds a license under division (A)(1) of
this section prior to the effective date of this amendment. Further,
the changes to the grade band specifications under this section shall
not apply to any license issued to teach in the area of computer
information science, bilingual education, dance, drama or theater,
world language, health, library or media, music, physical education,
teaching English to speakers of other languages, career-technical
education, or visual arts or to any license issued to an intervention
specialist, including a gifted intervention specialist, or to any
other license that does not align to the grade band specifications.
(2)(a)
Except as provided in division (A)(2)(b) of this section, the state
board may issue any additional educator licenses of categories,
types, and levels the board elects to provide.
(b)
Not later than December 31, 2024, the state board shall cease
licensing school psychologists. The state board shall coordinate with
the state board of psychology to transition to licensure under
Chapter 4732. of the Revised Code any school psychologists licensed
under rules adopted in accordance with sections 3301.07 and 3319.22
of the Revised Code.
(3)
Except as provided in division (I) of this section, the state board
shall adopt rules establishing the standards and requirements for
obtaining each educator license issued under this section. The rules
shall also include the reasons for which a resident educator license
may be renewed under division (A)(1)(a) of this section.
(4)
Subject
to division (A)(5) of this section, licenses issued under division
(A)(1) of this section on and after the effective date of this
amendment shall specify whether the educator is licensed to teach one
of the following:
(a)
Grades pre-kindergarten through five. The state board shall at least
issue licenses for grades pre-kindergarten through five that
authorize a license holder to provide either general education
instruction or both general and special education instruction.
(b)
Grades four through eight. The state board shall at least issue a
license for grades four through eight that authorizes license holders
to provide general education instruction.
(c)
Grades seven through twelve.
The
changes to the grade band specifications under this section do not
apply to a person who holds a license under division (A)(1) of this
section prior to the effective date of this amendment. Further, the
changes to the grade band specifications under this section do not
apply to any license issued to teach in the area of computer
information science, bilingual education, dance, drama or theater,
world language, health, library or media, music, physical education,
teaching English to speakers of other languages, career-technical
education, or visual arts or to any license issued to an intervention
specialist, including a gifted intervention specialist, or to any
other license that does not align to the grade band specifications.
(5)
Notwithstanding
the requirement that each license issued under division (A)(1) of
this section specify the grade band in which the educator is licensed
to teach, a school district or community school may employ an
educator
who
has at least one year of experience as a licensed classroom teacher
to
teach outside of the designated grade band by not more than two grade
levels and for not more than two school years at a time. The school
district superintendent or governing authority of the community
school may renew that teacher's eligibility to teach in accordance
with this division on a biennial basis. Any educator to whom division
(A)(4)
(A)(5)
of this section applies shall be considered a "properly
certified or licensed teacher" for the purposes of section
3319.074 of the Revised Code.
(B)
Except as provided in division (I) of this section, the rules adopted
under this section shall require at least the following standards and
qualifications for the educator licenses described in division (A)(1)
of this section:
(1)
An applicant for a resident educator license shall hold at least a
bachelor's degree from an accredited teacher preparation program or
be a participant in the teach for America program and meet the
qualifications required under section 3319.227 of the Revised Code.
(2)
An applicant for a professional educator license shall:
(a)
Hold at least a bachelor's degree from an institution of higher
education accredited by a regional accrediting organization;
(b)
Have successfully completed the Ohio teacher residency program
established under section 3319.223 of the Revised Code, if the
applicant's current or most recently issued license is a resident
educator license issued under this section or an alternative resident
educator license issued under section 3319.26 of the Revised Code.
(3)
An applicant for a senior professional educator license shall:
(a)
Hold at least a bachelor's degree from an institution of higher
education accredited by a regional accrediting organization;
(b)
Have previously held a professional educator license issued under
this section or section 3319.222 or under former section 3319.22 of
the Revised Code;
(c)
Meet the criteria for the accomplished or distinguished level of
performance, as described in the standards for teachers adopted by
the state board under section 3319.61 of the Revised Code.
(4)
An applicant for a lead professional educator license shall:
(a)
Hold at least a bachelor's degree from an institution of higher
education accredited by a regional accrediting organization;
(b)
Have previously held a professional educator license or a senior
professional educator license issued under this section or a
professional educator license issued under section 3319.222 or former
section 3319.22 of the Revised Code;
(c)
Meet the criteria for the distinguished level of performance, as
described in the standards for teachers adopted by the state board
under section 3319.61 of the Revised Code;
(d)
Either hold a valid certificate issued by the national board for
professional teaching standards or meet the criteria for a master
teacher or other criteria for a lead teacher adopted by the educator
standards board under division (F)(4) or (5) of section 3319.61 of
the Revised Code.
(C)
The state board shall align the standards and qualifications for
obtaining a principal license with the standards for principals
adopted by the state board under section 3319.61 of the Revised Code.
(D)
If the state board requires any examinations for educator licensure,
the state board shall provide the results of such examinations
received by the state board to the chancellor of higher education, in
the manner and to the extent permitted by state and federal law.
(E)
Any rules the state board of education adopts, amends, or rescinds
for educator licenses under this section or any other law shall be
adopted, amended, or rescinded under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code
except as follows:
(1)
Notwithstanding division (E) of section 119.03 and division (A)(1) of
section 119.04 of the Revised Code, in the case of the adoption of
any rule or the amendment or rescission of any rule that necessitates
institutions' offering preparation programs for educators and other
school personnel that are approved by the chancellor of higher
education under section 3333.048 of the Revised Code to revise the
curriculum of those programs, the effective date shall not be as
prescribed in division (E) of section 119.03 and division (A)(1) of
section 119.04 of the Revised Code. Instead, the effective date of
such rules, or the amendment or rescission of such rules, shall be
the date prescribed by section 3333.048 of the Revised Code.
(2)
Notwithstanding the authority to adopt, amend, or rescind emergency
rules in division (G) of section 119.03 of the Revised Code, this
authority shall not apply to the state board of education with regard
to rules for educator licenses.
(F)(1)
The rules adopted under this section establishing standards requiring
additional coursework for the renewal of any educator license shall
require a school district and a chartered nonpublic school to
establish local professional development committees. In a nonpublic
school, the chief administrative officer shall establish the
committees in any manner acceptable to such officer. The committees
established under this division shall determine whether coursework
that a district or chartered nonpublic school teacher proposes to
complete meets the requirement of the rules. The state board shall
provide technical assistance and support to committees as the
committees incorporate the professional development standards adopted
pursuant to section 3319.61 of the Revised Code into their review of
coursework that is appropriate for license renewal. The rules shall
establish a procedure by which a teacher may appeal the decision of a
local professional development committee.
(2)
In any school district in which there is no exclusive representative
established under Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, the professional
development committees shall be established as described in division
(F)(2) of this section.
Not
later than the effective date of the rules adopted under this
section, the board of education of each school district shall
establish the structure for one or more local professional
development committees to be operated by such school district. The
committee structure so established by a district board shall remain
in effect unless within thirty days prior to an anniversary of the
date upon which the current committee structure was established, the
board provides notice to all affected district employees that the
committee structure is to be modified. Professional development
committees may have a district-level or building-level scope of
operations, and may be established with regard to particular grade or
age levels for which an educator license is designated.
Each
professional development committee shall consist of at least three
classroom teachers employed by the district, one principal employed
by the district, and one other employee of the district appointed by
the district superintendent. For committees with a building-level
scope, the teacher and principal members shall be assigned to that
building, and the teacher members shall be elected by majority vote
of the classroom teachers assigned to that building. For committees
with a district-level scope, the teacher members shall be elected by
majority vote of the classroom teachers of the district, and the
principal member shall be elected by a majority vote of the
principals of the district, unless there are two or fewer principals
employed by the district, in which case the one or two principals
employed shall serve on the committee. If a committee has a
particular grade or age level scope, the teacher members shall be
licensed to teach such grade or age levels, and shall be elected by
majority vote of the classroom teachers holding such a license and
the principal shall be elected by all principals serving in buildings
where any such teachers serve. The district superintendent shall
appoint a replacement to fill any vacancy that occurs on a
professional development committee, except in the case of vacancies
among the elected classroom teacher members, which shall be filled by
vote of the remaining members of the committee so selected.
Terms
of office on professional development committees shall be prescribed
by the district board establishing the committees. The conduct of
elections for members of professional development committees shall be
prescribed by the district board establishing the committees. A
professional development committee may include additional members,
except that the majority of members on each such committee shall be
classroom teachers employed by the district. Any member appointed to
fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration date of the term for
which a predecessor was appointed shall hold office as a member for
the remainder of that term.
The
initial meeting of any professional development committee, upon
election and appointment of all committee members, shall be called by
a member designated by the district superintendent. At this initial
meeting, the committee shall select a chairperson and such other
officers the committee deems necessary, and shall adopt rules for the
conduct of its meetings. Thereafter, the committee shall meet at the
call of the chairperson or upon the filing of a petition with the
district superintendent signed by a majority of the committee members
calling for the committee to meet.
(3)
In the case of a school district in which an exclusive representative
has been established pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code,
professional development committees shall be established in
accordance with any collective bargaining agreement in effect in the
district that includes provisions for such committees.
If
the collective bargaining agreement does not specify a different
method for the selection of teacher members of the committees, the
exclusive representative of the district's teachers shall select the
teacher members.
If
the collective bargaining agreement does not specify a different
structure for the committees, the board of education of the school
district shall establish the structure, including the number of
committees and the number of teacher and administrative members on
each committee; the specific administrative members to be part of
each committee; whether the scope of the committees will be district
levels, building levels, or by type of grade or age levels for which
educator licenses are designated; the lengths of terms for members;
the manner of filling vacancies on the committees; and the frequency
and time and place of meetings. However, in all cases, except as
provided in division (F)(4) of this section, there shall be a
majority of teacher members of any professional development
committee, there shall be at least five total members of any
professional development committee, and the exclusive representative
shall designate replacement members in the case of vacancies among
teacher members, unless the collective bargaining agreement specifies
a different method of selecting such replacements.
(4)
Whenever an administrator's coursework plan is being discussed or
voted upon, the local professional development committee shall, at
the request of one of its administrative members, cause a majority of
the committee to consist of administrative members by reducing the
number of teacher members voting on the plan.
(5)
A professional development committee may grant an individual seeking
to renew a license under this section credit towards continuing
education requirements for completion of a statutorily required
professional development training. Such an individual shall receive
continuing education credit for one completed professional
development course per licensure renewal period. To qualify for
continuing education credit under this division, a professional
development course shall be completed during the time in which an
individual holds a valid license under this section.
(G)(1)
The state board of education, educational service centers, county
boards of developmental disabilities, college and university
departments of education, head start programs, and the Ohio education
computer network may establish local professional development
committees to determine whether the coursework proposed by their
employees who are licensed or certificated under this section or
section 3319.222 of the Revised Code, or under the former version of
either section as it existed prior to October 16, 2009, meet the
requirements of the rules adopted under this section. They may
establish local professional development committees on their own or
in collaboration with a school district or other agency having
authority to establish them.
Local
professional development committees established by county boards of
developmental disabilities shall be structured in a manner comparable
to the structures prescribed for school districts in divisions (F)(2)
and (3) of this section, as shall the committees established by any
other entity specified in division (G)(1) of this section that
provides educational services by employing or contracting for
services of classroom teachers licensed or certificated under this
section or section 3319.222 of the Revised Code, or under the former
version of either section as it existed prior to October 16, 2009.
All other entities specified in division (G)(1) of this section shall
structure their committees in accordance with guidelines which shall
be issued by the state board.
(2)
Educational service centers may establish local professional
development committees to serve educators who are not employed in
schools in this state, including pupil services personnel who are
licensed under this section. Local professional development
committees shall be structured in a manner comparable to the
structures prescribed for school districts in divisions (F)(2) and
(3) of this section.
These
committees may agree to review the coursework, continuing education
units, or other equivalent activities related to classroom teaching
or the area of licensure that is proposed by an individual who
satisfies both of the following conditions:
(a)
The individual is licensed or certificated under this section or
under the former version of this section as it existed prior to
October 16, 2009.
(b)
The individual is not currently employed as an educator or is not
currently employed by an entity that operates a local professional
development committee under this section.
Any
committee that agrees to work with such an individual shall work to
determine whether the proposed coursework, continuing education
units, or other equivalent activities meet the requirements of the
rules adopted by the state board under this section.
(3)
Any public agency that is not specified in division (G)(1) or (2) of
this section but provides educational services and employs or
contracts for services of classroom teachers licensed or certificated
under this section or section 3319.222 of the Revised Code, or under
the former version of either section as it existed prior to October
16, 2009, may establish a local professional development committee,
subject to the approval of the state board. The committee shall be
structured in accordance with guidelines issued by the state board.
(H)
The state board, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code,
shall adopt rules pursuant to division (A)(3) of this section that do
both of the following:
(1)
Exempt consistently high-performing teachers and school counselors
from the requirement to complete any additional coursework for the
renewal of an educator license issued under this section or section
3319.26 of the Revised Code. The rules also shall specify that such
teachers and school counselors are exempt from any requirements
prescribed by professional development committees established under
divisions (F) and (G) of this section.
(2)
For purposes of division (H)(1) of this section, the term
"consistently high-performing teacher or school counselor"
means any teacher or school counselor who meets both of the
following:
(a)
For at least four of the past five years, the teacher or school
counselor has received the highest level of performance rating under
section 3319.112 or 3319.113 of the Revised Code, as applicable, or
an equivalent performance rating under section 3311.80 of the Revised
Code;
(b)
The teacher or school counselor meets at least one, or any
combination, of the following for at least three of the five years of
the current licensure cycle:
(i)
Holds a valid senior or lead professional educator license;
(ii)
Holds a locally recognized educational leadership role that enhances
educational practices by providing professional learning experience
at district, regional, state, or higher educational level;
(iii)
Serves in a leadership role for a national or state professional
academic education organization;
(iv)
Serves on a state-level committee supporting education;
(v)
Receives a state or national educational recognition or award.
(I)
The state board shall issue a resident educator license, professional
educator license, senior professional educator license, lead
professional educator license, or any other educator license in
accordance with Chapter 4796. of the Revised Code to an applicant if
either of the following applies:
(1)
The applicant holds a license in another state.
(2)
The applicant has satisfactory work experience, a government
certification, or a private certification as described in that
chapter as a resident educator, professional educator, senior
professional educator, lead professional educator, or any other type
of educator in a state that does not issue one or more of those
licenses.
Section
2.
That
existing sections 3319.079 and 3319.22 of the Revised Code are hereby
repealed.