10.57.102    DEFINITIONS

The following definitions apply to this chapter.

(1) "Acceptable evidence" means relevant official transcripts, university recommendation, certificates of completion, and other documentation as required by the Board of Public Education or the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

(2) "Accredited specialist program" means:

(a) for school psychologists, a program accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP); and

(b) for school counselors, a program for the preparation of specialists approved or accredited by:

(i) the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP); or

(ii) a state board of public education or a state agency.

(3) "Appropriate grade level(s)" means early childhood, elementary, middle, secondary, or other levels as defined by the Board of Public Education.

(4) "Appropriate official" means the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the dean of the school of education or another official designated by them.

(5) �"Approved preparation program" means:

(a)�An educator preparation program accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) or the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) or the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).�A MACTE educator preparation program is subject to the following restrictions:�

(i)�Completion of a MACTE accredited program may only be used by an applicant for licensure who has also completed at least a bachelor's degree; and�

(ii)�The resulting license granted to an applicant for licensure who has completed a MACTE accredited program shall be limited to early grades or middle grades licensure and only for the grade levels covered by the MACTE accredited program completed by the applicant; or�

(b) �An educator preparation program at a regionally accredited college or university approved or accredited by a state board of education or state education agency; or

(c) An educator preparation program approved by�a state board of education or state education agency that leads to licensure in the state of preparation.�

(6) "Certification" means licensure of an educator/specialist, as issued by the state of Montana, based on completion of a teacher, administrator, specialist program of an approved educator preparation program. Certification includes grade level(s), endorsement(s), and classification.�

(7) "College credit" means credit received for completion of a course from a regionally accredited college or university.

(8) "Course work GPA" means the weighted average of teacher education program course grades, weighted by credit hours, and�calculated over the defined period of study at a regionally accredited college or university. �The weights reflect the relative contributions of teacher education program course requirements, including content area coursework, based on contact hours or credits earned. The weighted average is calculated as follows:

(a) �For each course required by the program, multiply the numeric grade value earned by the number of credits for the course;

(b) �Sum the products for all the courses included in (a); and

(c) �Divide the sum calculated in (b) by the total credits for all the required courses.

(9) "Endorsement" means an official indication on a license of the grade level(s), subject area(s), or specialist program area(s) as listed in Subchapter 4 for which the licensee is authorized. Grade levels are:

(a)��P-3 (early childhood);

(b) K-8 (elementary);

(c) 4-8 (middle grades);

(d) 5-12 (secondary, content-specific);

(e) K-12 (as delineated in ARM 10.57.412); and

(f) P-12 (special education and school psychologist).

(10) �"Exchange teacher" means a person from outside the United States with exceptional expertise and contracted to provide instruction that is on an exchange program with a school district or university.

(11) "Lapsed license" means:

(a) the licensee has not earned the required number of�professional development�units during the term of the license; or

(b) the licensee has earned the required number of�professional development�units during the term of the license but has not renewed the license by June 30 following the year of expiration.

(12) "License" or "licensure" means a certificate issued or applied for under 20-4-101, et seq., MCA.

(13) "Military dependent" means an adult dependent of a member of the armed forces of the United States, or a reserve component of the armed forces of the�United States, stationed in Montana in accordance with military orders or stationed in Montana before a temporary assignment to duties outside of the state.

(14) "Regionally accredited" means a college or university accredited by one of the following:�

(a) Higher Learning Commission;�

(b) Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges;

(c) New England Association of Schools and Colleges;

(d) Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities;

(e) Southern Association of Schools and Colleges; or

(f) Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

(15) �"Student-teaching portfolio" means a�type of performance assessment that asks candidates to demonstrate what they have learned, how they engage in the learning process, and how they apply their knowledge demonstrating their preparedness for the teaching profession.

(16) "Supervised teaching experience" means teaching experience while under the supervision of an approved educator preparation program and is identified through acceptable evidence as delineated in ARM 10.57.102(1)�as field experience, internship, practicum, or student teaching.

(17) "Unrestricted license" means a current renewable license that is not an emergency or provisional license.��

(18) "Year of administrative experience" means employment as a licensed administrator at any level within a P-12 school system, or in an educational institution specified in 20-9-707, MCA, for a minimum of a 180-day school year or its equivalent in minimum aggregate hours as defined by 20-1-301, MCA, and during that year, must have been at least a 0.5 full time employee (FTE). Experience as a County Superintendent may be considered as "administrative" experience with evidence of the following:

(a) possession of a Class 3 license for the time period requested to be considered as administrative experience; and

(b) the school(s) they are claiming to hold or have held supervisory responsibilities over have provided notice that the county superintendent served in an administrative role.

(19) "Year of teaching experience" means employment as a licensed teacher at any level within a P-12 school system, or in an educational institution specified in 20-9-707, MCA, for a minimum of a 180-day school year or its equivalent in minimum aggregate hours as defined by 20-1-301, MCA, and during that year, must have been at least a 0.5 full time employee (FTE). Experience gained prior to initial licensure is not considered.

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History: Mont. Const. Art. X, sec. 9, 20-4-102, MCA; IMP, Mont. Const. Art. X, sec. 9, 20-4-106, MCA; ARM Pub. 11/25/77; AMD, 1978 MAR p. 1488, Eff. 10/27/78; AMD, 1980 MAR p. 2645, Eff. 9/26/80; AMD, 1982 MAR p. 379, Eff. 2/26/82; AMD, 1983 MAR p. 220, Eff. 3/18/83; AMD, 1987 MAR p. 591, Eff. 5/14/87; AMD, 1988 MAR p. 1812, Eff. 8/12/88; AMD, 1992 MAR p. 230, Eff. 3/1/92; AMD, 1995 MAR p. 628, Eff. 4/28/95; AMD, 2002 MAR p. 3309, Eff. 11/28/02; AMD, 2005 MAR p. 916, Eff. 6/17/05; AMD, 2008 MAR p. 2050, Eff. 9/26/08; AMD, 2009 MAR p. 345, Eff. 3/27/09; AMD, 2009 MAR p. 2244, Eff. 11/26/09; AMD, 2014 MAR p. 2930, Eff. 7/1/15; AMD, 2015 MAR p. 1051, Eff. 7/31/15; AMD, 2016 MAR p. 2330, Eff. 1/1/17; AMD, 2022 MAR p. 799, Eff. 5/28/22.