Section R7-2-606. Proficiency Assessments

A.      The Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment is adopted as the proficiency assessment for applicants for teaching certificates. The Arizona Administrator Proficiency Assessment is adopted as the proficiency assessment for applicants for administrative certificates.

B.       The subject knowledge portion of the Arizona Teacher Profi- ciency Assessment shall assess proficiency as described in R7- 2-602(H) as a requirement for certification of elementary and secondary teachers and in R7-2-602(H) and (J) as a require- ment for certification of special education teachers.

C.      The professional knowledge portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment shall assess proficiency as described in R7-2-602(I) as a requirement for certification of elementary, secondary, special education, and CTE teachers.

D.      The performance assessment portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment shall assess proficiency as described in R7-2-602(B), (C), (D), (E), (F), and (G) as a requirement for certification of elementary, secondary, and special education teachers. In lieu of a passing score on the performance portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment, a teacher who holds a provisional teaching certificate may convert such cer- tificate within two months prior to its expiration to a standard elementary, secondary, or special education teaching certifi- cate pursuant to subsection (H) until the Board adopts the per- formance assessment portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment. The Board shall adopt the perfor- mance assessment portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment, or make a decision that a performance assessment will no longer be required as part of the Arizona Teacher Profi- ciency Assessment.

E.       The Arizona Administrator Proficiency Assessment shall assess professional knowledge as described in R7-2-603 as a requirement for certification of administrators, supervisors, principals, and superintendents.

F.       The passing score for each assessment shall be determined by the Board using the results of validity and reliability studies. The passing score for each assessment shall be reviewed by the Board at least every three years.

G.      The proficiency assessments for professional knowledge and subject knowledge shall be administered at least six times each calendar year, at times and places determined by the Depart- ment.

H.      The provisional elementary, secondary, or special education certificate allows the beginning teacher up to four semesters or two school years of teaching experience before completing the

performance assessment portion of the Arizona Teacher Profi- ciency Assessment.

1.        If the Board has adopted the performance assessment por- tion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment but the teacher does not have full-time teaching experience for four semesters or two school years, the certificate shall, upon the written request of the holder, be extended once for the equivalent of the time the teacher was not employed during the provisional certification period.

2.        If the Board has adopted the performance assessment por- tion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment and the teacher has been employed for four semesters or two school years and has taken but not passed the perfor- mance assessment, the certificate shall be extended once, for one year, upon the written request of the holder.

3.        If the teacher has been employed full-time for four semesters or two school years in a private school, public school, charter school, or parochial school or any Depart- ment of Defense dependent school or in a closely related education field and the Board has not yet adopted the per- formance portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment, the provisional certificate shall be converted within two months prior to its expiration to a standard teaching certificate upon verification by the teacher to the Department that the teacher has had four semesters or two school years of teaching experience or experience in a closely related education field. “Closely related education field” means employment involving the presentation of instruction to K through 12 students whether self- employed or employed by a private, parochial, public, or charter school.

4.        If the teacher has not been employed full-time for four semesters or two school years in a private school, public school, charter school, or parochial school or any Depart- ment of Defense dependent school or in a closely related education field, and the Board has not yet adopted the performance assessment portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment, the provisional certificate shall be extended once for three years, upon written request of the holder to the Department. “Closely related education field” means employment involving the presentation of instruction to K through 12 students whether self- employed or employed by a private, parochial, public, or charter school.

5.        If the performance assessment portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment is adopted by the Board prior to the expiration of a teacher’s provisional certifi- cate, the provisional certificate shall be extended once for two years, upon written request of the holder to the Department, to allow the teacher additional time in which to take the performance portion of the assessment.

I.        If the provisionally certified teacher has taken but not passed the performance assessment by the expiration date on  the extended certificate pursuant to subsection (H)(1) or (2) of this Section, the individual may reapply for a provisional certifi- cate after one year, upon verification of the following:

1.        Efforts to remediate deficiencies identified in the perfor- mance assessment,

2.        Passing score on the professional knowledge portion of the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Assessment, and

3.        Completion of the requirements for the provisional certif- icate which are in effect at the time of reapplication.

Historical Note

Repealed effective December 4, 1978 (Supp. 78-6). New

Section adopted effective March 10, 1994 (Supp. 94-1).

Amended effective March 6, 1997 (Supp. 97-1). Section

repealed; new Section adopted effective December 4, 1998 (Supp. 98-4). Section R7-2-606 amended by emer- gency rulemaking under A.R.S. § 41-1026 at 8 A.A.R. 2562, effective May 23, 2002 for a period of 180 days (Supp. 02-2). Emergency Section R7-2-606 amended by emergency rulemaking under A.R.S. § 41-1026 at 8

A.A.R. 3739, effective August 5, 2002 for a period of 180 days (Supp. 02-3). May 23, 2002 emergency rulemaking renewed under A.R.S. § 41-1026 at 8 A.A.R. 5132, effec- tive November 19, 2002 for a period of 180 days (Supp.

02-4). August 5, 2002 emergency rulemaking renewed under A.R.S. § 41-1026 at 9 A.A.R. 522, effective Janu- ary 31, 2003 for a period of 180 days (Supp. 03-1).

Amended by final rulemaking at 9 A.A.R. 1605, effective May 5, 2003 (Supp. 03-2). Amended by exempt rulemak-

ing at 16 A.A.R. 1249, effective May 24, 2010 (Supp. 10-

4).