Kentucky's Education Professional Standards Board has approved an emergency regulation to allow colleges or universities to partner with school districts on an expedited certification program, providing individuals with a bachelor's degree and initial teaching certification after three years in the program. Each program will be designed to meet the needs of the participating district and will require the individual to complete a residency or paraprofessional component within the district as part of the program.
July 13, 2022
June 22, 2022
Illinois: license reactivation for mental health practitioners
A new law in Illinois will allow mental health professionals who have been out of practice for less than five years to temporarily reactivate their license. The bill also expands behavioral health training and creates incentives for hiring individuals in recovery from substance use disorder or mental illness.
February 02, 2022
Iowa considers changes to teacher licensing
The Iowas legislature is considering several proposals aimed at addressing the teacher shortage. One proposal would allow temporary initial licensure for candidates with a bachelor's degree who complete an alternative teacher certification program. Applicants would then complete their first year of teaching as a clinical experience program. Another proposal would allow student teachers to serve as substitutes in the classrooms where they are assigned. The article also noted that salary and working condition are factors beyond licensing requirements that are contributing to the shortage of teachers.
January 26, 2022
Update: Oregon Supreme Court supports alternative pathways for attorney licensure
The Oregon Supreme Court has unanimously supported recommendations from the state Board of Bar Examiners for two alternative pathways to licensure in lieu of the Uniform Bar Exam. An experiential learning pathway for students could require 15 experiential credits and a capstone project. A postgraduate supervised legal practice pathway could require 1,500 hours of supervised legal practice to become licensed. The Board of Bar Examiners will appoint a committee to establish specific criteria and get input from the public.
CSG releases report on Universal License Recognition Laws
The Council of State Governments National Center for Interstate Compacts has released a report of survey results about Universal License Recognition (ULR) policies in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, and Pennsylvania (states that have implemented ULR prior to 2020). The report gives an overview of the state's universal licensure laws and shares respondents' comments about benefits, challenges, and unintended consequences of the policy. The report concludes that ULR policies do allow states to reduce barriers to licensure, but clearer language is needed regarding determination of substantial equivalence, and digitized licensing systems would help ease the burden of implementation.
Vermont adopts Foreign Credentialing Rules
The Vermont Office of Professional Regulation has adopted Foreign Credentialing Rules as a means to determine if license applicants trained outside the US meet requirements for a Vermont license. The Office of Professional Regulation will utilize third-party evaluators to determine equivalency of an applicant's foreign work experience, education, training, and exams. If deemed equivalent, the applicant will be able to apply for licensure by endorsement, waiving US formal education, training, and exams.
January 06, 2022
New York: investment in healthcare workforce
New York has announced a $10 billion investment in healthcare over five years. The investment will support wages and bonuses for workers and investment in capital infrastructure. The investment will also increase the training capacity of medical institutions and new programs. The plan will offer free tuition and financial support for students in healthcare, provided they work in New York State for a time after obtaining their credentials; increase funding for Doctors Across New York and Nurses Across New York programs to incentivize workers to practice in underserved areas; and create apprenticeship job training programs for immigrant workers.
November 23, 2021
Podcast about lawyer diploma privilege
[Un]Common Law has released a series of podcast episodes about the Bar Exam in the United States. The current episode explores the arguments for and against diploma privilege, admitting new attorneys to the state bar upon graduation from an ABA-accredited law school without requiring passing of a bar exam. Wisconsin is the only state that is currently continuing the practice, which was put in place in several states when the Bar Exam was suspended due to the pandemic.
November 10, 2021
Vermont: data on Fast-Track Endorsement process
The Vermont Office of Professional Regulation launched a Fast-Track Endorsement process in April 2021 to allow expedited licensure for candidates with an active license in good standing and a minimum of three years practice in another US jurisdiction. Since the launch, over 850 licenses in 40 different professions and occupations have been issued by fast-track endorsement.
Indiana launches Special Education Assisted Licensure
The Indiana Department of Education has partnered with the University of Indianapolis Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning for the Indiana Special Education Assisted Licensure program to streamline coursework and provide financial assistance for teachers to earn full special education licensure. Currently licensed teachers can complete a fully funded 18-credit-hour graduate program, and individuals holding a non-education bachelor's degree can enroll in a full scholarship Transition to Teaching program.
