Endorsements

(1) All educators shall hold a full and valid Tennessee educator license with an endorsement covering the work assignment as provided in T.C.A. Title 49, Chapter 5. (2) Prospective educators seeking initial licensure shall meet requirements in at least one (1) area of endorsement. (3) In accordance with T.C.A § 49-5-5619, beginning August 1, 2023, educators seeking to obtain or maintain endorsements identified in the Educator Licensure Policy 5.502 as requiring passage of a foundational literacy skills assessment or completion of an approved foundational literacy skills professional development course, must submit required documentation demonstrating completion of the foundational literacy skills assessment or foundational literacy skills professional development course as set forth below. If an educator chooses to complete the foundational literacy skills professional development course, evidence of completion of the course shall be submitted to the Department within the twelve (12) months preceding the applicable licensure transaction. (a) Educators seeking licensure and endorsement in an applicable area as identified in Policy 5.502 must demonstrate meeting this requirement at the time of licensure issuance, except for candidates enrolled in an educator preparation program with a job- embedded clinical practice. (b) Educators who hold a license and endorsement(s) in an applicable area as identified in Policy 5.502 while enrolled in a program with a job-embedded clinical practice and all other educators seeking to renew or advance a teacher or instructional leader license with an endorsement in an applicable area as identified in Policy 5.502 must complete this requirement to renew or advance the license. EDUCATOR LICENSURE CHAPTER 0520-02-03 (c) Educators seeking to add an endorsement in an applicable area as identified in Policy 5.502 to a teaching license must demonstrate completion of this requirement prior to the endorsement being added to the license. (d) Educators who hold multiple endorsements on a license, at least one (1) of which is not impacted by T.C.A. § 49-5-5619, may maintain licensure and any endorsements not identified in Policy 5.502, without demonstrating completion of this requirement; however, any applicable endorsement(s) identified in Policy 5.502 will become inactive at the time of renewal or advancement of the license unless the educator demonstrates completion of this requirement. (e) Educators who only hold a license with applicable endorsement(s) as identified in Policy 5.502 and who do not complete this requirement will not be able to renew or advance the license and it will become inactive. (f) Educators whose license becomes inactive as provided for in subparagraph (e) may reactivate a license and/or applicable endorsement(s) identified in Policy 5.502 held on a license by demonstrating completion of the required foundational skills literacy assessment or approved professional development course required by T.C.A. § 49-5- 5619. (g) Once an educator has demonstrated completion of the requirement to pass the foundational literacy skills assessment or complete an approved foundational literacy skills professional development course as provided in subparagraphs (a) through (f), the educator will not have to re-take the course or the assessment to maintain licensure. (4) Educators may add additional endorsements to a license in accordance with rules and policies established by the State Board, State Board Educator Licensure Policy 5.502, and guidelines established by the Department. (5) When an endorsement held by an out-of-state applicant does not match the content area or grade span of an available Tennessee endorsement, the Department shall identify the most appropriate match, if possible. In some cases, if there is not an equivalent endorsement and the grade span and/or content area do not have an appropriate match, the Department may request additional evidence to demonstrate knowledge and/or experience in the content area and/or grade span covered by the available Tennessee endorsement prior to issuing or reactivating a license in Tennessee. The same process shall also apply to an educator who is seeking to reactivate an expired license if the endorsements previously held are no longer issued. (6) All educators who teach a course in which a state-level end-of-course examination is required shall hold the subject-specific endorsement for the course or meet the appropriate employment standard set forth in Employment Standards Rule Chapter 0520-02-06, unless the educator is granted an emergency credential by the Commissioner in accordance with Endorsements Rule 0520-02-03-.11 and Permits Rule 0520-02-03-.12. (7) An educator may teach up to two (2) sections of one (1) course outside the educator’s area of endorsement each school year, except for courses in which a state-level end-of-course examination is required, elementary physical education courses, or special education courses. (8) An educator who holds a full and valid and active license may teach more than one (1) course or more than two (2) sections of one (1) course outside of the educator’s area of endorsement if an endorsement exemption is requested by the director of schools or director of a public charter school and approved by the Commissioner. EDUCATOR LICENSURE CHAPTER 0520-02-03 (a) In reviewing an initial endorsement exemption for approval, the Commissioner shall consider: 1. The educator’s previous teaching experience; 2. The educator’s postsecondary coursework and degrees held; and 3. The content and grade span of endorsements held on the educator’s current license. (b) Endorsement exemptions shall be valid for one (1) school year. A director of schools or director of public charter school may request renewal of an endorsement exemption for an educator who demonstrates progress toward earning the relevant endorsement. An endorsement exemption may be renewed no more than two (2) times. (c) Educators may teach on an approved endorsement exemption for no more than a total of three (3) school years. (d) An endorsement exemption shall not be issued by the Commissioner to an individual to teach a special education course in accordance with Federal laws. (9) Licensed educators enrolled in an additional endorsement program in special education offered by a State Board-approved educator preparation provider may add a provisional special education endorsement by: (a) Submitting a recommendation from the educator preparation provider verifying: 1. Enrollment in a program of study for additional endorsement in the special education endorsement area; and 2. An assurance that the educator will be assigned a mentor who is endorsed in the special education endorsement area. (b) In order to transition from a provisional endorsement to a full endorsement, educators shall submit qualifying scores on all State Board-required assessments and successfully complete the program of study within three (3) years of receiving a provisional endorsement. The provisional endorsement shall be valid for three (3) years and shall not be renewed.