Course Substitution Guidance for Licensure Programs

Course Substitution Guidance for Licensure Programs

MN Rule 8705.1000 subpt 4C (the unit must have) a plan for uniformly assessing and, as appropriate, giving credit to candidates, including out-of-state, transfer, nontraditional, or postbaccalaureate, for knowledge and skills acquired through prior academic preparation and teaching experiences that meet licensure requirements, and must maintain records to support deciions made.

1)When a required course in a licensure program is substituted as per the above standard, the decision is to be recorded in the applicant’s file. At the time of licensure application to the state, the unit’s “course substitution form,” signed by program lead and unit leader/chair, should be attached to the application to document thedecisions.

a)Course substitution forms must be signed by the unit leader attesting that the transferred- in course addressed the same competencies as the course it is replacing from the program. If the course is a “content” course (rather than pedagogy) then the program leader from that content program should also have been consulted in making the determination about equivalency.

b)In making such determinations, the unit leader must verify that all licensure standards embedded in the approved course were addressed in the course being used as “equivalent”. This usually means a syllabus review, at minimum. (The unit’s uniform review process will be evaluated at the time of the onsite unit evaluation).

2)About field experiences:

1. Student teaching for initial licensure is required and cannot be waived, nor can prior teaching experience be used to replace student teaching for an initial Minnesota Tier 3 license.
2. Practicum experiences for an initial Minnesota Tier 3 license may include hours from prior teaching experiences or academic preparation as per standard at top of page.
3. For additionallicensure, an evaluated culminating practicum experience, evaluated by unit faculty, is required and cannot be substituted by prior teaching experiences as unit faculty must evaluate the applicant’s competencies. The program may determine the length of the practicum on a case by case basis.
4. Program rules require that candidates have practicum experiences that span the scope of their intended licensure and experiences working with diverse populations of learners. Care should be taken when substituting practicum requirements to assure that candidates meet the diverse placements requirements.

3)Reading methods courses (Statute 122A.18 sub 2a and 122A.09 D9 and 122A.06 sub 4)

Statute requires that most classroom teaching preparation programs must prepare candidates in scientifically based reading instructional strategies. These approved methods courses must be taught by instructors who meet the faculty qualifications standards for “reading” methods instructors (MN rule 8705.1000 subpart 8H). Because this is a statute, replacingan approved “reading methods course” with an unapproved reading course is discouraged and should only be done after a thorough review (with input from a qualified reading expert) to assure that all the reading standards attributed to the approved course are evidenced in the transferred course. Note that “reading in the content area” courses for secondary licensure are not equivalent to the reading methods courses that are required for elementary, early childhood, and special education programs and should not be substituted for the “elementary reading methods” courses.

4)Subject Matter Methods courses (MN Rule 8705.1000 subpart 2.I) Rules require that all licensure programs include a methods course aligned to the content and scope of the intended licensure. Instructors who teach methods courses must meet the faculty qualifications requirements. (MN rule 8705.1000 subpart 8H). Substitution of a methods course must be based on evidence that the transferred-in course meets the same standards (and practicum requirements) as the program’s approved methods course.