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Session of 2000
          HOUSE BILL No. 2800           By Committee on Education           2-2          

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10             AN  ACT concerning teacher certification examinations; imposing certain
11             requirements; amending K.S.A. 72-1394 and 72-1396 and repealing
12             the existing sections.
13      
14       Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
15             Section  1. K.S.A. 72-1394 is hereby amended to read as follows: 72-
16       1394. (a) The state board of education shall prescribe an examination
17       designed to insure that certification of a person as a teacher is a reliable
18       indicator that the person has the basic knowledge and qualifications nec-
19       essary to engage in the profession of teaching in this state.
20             (b) In order to comply with the requirements of subsection (a), the
21       state board of education shall select an examination which will measure
22       the basic knowledge and qualifications of applicants for certification as
23       teachers and shall provide for administration and validation of the ex-
24       amination. Commencing in 2003, the examination of applicants for cer-
25       tification as teachers in any of the grades seven through 12 must include
26       a measurement of competency in the academic content area in which such
27       applicants intend to teach. The examination shall be administered to ap-
28       plicants at least two times each calendar year at various locations within
29       the state.
30             (c) The state board of education shall adopt rules and regulations to
31       guarantee the confidentiality of the examination, but shall make available
32       to applicants information regarding examination specifications and shall
33       prescribe the method by which persons who take the examination may
34       obtain the results thereof.
35             Sec.  2. K.S.A. 72-1396 is hereby amended to read as follows: 72-
36       1396. (a) Any person holding a teaching certificate valid in the state of
37       Kansas which was issued prior to May 1, 1986, is exempt from the ex-
38       amination required by this act.
39             (b) The following persons, or any class or classes thereof, may be
40       exempted by the state board of education from the examination required
41       by this act:
42             (1) Any person holding a teaching certificate valid in any other state
43       if the requirements under which the certificate was issued are compara-

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  1       ble, in the opinion of the state board, to the requirements of this state,
  2       other than examination, for issuance of a teaching certificate.
  3             (2) Any person applying for a one-year, nonrenewable certificate if
  4       the person meets all certification requirements, other than examination,
  5       for issuance of a teaching certificate.
  6             (3) Any person applying for certification by the state board to provide
  7       services in a position for which the state board deems the examination is
  8       inappropriate or unnecessary if the person meets the certification require-
  9       ments which have been established by the state board as appropriate and
10       necessary for the position. 
11       Sec.  3. K.S.A. 72-1394 and 72-1396 are hereby repealed.
12        Sec.  4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
13       publication in the statute book.