CHAPTER 2. DIVISION OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
IC 20-28-2
Chapter 2. Division of Professional Standards
IC 20-28-2-1
Department authority over teacher education, licensing, and
professional development
Sec. 1. Except as provided in section 6 of this chapter, the
department has the sole authority and responsibility for governing
teacher education and teacher licensing matters, including
professional development.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.12. Amended by P.L.246-2005,
SEC.136.
IC 20-28-2-1.5
Division of professional standards; established
Sec. 1.5. The division of professional standards is established
within the department to administer the responsibilities of the
department described in section 1 of this chapter.
As added by P.L.246-2005, SEC.137.
IC 20-28-2-2
Advisory board; established; membership
Sec. 2. (a) The advisory board of the division of professional
standards is established to advise the superintendent, the board, the
department, and the division on matters concerning teacher
education, licensing, and professional development. The advisory
board consists of nineteen (19) voting members.
(b) Except as otherwise provided, each voting member of the
advisory board described in this subsection must be actively
employed by a school corporation. Eighteen (18) members shall be
appointed by the governor as follows:
(1) One (1) member must hold a license and be actively
employed in a public school as an Indiana school
superintendent.
(2) Two (2) members must:
(A) hold licenses as public school principals;
(B) be actively employed as public school principals; and
(C) be employed at schools having dissimilar grade level
configurations.
(3) One (1) member must:
(A) hold a license as a special education director; and
(B) be actively employed as a special education director in:
(i) a school corporation; or
(ii) a public school special education cooperative.
(4) One (1) member must be a member of the governing body
of a school corporation but is not required to be actively
employed by a school corporation or to hold an Indiana
teacher's license.
(5) Three (3) members must meet the following conditions:
(A) Represent Indiana teacher education units within Indiana
public and private postsecondary educational institutions.
(B) Hold a teacher's license but not necessarily an Indiana
teacher's license.
(C) Be actively employed by the respective teacher
education units.
The members described in this subdivision are not required to
be employed by a school corporation.
(6) Nine (9) members must be licensed and actively employed
as Indiana public school teachers in the following categories:
(A) At least one (1) member must hold an Indiana standard
early childhood education license.
(B) At least one (1) member must hold an Indiana teacher's
license in elementary education.
(C) At least one (1) member must hold an Indiana teacher's
license for middle/junior high school education.
(D) At least one (1) member must hold an Indiana teacher's
license in high school education.
(7) One (1) member must be a member of the business
community in Indiana but is not required to be actively
employed by a school corporation or to hold an Indiana
teacher's license.
(c) Each member described in subsection (b)(6) must be licensed
and actively employed as a practicing teacher in at least one (1) of
the following areas to be appointed:
(1) At least one (1) member must be licensed in special
education.
(2) At least one (1) member must be licensed in career and
technical education.
(3) At least one (1) member must be employed and licensed in
student services, which may include school librarians or
psychometric evaluators.
(4) At least one (1) member must be licensed in social science
education.
(5) At least one (1) member must be licensed in fine arts
education.
(6) At least one (1) member must be licensed in English or
language arts education.
(7) At least one (1) member must be licensed in mathematics
education.
(8) At least one (1) member must be licensed in science
education.
(d) At least one (1) member described in subsection (b) must be
a parent of a student enrolled in a public preschool or public school
within a school corporation in either kindergarten or any of grades 1
through 12.
(e) The state superintendent shall serve as an ex officio voting
member of the advisory board. The state superintendent may make
recommendations to the governor as to the appointment of members
on the advisory board.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.12. Amended by P.L.246-2005,
SEC.138; P.L.2-2007, SEC.213; P.L.234-2007, SEC.107;
P.L.3-2008, SEC.117.
IC 20-28-2-3
Term of office
Sec. 3. The term of office for the appointed members of the
advisory board is four (4) years.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.12. Amended by P.L.246-2005,
SEC.139.
IC 20-28-2-4
Director of advisory board; secretary of professional standards
Sec. 4. The superintendent shall appoint the director of the
advisory board, who shall be known as the secretary of professional
standards, from among the members of the advisory board for a term
of one (1) year. A member may be reappointed to serve as director
for subsequent terms.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.12. Amended by P.L.246-2005,
SEC.140.
IC 20-28-2-5
Reimbursement for expenses
Sec. 5. (a) Each member of the advisory board who is not a state
employee is not entitled to the minimum salary per diem provided by
IC 4-10-11-2.1(b). The member is, however, entitled to
reimbursement for traveling expenses and other expenses actually
incurred in connection with the member's duties, as provided in the
state travel policies and procedures established by the Indiana
department of administration and approved by the budget agency.
(b) Each member of the advisory board who is a state employee
is entitled to reimbursement for traveling expenses and other
expenses actually incurred in connection with the member's duties,
as provided in the state travel policies and procedures established by
the Indiana department of administration and approved by the budget
agency.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.12. Amended by P.L.246-2005,
SEC.141.
IC 20-28-2-6
Adoption of rules; occupational experience awarded for instructor
license in cosmetology
Sec. 6. (a) Subject to subsection (c) and in addition to the powers
and duties set forth in IC 20-20-22 or this article, the advisory board
may adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to do the following:
(1) Set standards for teacher licensing and for the
administration of a professional licensing and certification
process by the department.
(2) Approve or disapprove teacher preparation programs.
(3) Set fees to be charged in connection with teacher licensing.
(4) Suspend, revoke, or reinstate teacher licenses.
(5) Enter into agreements with other states to acquire reciprocal
approval of teacher preparation programs.
(6) Set standards for teacher licensing concerning new subjects
of study.
(7) Evaluate work experience and military service concerning
postsecondary education and experience equivalency.
(8) Perform any other action that:
(A) relates to the improvement of instruction in the public
schools through teacher education and professional
development through continuing education; and
(B) attracts qualified candidates for teacher education from
among the high school graduates of Indiana.
(9) Set standards for endorsement of school psychologists as
independent practice school psychologists under IC 20-28-12.
(10) Before July 1, 2011, set standards for sign language
interpreters who provide services to children with disabilities in
an educational setting and an enforcement mechanism for the
interpreter standards.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(1), an individual is entitled to
one (1) year of occupational experience for purposes of obtaining an
occupational specialist certificate under this article for each year the
individual holds a license under IC 25-8-6.
(c) Before publishing notice of the intent to adopt a rule under
IC 4-22-2, the advisory board must submit the proposed rule to the
state superintendent for approval. If the state superintendent
approves the rule, the advisory board may publish notice of the intent
to adopt the rule. If the state superintendent does not approve the
rule, the advisory board may not publish notice of the intent to adopt
the rule.
(d) The advisory board may adopt rules under IC 4-22-2,
including emergency rules under IC 4-22-2-37.1, to establish
procedures to expedite the issuance, renewal, or reinstatement under
this article of a license or certificate of a person whose spouse serves
on active duty (as defined in IC 25-1-12-2) and is assigned to a duty
station in Indiana. Before publishing notice of the intent to adopt a
permanent rule under IC 4-22-2, the advisory board must comply
with subsection (c).
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.12. Amended by P.L.246-2005,
SEC.142; P.L.2-2007, SEC.214; P.L.144-2007, SEC.18;
P.L.12-2009, SEC.1; P.L.30-2010, SEC.2.
IC 20-28-2-7
Recommendations
Sec. 7. (a) The department may recommend to the general
assembly for consideration measures relating to the department's
powers and duties that improve the quality of teacher preparation or
teacher licensing standards.
(b) The department shall submit to the general assembly before
November 1 of each year a report:
(1) detailing the findings and activities of the department, the
division, and the advisory board; and
(2) including any recommendations developed under this
chapter.
A report under this subsection must in an electronic format under
IC 5-14-6.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.12. Amended by P.L.246-2005,
SEC.143.
IC 20-28-2-8
Advisory committees; expenditure of funds; budget
Sec. 8. (a) The department may, subject to approval by the budget
agency, do the following to administer the responsibilities of the
department described in section 2 of this chapter:
(1) Establish advisory committees the department determines
necessary.
(2) Expend funds made available to the department according
to policies established by the budget agency.
(b) The department shall comply with the requirements for
submitting a budget request to the budget agency as set forth in
IC 4-12-1, for funds to administer the responsibilities of the
department described in section 1 of this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.12. Amended by P.L.246-2005,
SEC.144.
IC 20-28-2-9
Orders
Sec. 9. IC 4-21.5 applies to orders issued by the department under
this chapter.
As added by P.L.1-2005, SEC.12. Amended by P.L.246-2005,
SEC.145.
IC 20-28-2-10
Professional standards fund
Sec. 10. There is established the professional standards fund to be
administered by the department. The fund consists of fees collected
under this chapter. Money in the fund does not revert to the state
general fund at the end of a state fiscal year.
As added by P.L.246-2005, SEC.146.
IC 20-28-2-11
Teacher recruitment and retention initiatives
Sec. 11. The department shall collaborate with nonprofit entities,
the commission for higher education, and state educational
institutions to develop and implement initiatives focusing on the
recruitment and retention of qualified educators from
underrepresented populations. The initiatives should include, but are
not limited to, the following activities:
(1) Development of a recruitment plan for underrepresented and
teacher shortage areas.
(2) Production of a web site as a communication tool that
provides resource information and scholarship opportunities.
(3) Development of a research agenda and network support
system at each state educational institution to remove barriers
and address challenges faced by students of underrepresented
populations in order to recruit, retain, and graduate these
students.
As added by P.L.10-2009, SEC.1.