# Title 67.1 — Education Standards and Practices Board

## Article 67.1-02 — Program Approval and Educator Licensure

## Chapter 67.1-02-04 — Alternative Access Licenses

### § 67.1-02-04-01. Alternative access licenses for teacher shortages.

Alternative access licenses will be issued under the following conditions:
1. Consideration for alternative access licenses will not be granted until after July first in any
year.
2. Alternative access licenses may be issued only in areas where documented shortages of
regularly licensed teachers exist as determined by the board. Shortage areas must be
determined by the board based upon the ratio of regularly licensed teachers in the state who
are qualified for the position to the number of schools with open positions requesting
alternative access licensure. In cases where near shortages exist, the board must give
additional consideration to whether the hiring school has made a diligent effort to attract and
hire regularly licensed teachers.
3. The request for an alternative access license must be initiated by a school. The school board
or administration must make the request in writing to the board for consideration of an
alternative access license, indicating intent to offer a contract if licensure can be arranged.
The request must document that a diligent effort has been made to employ a regularly
licensed teacher to fill the position. Documentation of a diligent effort to employ qualified
personnel should include information on how and how long the position was advertised,
whether schools of education have been contacted in search of applicants, how many
qualified applicants applied, how many applicants were interviewed, whether increases in
salary or other incentives were offered in an attempt to attract qualified applicants, and
whether these incentives are comparable to those offered by other schools of similar size and
means.
4. The applicant must write a letter indicating willingness to accept the position if offered and
complete all of the application requirements and fees prior to receiving the alternative access
license.
5. Complete official college or state-approved alternative program transcripts must be sent to the
board.
6. The applicant must have proficiency and hold minimum qualifications or equivalent of a
bachelor's degree in the content area to be assigned or have held a valid license from another
state for a minimum of two years in the content area to be assigned and have completed the
required North Dakota state tests, including the test in the content area to be assigned. The
applicant may apply for the forty-day provisional license before submitting the required North
Dakota state test scores.
7. Renewal of alternative access licenses will be reviewed each year and will depend upon the
supply of and demand for teachers as evidenced by documented efforts to obtain a licensed

person for the position. The alternate access license will be issued only once to complete all
testing requirements for regular licensure.
8. Renewal of the alternative access license, if permitted, is contingent upon presentation of at
least one-third completion of the requirements for regular licensure as stated in section
9. The fee for the alternative access license is one hundred fifteen dollars for each year the
license is issued.
10. Alternative access licensure is to address documented shortage areas only. Alternative access
licensure may not be issued to applicants who have failed to meet the deadlines or conditions
of their regular licensure renewal.
11. Initial applicants for alternative access licensure must also submit to the fingerprint
background check as stated in subsection 9 of section 67.1-02-02-02.
12. Upon completion of all of the requirements for regular licensure stated in section
67.1-02-02-02, an individual holding an alternative access license may apply for a regular
two-year initial license and begin accruing the eighteen months of successful teaching time
required to move into the five-year cycle according to sections 67.1-02-02-02 and
67.1-02-02-04.
History: Effective July 1, 1995; amended effective October 1, 1998; October 16, 1998-April 14, 1999;
June 1, 1999; March 1, 2000; July 1, 2004; April 1, 2006; July 1, 2008; July 1, 2010; April 1, 2013;
October 1, 2020; October 1, 2021; October 1, 2022; January 1, 2024.
General Authority: NDCC 15.1-13-09, 15.1-13-10
Law Implemented: NDCC 15.1-13-10, 15.1-13-11, 15.1-13-14
### § 67.1-02-04-02. Interim licenses for substitute teachers.

Interim licensure may be granted for substitute teachers who hold a minimum of two years of
postsecondary education (forty-eight semester hours) when a shortage of regularly licensed substitutes
exists. If the applicant for the interim substitute license does not hold a bachelor's degree, the applicant
may not spend more than thirty consecutive days in the same classroom as the substitute teacher. The
applicant must complete all of the application requirements, fees, and submit to the fingerprint
background check as stated in subsection 9 of section 67.1-02-02-02 prior to receiving the interim
substitute license. The interim license fee for substitute teachers is ninety dollars for two years. The
interim license is valid for a minimum of two years and will expire on the applicant's birthday.
Interim licensure may be granted for substitute teachers who hold a high school diploma or
equivalent when a shortage of regularly licensed substitutes exists. If the applicant for the interim
substitute license does not hold a bachelor's degree, the applicant may not spend more than thirty
consecutive days in the same classroom as the substitute teacher. The applicant must submit evidence
of completion of the state-approved substitute training program. The applicant must complete all of the
application requirements, fees, and submit to the fingerprint background check as stated in
subsection 9 of section 67.1-02-02-02 before receiving the interim substitute license. The interim
license fee for substitute teachers is ninety dollars for two years. The interim license is valid for a
minimum of two years and will expire on the applicant's birthday.
History: Effective October 16, 1998-April 14, 1999; amended effective June 1, 1999; March 1, 2000;
July 1, 2004; April 1, 2006; July 1, 2010; July 1, 2012; April 1, 2018; October 1, 2021; October 1, 2022;
January 1, 2024.
General Authority: NDCC 15.1-13-09, 15.1-13-10
Law Implemented: NDCC 15.1-13-10, 15.1-13-11

### § 67.1-02-04-03. Interim school counselor.

Repealed effective October 1, 2020.
### § 67.1-02-04-04. Forty-day provisional licenses.

Provisional licenses will be issued for a period of forty days under the following conditions:
1. Provisional licenses can only be issued to those individuals who have met all of the other
requirements for a license except:
a. For the final clearance of the bureau of criminal investigation and the federal bureau of
investigation;
b. Pending the receipt of official transcripts or other original, signed, or certified documents;
c. The awarding of the degree and the official transcripts as documented by the institution
of higher education registrar; or
d. Pending the receipt of the official test scores for the Praxis I or the Praxis II.
2. The school wishing to hire the individual has submitted to the board a letter of need and intent
to hire.
3. The individual has submitted the completed application packet and a letter to the education
standards and practices board indicating no criminal background and the intent to accept the
position.
4. The provisional license is issued for forty days but may be renewed at the discretion of the
education standards and practices board and continued request of the school.
5. There is a one-time fee for the provisional license of sixty-five dollars.
6. Once the criminal background investigation has been completed and all official transcripts or
other original, signed, or certified documents received, the education standards and practices
board may issue the license for which the individual is qualified with its respective fees and
conditions.
History: Effective March 1, 2000; amended effective July 1, 2004; April 1, 2006; July 1, 2008; July 1,
2010; July 1, 2012; October 1, 2020; January 1, 2024.
General Authority: NDCC 15.1-13-09, 15.1-13-10
Law Implemented: NDCC 15.1-13-10, 15.1-13-11, 15.1-13-13, 15.1-13-14
### § 67.1-02-04-05. Out-of-state reciprocal licensure.

Repealed effective July 1, 2012.
### § 67.1-02-04-06. Trade, industry, technical, and health occupations interim license.

Applicants entering the profession of teaching in the areas of trade, industry, technical, and health
occupations in compliance with the standards prescribed by the state board for career and technical
education under North Dakota Century Code section 15-20.1-03 are issued restricted trade, industry,
technical, and health occupations interim licensure by the education standards and practices board
under North Dakota Century Code section 15.1-13-10. Applicants for the initial trade, industry,
technical, and health occupations interim license pay the thirty dollar initial application fee and an eighty
dollar fee for the first two-year license, and must also submit to a fingerprint screening for criminal
records in accordance with North Dakota Century Code section 15.1-13-14.

The trade, industry, technical, and health occupations interim license is renewable upon
satisfactory completion of re-education requirements prescribed and verified by the state board for
career and technical education, submission of a completed application for renewal, positive
recommendations, and payment of the license fee. Subsequent two-year or five-year renewal licenses
will be issued in accordance with the renewal requirements in section 67.1-02-02-04. An applicant
issued a restricted trade, industry, technical, and health occupations license may teach or substitute
teach only in that licensed area and may move into a regular teaching license by completing the
requirements for regular licensure under section 67.1-02-02-02.
The trade, industry, technical, and health occupations endorsement is required for those educators
teaching occupational intent programs grades nine through twelve that meet the career and technical
education standards or industry standards, or both. A review of past coursework and experience will be
conducted and a program of studies needed for completion will be established. Re-education for the
trade, industry, technical, and health occupations endorsement must be completed prior to or within two
years of assignment.
The applicant must request the endorsement form from the department of career and technical
education, complete it, and submit it with the official documentation, and fee of eighty dollars.
History: Effective August 1, 2002; amended effective July 1, 2004; January 1, 2024.
General Authority: NDCC 15.1-13-09, 15.1-13-10
Law Implemented: NDCC 15.1-13-10, 15.1-13-11, 15.1-13-14
### § 67.1-02-04-07. Clinical practice option.

Applicants who have entered the profession of teaching through alternative access licensure under
section 67.1-02-04-01, elementary, middle, or secondary endorsement under chapter 67.1-02-03, or
trade, industry, technical, and health occupations interim licensure under section 67.1-02-04-06 and are
seeking to complete the requirements for regular licensure under section 67.1-02-02-02 may meet the
student teaching requirement through a supervised clinical practice option meeting the following
conditions:
1. The applicant requesting the clinical practice option must hold a valid regular license,
alternative access license or trade, industry, technical, and health occupations interim license
and be employed under contract by an approved school during the clinical practice. The
clinical practice option is not intended to be used by applicants who are not under contract
and would not need release time from those contracts to complete a regular student teaching
experience.
2. The clinical practice option must be approved by the board before it begins as part of the
applicant's program of study toward regular licensure and must be conducted under the
supervision of a state-approved college of teacher education. Criteria and evaluations for
successful completion of the clinical experience must parallel and meet or exceed those the
college of teacher education applies to student teaching experiences and the clinical practice
must be at the appropriate grade levels for the licensure sought.
3. The school employing the applicant and the applicant must submit letters to the board
requesting the clinical practice option and verifying their support of the agreement.
4. The clinical practice option must require a minimum of ten weeks of close supervision (five
weeks of close supervision if the applicant has already been prepared as a teacher), which
includes an equitable combination of daily meetings with or observations of the applicant at
the beginning of the experience, by an onsite teacher meeting the qualifications for
cooperating teachers under section 67.1-02-01-02 and by the school building principal or
other supervisor responsible for evaluations of teachers under North Dakota Century Code
sections 15.1-15-01 and 15.1-15-04 and must include onsite visits by college supervisors

which meet or exceed the requirements for student teacher supervision under section
67.1-02-01-03.
5. The clinical practice option includes mentoring of the applicant for at least one school year
(one semester if the applicant has already been prepared as a teacher) by the onsite
cooperating teacher and may also include mentoring by an offsite content area specialist. The
mentoring occurs outside of the applicant's regular teaching assignment time and meets or
exceeds the contact that would occur in a ten-week, full-time student teaching experience.
6. Upon completion of the clinical practice option, documentation of evaluations and transcripts
verifying successful completion of the clinical practice will be provided through the college of
teacher education to the board.
7. Applicants holding valid alternative access licensure under section 67.1-02-04-01 or trade,
industry, technical, and health occupations interim licensure under section 67.1-02-04-06 who
have successfully completed all of the other requirements for regular two-year initial licensure
under section 67.1-02-02-02, except for ten weeks of supervised student teaching, may use
the successful clinical practice meeting the conditions of this section to fulfill the student
teaching requirement.
History: Effective August 1, 2002; amended effective July 1, 2004; April 1, 2006; July 1, 2008;
October 1, 2020.
General Authority: NDCC 15.1-13-09, 15.1-13-10
Law Implemented: NDCC 15.1-13-10
### § 67.1-02-04-08. Out-of-state highly qualified license.

Repealed effective July 1, 2012.
