As used in the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act: 1. "Board" means the State Board of Education; 2. "Commission" means the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability; 3. "State Regents" means the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education; 4. "Professional development program" means the program mandated by the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act for the continuous improvement and enrichment of the certified and licensed teachers of this state; 5. "Teacher education professional development committee" means the committee created in Section 6-186 of this title for the continuous improvement and enrichment of higher education faculty in teacher education programs in institutions of higher education; 6. "Department" means the State Department of Education; 7. "Induction" means a program that provides support, mentorship and coaching to educators at the beginning of their careers or as they transition to new roles within a school or district. Induction programs work with inductees to assist in all matters concerning classroom management and professional development for that teacher. Induction programs may involve a committee of one or more mentor teachers, the principal or an assistant principal of the employing school, one or more administrators designated by the school district board of education, a teacher educator in a college or school of education of an institution of higher education or an educator in a department or school outside the institution's teacher education unit; 8. "Teacher" means a person defined as a teacher in Section 1- 116 of this title; 9. "Inductee" means any certified teacher who is employed in an accredited school to serve as a teacher and the school district has elected to place under the guidance and assistance of a mentor teacher or induction committee. Inductees shall include those individuals having completed the program of the college or school of education of the accredited institution of higher education from which the person has been graduated, and shall have successfully completed the competency examination in areas of approval in which the inductee seeks certification, those individuals eligible for the alternative placement teaching certificate according to Section 6- 122.3 of this title, and those individuals issued an emergency or provisional certificate according to Section 6-187 of this title. All teachers working in a new role, including classroom teachers transitioning to a new role, shall be considered inductees for purposes of induction programs; 10. "Certified teacher" means any teacher who has been issued a certificate by the Board in accordance with the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act and the rules of the Board; 11. "Mentor teacher" means any teacher who has been appointed to provide guidance, support, coaching and assistance to an inductee employed by the school district. A mentor teacher shall be a current or former classroom teacher and have a minimum of two (2) years of classroom teaching experience as a certified teacher. When possible, a mentor teacher shall have participated in mentor teacher professional development and have expertise in the teaching field of the inductee; 12. "Higher education faculty" means any individual who is employed in a teaching capacity in an institution of higher education, approved or accredited by the Commission for the preparation of education personnel; and 13. "Competency examination" means the assessment required in the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act for certification as a teacher and shall consist of tests over professional education and subject areas as defined by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability. Added by Laws 1995, c. 322, § 3, eff. July 1, 1995. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 344, § 2, emerg. eff. June 9, 1997; Laws 2005, c. 280, § 1, eff. July 1, 2005; Laws 2012, c. 223, § 8, eff. Jan. 1, 2013; Laws 2014, c. 124, § 9, eff. July 1, 2014; Laws 2016, c. 108, § 1, eff. July 1, 2016; Laws 2018, c. 165, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2018; Laws 2022, c. 220, § 3, emerg. eff. May 5, 2022.
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