Appropriate Academic Preparation
for Basic Education (850)

Basic Levels 1 | 2 | 3
Instructional Areas: 857 | 861 |862

Basic education includes much of the content delivered in elementary, middle, and high school classes. Level I corresponds to instruction below the 6th grade level. Level II corresponds to instruction 6th grade through the 8th grade level. Level III corresponds to instruction equivalent to grades 9 through 12. The following information identifies the appropriate academic preparation necessary to teach the different subjects at the various levels and the staffing required at locations offering formal classes.

Basic education and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses may be delivered in storefront operations and work sites to better serve remote locations or meet other unique community needs. These operations require staffing to meet the anticipated needs of the greatest number of the students. An instructor in this setting will attempt to meet the diverse student needs and provide referral services for additional instruction and resources as the situation may warrant. This flexibility of staffing will also be allowed in situations utilizing individualized instruction activities. This flexibility will not exist in situations utilizing class-size activities.

Basic education instructors, in addition to the academic preparation identified in this document, are required to have the occupational experience outside the field of education that is required by the certification code of all academic instructors. Basic education instructors are also required to complete the education courses required of all instructors before a Five-Year certificate can be granted.

Basic education utilizes instructional areas 851 through 862. Since each of these instructional areas contain three levels of instruction, it is not practical to grant certification by these instructional areas. Certification could be granted by course, but this would involve lengthy lists for most instructors and prove to be overly cumbersome. Therefore, basic education instructors will be certified for instructional area 850 - Basic Education.

Instructors teaching instructional area 861 English as a Second Language (ESL) courses must be certified for the 861 area. ESL courses are designed to assist the adult whose native language is not English, who wants and needs to learn to read, write, and speak English.

Instructors teaching instructional area 857 Health Education courses must be certified for the 857 area..

Hands-on career exploration courses under instructional area 862, taught by occupational instructors, requires a separate certification.

BASIC EDUCATION LEVEL I COURSES

Option #1

Baccalaureate degree with a minor in Elementary Education (Must be as an academic instructor - not Music, Art, or Physical Education) or Special Needs Education. Individuals will need a major in Elementary Education or Special Needs Education to obtain a Five-Year certificate.

Option #2

Baccalaureate degree with a minor in an academic area or a minimum of twenty semester credits that would be recognized towards a major in an academic area, plus six semester credits in Reading courses, and a minimum of six semester credits of two or more courses recognized as meeting the education courses required for the Five-Year certificate. Individuals will need a major in an academic area or thirty semester credits that would be recognized towards a major in an academic area to obtain a Five-Year certificate.

BASIC EDUCATION LEVEL III COURSES

851 - COMMUNICATIONS

Baccalaureate degree with a minor in English or a minimum of twenty semester credits in English/ Speech/Reading. Individuals will need a major in English or 30 semester credits in English/Speech/Reading to obtain a Five-Year Certificate.

854 - MATHEMATICS

Baccalaureate degree with a minor in Mathematics, or a minimum of twelve semester credits in Mathematics and eight additional credits in Mathematics/Physics/Computer Science. Individuals will need a major in Mathematics or 30 semester credits in Mathematics to obtain a Five-Year Certificate. A maximum of eight Physics/Computer Science credits will be recognized as part of the 30 semester credits in Mathematics.

COURSES 76-851-798 AND 76-854-798

Instructors certified to teach instructional area 850 GOAL level I courses may teach courses 76-851-798 Communications for GED and 76-854-798 Mathematics for GED.

ASSIGNMENT TO COURSES IN OTHER ACADEMIC AREAS

Baccalaureate degree with sufficient credits to support certification for instructional area 803 History, 806 Science, 808 Reading, or 809 Social Science. Individuals will need sufficient credits to support certification for a Five-Year certificate for instructional area 803, 806, 808, 809, or 810 before a Five-Year certificate will be granted for Basic Education. Refer to the appropriate academic preparation documents for these instructional areas.

A baccalaureate degree with a broadfields social studies major will be recognized for 859 Social Science courses taught at level III.

BASIC EDUCATION LEVEL II COURSES

Instructors that can teach Level I courses may also teach all Level II courses.

Instructors that can teach Level III courses may also teach content in the same area under Level II. These instructors are limited to specific areas and may not be assigned to all courses that are utilized under Level II.

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ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) COURSES-
INSTRUCTIONAL AREA 861

Option #1

Baccalaureate degree with a minor or twenty semester credits in English as a Second Language (ESL) or Applied Linguistics. Individuals will need a major or a minimum of thirty semester credits in English as a Second Language (ESL) or Applied Linguistics to obtain a Five-Year certificate.

Option #2

Baccalaureate degree with a minor or twenty semester credits in Elementary Education (Must be as an academic instructor - not Music, Art, or Physical Education), Special Needs Education, or Reading. Individuals will need a major or a minimum of thirty semester credits in Elementary Education, Special Needs Education, or Reading to obtain a Five-Year certificate.

Option #3

Baccalaureate degree with a minor or twenty semester credits in English, Speech, Reading, or a foreign language, and a minimum of six semester credits of two or more courses recognized as meeting the education courses required for the Five-Year certificate. Individuals will need a major or a minimum of thirty semester credits in English, Speech, Reading, or a foreign language to obtain a Five-Year certificate.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION- INSTRUCTIONAL AREA 857

Option #1

Baccalaureate degree in Elementary Education or Secondary Education with a minor or twenty semester credits in Health Education and/or Physical Education. Individuals will need a major or a minimum of thirty semester credits in Health Education and/or Physical Education to obtain a Five-Year certificate.

Option #2

Instructor must be either certified or eligible for provisional certification for instructional area 510 - Nursing. Individuals will need to be either certified or eligible for a Five-Year certificate for instructional area 510 to obtain a Five-Year certificate for the 857 area.

Option #3

Baccalaureate degree with a minor in science area or a minimum of twenty semester credits that would be recognized towards a major in science area. Individuals will need a major or a minimum of thirty semester credits in a science area to obtain a Five-Year certificate for the 857 area.

HANDS-ON CAREER EXPLORATION-INSTRUCTIONAL AREA 862

Instructor must be either certified or eligible for provisional certification in the occupational area to be explored. Individuals will need to be either certified or eligible for a Five-Year certificate in the occupational area to be explored to obtain a Five-Year certificate for the 862 area.

JOB SEEKING SKILLS- INSTRUCTIONAL AREA 862

Any instructor certified for instructional area 850 - Basic Education can teach job seeking skills courses under instructional area 862.

Any instructor certified or eligible for hands-on career exploration courses under instructional area 862 can also teach job seeking skills courses under instructional area 862.

Individuals trained as counselors, or in areas relating to counseling, can be given certification for courses identified as job seeking skills under instructional area 862. These individuals shall have a bachelor's degree and a minimum of two years of occupational experience to qualify for a Five-Year certificate.

Last reviewed: January 29, 2002

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