HB506 Alabama 2019 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Tracy EstesRepresentative
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2019
Title: Teachers, provisional teaching certificates, length of time for which emergency certificate is valid is extended from one year to two years, Secs. 16-3-16, 16-23-3, 16-23-16.1, 16-24C-3 am'd.
Summary: The bill extends emergency/urgent teaching certificates and creates a commission to oversee teaching standards and pre-certification testing.
What This Bill Does
It extends the validity of emergency or urgent teaching certificates from one year to two years, with one renewal, for a maximum of four years. It creates the Professional Teachers Standards Commission to set teaching standards, appoint members, and oversee pre-certification testing for teacher candidates. The commission would choose a pre-certification exam (preferably the National Teacher Examination or a commission-designed alternative) and require all candidates to demonstrate proficiency before certification, with up to five attempts. Teacher preparation programs must provide remediation at no cost to students who have completed coursework but fail the pre-certification test, and scores from related tests will be reported to the commission with private data kept confidential.

Who It Affects
Teacher candidates seeking initial certification in Alabama, who would take the new pre-certification exam and may receive remediation if they fail.
Local school districts, boards of education, and teacher preparation programs, which must implement the longer certificate validity, support remediation, and participate in the new Commission's testing and standards activities.

Key Provisions
Emergency/urgent teaching certificates valid period extended from 1 year to 2 years, with one renewal for a maximum of 4 years; certificates expire at the end of the scholastic year.
Creation of the Professional Teachers Standards Commission (11 members) with specific appointment categories and terms; governance and nomination process outlined.
Commission to select a nationally recognized pre-certification examination (NTE or successor) for initial certification; if not eligible, commission may design its own exam testing reading, writing, and mathematics.
Pre-certification exam required for all teacher candidates; five opportunities to pass; failure after the fifth attempt makes the candidate ineligible for certification.
Teacher preparation institutions must provide remediation at no cost to eligible students who have satisfied coursework but failed the pre-certification test; remediation costs borne by institutions.
Scores from tested assessments are to be reported to the commission and shared with candidates (not publicly) to inform overall results.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Superintendent of Education, State