Filed as: ARSD 24:28 Educator Certification
South Dakota is streamlining educator certification by eliminating the alternative preliminary certificate step, reducing fees for some applications, and giving teachers more flexibility when renewing their licenses. Teachers renewing their certificates can now add endorsements, change preparation types, or adjust certificate levels at no extra cost, whereas previously these changes required separate fees. The state is also repealing the mentor teacher education specialist certificate, discontinuing certain educator permits (athletic coaching and international exchange teaching), and updating career and technical education instructor requirements to allow instructors to add multiple endorsements if they meet specified work experience, degree, or certification standards. These changes take effect July 1, 2025, and are designed to reduce barriers to certification while maintaining educator quality standards.
AI-generated from the adopted rule text — verify against the official documents.
The effect of the rules will be to eliminate unnecessary barriers to certification, clarify the requirements to obtain certification, ensure educators are adequately trained, provide additional flexibility for certification renewals, and clarify and update language.
After proponent testimony from the Department of Education and educators supporting removal of certification barriers, Senator Mehlhaff moved and the committee unanimously deemed the rulemaking process complete.