Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
Board
State Board of Education
chapter
Licensure Regulations for School Personnel [8 VAC 20 ‑ 23]
Action:
Amendments to the Licensure Regulations for School Personnel to reflect changes with ASL national certifications
Action 5922
 
General Information
Action Summary The Licensure Regulations for School Personnel (”Licensure Regulations”; 8VAC20-23-10 et seq.) set standards for the licensure of teachers, principals, superintendents, and other professional personnel. Among other things, the Licensure Regulations set endorsement requirements for foreign language preK-12 in American Sign Language (“ASL”). In this regulatory action, the Board of Education (“Board”) is making changes to the requirements for an endorsement in foreign language preK-12 in ASL in order to align the requirements with industry-standard national certifications in ASL. The regulatory changes are prompted by changes to the structure of national certifications for ASL. In the past, the American Sign Language Teachers' Association (“ASLTA”) issued only Provisional, Qualified, or Professional certifications to demonstrate proficiency in ASL, and the Licensure Regulations required an applicant for the ASL endorsement to hold one of these certifications. The proposed amendment strikes these older certifications and reflects the acceptance of all certifications issued by ASLTA. The change will make the regulatory requirements more durable while also keeping with the high-standard certifications issued by ASLTA. In 2003, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (“RID”) began to recognize interpreters who hold National Association of the Deaf (“NAD”) certifications, which included the Level IV certifications prescribed in the Licensure Regulations. These credentials were offered by NAD between the early 1990s and late 2002, and NAD no longer issues certifications. In order to continue to maintain their certification, NAD-credentialed interpreters must have had an active certification and have registered with RID prior to June 30, 2005. These interpreters are required to comply with all aspects of RID’s Certification Maintenance Program, including the completion of professional development. In addition, RID fully recognizes the National Interpreter Certification (“NIC”), Certificate of Interpretation (“CI”), Reverse Skills Certification (“RSC”), and the Comprehensive Skills Certificate (“CSC”); these certifications have been discontinued and no longer have exams available. The proposed amendment strikes the language of the older certifications and reflects the historical changes in the organizations and certifications, while keeping to the same high-standard of certifications required for the ASL endorsement.
Chapters Affected Only affects this chapter.
Executive Branch Review This action will go through the normal Executive Branch Review process.
RIS Project Yes  [7115]
New Periodic Review This action will not be used to conduct a new periodic review.
 
Stages
Stages associated with this regulatory action.
Stage ID Stage Type Status
9582 Fast-Track Stage complete. This regulation became effective on 03/14/2024.
 
Contact Information
Name / Title: Mrs. Maggie Clemmons  / Director of Licensure & School Leadership
Address: 101 N. 14th Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Email Address: maggie.clemmons@doe.virginia.gov
Phone: (804)371-2471    FAX: ()-    TDD: ()-

This person is the primary contact for this chapter.