Frequently Asked Questions about EPSB's TC-HQ Option
Why is the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB)
offering the TC-HQ certification route?
The TC-HQ option was modified in the spring of 2010 to
provide local school districts with new routes to assist them
in responding to their changing personnel needs with a high-quality
teaching workforce. The change provides increased flexibility
for fully certified Kentucky teachers* to obtain
a new certification area without additional course work. This
option is governed by Section
5 of 16 KAR 2:010.
*Note that those holding the following types of credentials
may NOT apply for the TC-HQ: statement
of eligibility, emergency, adjunct, temporary, temporary
provisional, conditional, probationary, or provisional internship.
Which teaching subject areas may be added using the TC-HQ
route?
A certificate extension or endorsement issued under TC-HQ is permitted
only in the areas of English, mathematics,
sciences, foreign languages, or social studies. Health and physical
education areas may be added only for those teachers
holding the correlative certificate.
This option may be particularly interesting to teachers who wish
to extend or add to their certificates due to changes in school
configurations within their districts. For example, a teacher
who has been teaching 6th grade math with a K-4/P-5 certificate
is allowed to do so in a P-6 school configuration. However, this
assignment is “out-of-field” should the district change
to a 6-8 middle school configuration. Likewise, those teachers
currently holding high school certification may be interested
in extending their grade range down to grade 5 via a TC-HQ.
What are the needed components to add a new certificate
area or extension via TC-HQ?
Kentucky teachers must file TC-HQ application form for a certificate
extension or new certification area and they meet the following
requirements:
- A valid Kentucky professional teaching certificate*;
- a. Current employment in a certified position, or
b. A bona fide offer of employment in a certified position in
a Kentucky public school; or
c. Approval of the local district superintendent;
- Successful completion of the applicable content assessments;
and
- Either:
a. A declared major in the area of certification being sought;
or
b. A combination of education, experience, professional development,
awards and achievements in the area of certification being sought
sufficient to demonstrate subject matter competency as evidenced
by a score of ninety (90) points on the index contained within
the application form, TC-HQ.
*Note that those holding the following types of credentials
may NOT apply for the TC-HQ: statement
of eligibility, emergency, adjunct, temporary, temporary
provisional, conditional, probationary, or provisional internship.
How should I determine if I am eligible to apply via
the TC-HQ route?
It is suggested that you first view the TC-HQ
sample application form to determine if you have a combination
of teaching experience, college credit hours, high quality professional
development activities, and the appropriate KY Praxis II test
to reach the 90 points* needed on the KY TC-HQ Index. Remember
that all the above requirements must be in the new certification
area sought, for example, the teaching of English content
by a teacher certified only as a special education teacher may
not be counted as “English teaching experience” for
the purposes of the TC-HQ route.
If you believe you meet all requirements, you should work with
your district’s human resources office for the appropriate
documentation of activities and approval signatures to complete
the form, and, if applicable, you will also need to work with
an approved KY university (see next question) to complete the
course analysis. This is required for all applicants who are using
college credit hours as a part of their TC-HQ application.
*As of March 5, 2010, the successful passage of the appropriate
Praxis II test will count for 45 points on the TC-HQ form.
What institutions are currently serving as the clearinghouse for
transcript reviews?
EPSB has contracted with a consortium of Kentucky universities
to serve in this role. This review is done on the TC-HQ
CA form, and universities which may conduct the transcript
review are listed on that form.
What are the basic requirements for applying for the TC-HQ?
- The application for the endorsement/extension must be submitted
jointly by the applicant and the employing school district,
and include the signature of the superintendent or his/her designee.
- The applicant must have passed the required content-area
PRAXIS assessment(s) in the endorsement/extension area,
if applicable. (An additional Principles of Learning and Teaching
(PLT) test is not required.)
- The applicant has a declared major in the endorsement/extension
area as evidenced by official transcripts from an accredited
institution,
OR
The applicant has obtained 90 points on the TC-HQ form, with
content coursework verified by a clearinghouse (see above question)
approved by the EPSB for this purpose.
Do I have to take a PRAXIS test with the TC-HQ process?
Most likely, yes. The only scenario in which the candidate
would NOT have to take a PRAXIS test for the appropriate subject
area/grade range is when the teacher has a declared major area
and is wishing to extend grade range in that area from high school
certification to middle school certification. For example, a teacher
who is fully certified in Mathematics, Grades 8-12, would not
need to take a Praxis II test to apply for extending that certificate
to Mathematics, Grades 5-9.
PRAXIS
test categories may be viewed here.
What is the cost and time frame to obtain the TC-HQ
modification for the applicant?
If the applicant currently holds a high school subject-specific
certificate, has a declared major in the subject area, and wishes
only for the subject area to be extended to cover middle school
grades, the cost for the option is $50.00. This type of modification
may usually be processed in the EPSB office within 10 working
days or less.
However, if the applicant is selecting an option that would entail
the taking of a PRAXIS examination and transcript analysis, the
cost will vary according to the examination cost. In addition
to the $50.00 processing fee, candidates are responsible for paying
the cost of the PRAXIS examination(s) and $96.00 for the transcript
analysis. The timeframe for obtaining these types of modifications
varies according to when the applicant is able to take and receive
scores for the applicable PRAXIS test(s). Once these scores are
received, transcript reviews will take five working days, and
then the EPSB office will process the certificate in 10 working
days or less.
While this does represent a cost to the applicant, it is much
less than the cost of traditional university-route options to
extend or add certifications.
Am I guaranteed a certificate extension or addition via the TC-HQ
process?
No. Applicants must understand that the process is dependent
upon a variety of factors including:
- the successful passing of a PRAXIS test and/or having a declared
major in the appropriate subject area,
- the accumulation of 90 points on the TC-HQ application form,
which will include the transcript analysis, along with the other
experience factors.
However, those applicants who are seeking a downward grade range
extension and who have a declared major in the subject area should
receive the TC-HQ.
Contact the EPSB Division
of Certification
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