State provides updates to teacher licensure efforts in special ed, ESL and computer science

Tennessee’s additional endorsement program has successfully helped over a thousand educators qualify to teach additional subjects, including special education, English as a second language (ESL), and computer science, according to state education officials.

During a recent State Board of Education meeting, Brooke Amos, Assistant Commissioner of Human Capital at the Tennessee Department of Education, and Taylor Reid, the department’s Senior Director of Educator Licensure, provided updates on the program’s progress. From 2020 to 2023, 1,257 individual educators across the state added additional endorsements to their licenses.

Among these endorsements, 451 educators earned a K-8 special education interventionist endorsement, 272 received a grade 6-12 special education interventionist endorsement, and 210 gained comprehensive K-12 special education intervention credentials. Additionally, 675 educators earned ESL endorsements.

Reid explained that while 995 educators added one endorsement, 175 added two, 81 added three, and six added all four. The program saw its highest enrollment during the 2021-2022 cycle, with an average of 92% capacity. However, enrollment declined in 2022-2023 to 56%, though the number of approved endorsements continued to rise, indicating increased completion rates. Despite the success in adding endorsements, Reid noted that there was no significant impact on reducing vacancy rates in these subject areas.

Amos emphasized that the current funding for the program, largely sourced from COVID-19 relief funds, has ended. “We are looking for a strategy for future iterations and have partners in place who we’re hoping can help strategize,” Amos added.

Additionally, Amos shared that starting next school year, all Tennessee middle schools and high schools will begin offering computer science courses, creating a demand for more educators in the field. Middle schools will provide computer science for at least one grading period during a student’s middle school years, while high schools will offer at least one credit in computer science.

Reid noted that recent updates to state licensure policies now allow educators with valid practitioner or professional-level teaching licenses to obtain a computer science endorsement via a new pathway developed by the Tennessee Department of Education. This pathway requires educators to complete the Computer Science Endorsement Program (CSEP).

Reid explained that 175 educators completed the CSEP program in the spring of 2023, with another 223 participating in the fall 2023 cohort. “My licensure team is certainly hearing from district and school leaders about this endorsement and the need to fill it, especially with the upcoming school year,” Reid said.