Tennessee Characteristics of State Teacher Requirements

The following information summarizes the requirements currently necessary to begin work in the public school system as an:

Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist

This information has been collected by researching individual state department of education regulations and policy documents, state administrative code provisions and by contacting each state department of education. Please be advised that regulations and policy may change at any time, so always check with your state department of education for the most up-to-date information.

Audiologist

Professional School Service Personnel License

Note: The following are proposed regulations scheduled to take effect September 28, 2005.

Candidates applying for a professional school service personnel license as a school audiologist shall satisfy one of the following:

1. Applicants new to the field seeking initial professional school services personnel licensure should complete a graduate degree in audiology from a state or regionally accredited institution of higher education with a graduate level program approved by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
2. Valid license issued by Tennessee or an out-of-state licensing Board of Communication Disorders and Sciences or who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association upon application. There are no additional requirements.
3. Audiologists who have a graduate degree in audiology and hold a valid out-of-state educational credential issued before September 1, 2000, may be issued the professional school service personnel license upon application. Applicants with valid credentials issued on or after that date shall pass the examination required by the State Board of Education (Praxis-Audiology).

Continuing Education Requirement

Professional licenses must be renewed every ten years. All educators holding a professional license based on a master's degree or higher and have accrued five years of acceptable experience during the ten year validity period are not required to complete any additional requirements. Those without five years experience during the ten year validity period must earn 90 renewal points.

Speech-Language Pathologist

Speech-Language Teacher

Note: Language in italics are proposed regulatory amendments that are scheduled to become effective September 28, 2005.

Individuals providing services to students with speech-language disabilities shall hold a teacher license with a speech-language endorsement, be in a speech-language pathologist clinical fellowship, or be licensed as a speech-language pathologist by the Board of Examiners of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

1. A speech-language teacher employed after June 30, 2000, shall hold a valid Tennessee teacher's license with the appropriate endorsement and shall have a master's degree in speech-language pathology and must pass the Praxis examination in speech-language pathology. A bachelor level teacher of speech-language with a valid Tennessee teacher's license with the appropriate endorsement employed prior to June 30, 2000, must make satisfactory progress toward achieving a master's degree or the equivalent to the master's degree in speech-language pathology by July 1, 2010. Satisfactory progress means completion of at least five graduate semester hours in speech-language pathology or the equivalent education units offered in speech-language pathology each year.
2. The equivalent to the master's degree shall include the following:
• Successful completion of 15 semester hours of graduate credit in the areas of speech-language pathology, audiology, speech, language, and hearing science. None of these semester hours may be credits earned for clinical practicum.
• Fifteen continuing education units in speech-language pathology earned from sources approved by the Dept. of Education. None of these units shall have been earned prior to January 1990. Additional graduate semester hours (up to fifteen) in speech-language pathology may be used to fulfill this requirement.
• 100 hours of practicum experience under the supervision of a teacher with a master's degree in speech-language pathology or who hold a CCC.

Note: The following proposed amendments also offer another avenue to applicants wishing to work as a speech-language pathologist and indicates an eventual transition from the speech-language teacher endorsement certification model to the Professional School Service Personnel License.

The professional school service personnel license requires at least a bachelor's degree and is issued to an applicant who has met the requirements for an endorsement as a school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, school food service supervisor, school speech-language pathologist and school audiologist.

Candidates applying for a professional school service personnel license as a school speech-language pathologist shall satisfy one of the following criteria:

• A graduate degree in speech-language pathology from a state or regionally accredited institution of higher education with a speech-language pathology graduate level program approved by ASHA, a passing score on the Praxis examination in speech-language pathology.
• Valid license issued by Tennessee or an out-of state licensing Board of Communication Disorders and Sciences or who hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA.  There are no additional requirements.
• Speech language teachers who have a graduate degree or master's equivalence in speech-language pathology and hold a valid Tennessee teacher license with a speech language endorsement.
• Fully licensed bachelor's level speech-language teachers employed prior to July 1, 2000 may apply for the professional school services personnel license upon completion of the requirements for the master's equivalence. Candidates must earn at least five graduate level semester hours each year and must complete all program requirements prior to July 1, 2010.
• Speech-language pathologists who have a graduate degree in speech language pathology and hold a valid out-of-state educational credential issued before September 1, 2000 may be issued the professional school service personnel license upon application. Applicants with valid credentials issued on or after that date shall pass the examination required by the State Board of Education (SLP Praxis).

Continuing Education Requirement

The professional license must be renewed every ten years. All educators holding a professional license based on a master's degree or higher and who have accrued five years of acceptable experience during the ten-year validity period are not required to complete any additional requirements. Those without five years experience during the ten-year validity period are required to earn 90 renewal points.

Emergency Certification

Teachers with a bachelor's degree employed after June 30, 2000, shall hold a valid Tennessee teacher's license with the appropriate endorsement and may be hired only in those school systems which have made a good faith effort to hire the most qualified teachers and have determined that there is an insufficient number of teachers with master's degrees in speech-language pathology. Teachers under this provision must make satisfactory progress toward achieving a master's degree within three years.

The Alternative License Type A may be issued to an individual who holds a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with an academic major in the endorsement area sought. A superintendent/director of schools in Tennessee must issue a statement of intent to employ the applicant and must provide a mentor for the applicant during the first two years of teaching. This license is typically issued for one school year at a time. An individual may not be issued an Alternative License Type A more than three times.

This includes initial issuance plus a limit of two renewals. To renew the license, one must be officially admitted to a teacher preparation program. His/her areas of deficiency must be identified on a program of study by the Certification Officer at the college/university, and the applicant must earn six semester/nine quarter hours of credit in these areas of deficiency each year. Once an applicant has met all the deficiencies as outlined by the college/university, the institution can recommend the individual for a full Tennessee teacher license.

Alternative A license holders with endorsement as a speech-language teacher who have been admitted to a master's degree program in speech-language pathology accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association may renew not more than four times provided that a director of schools states an intent to employ. Before each renewal, the individual must complete at least six graduate semester hours required by the program to which they have been admitted, unless all course requirements have been met.

Support Personnel

Not used. However, a task force is currently working on a service delivery model which may include paraprofessionals.