Alternate route/restricted license – A nontraditional program that leads to licensure of teachers or school specialists. ESU’s program includes summer coursework and continued preparation during the first year of employment.

Content assessment – An assessment designated by the state board to measure subject matter knowledge for an endorsement.

Deficiency plan (Plan of Study) – A detailed schedule of instruction from an approved program that, if completed, will qualify an individual for full endorsement in a subject. The individual who is to receive the instruction and a representative of the institution at which the instruction is to be given shall sign each deficiency plan.

Initial license or Conditional license - The first license that an individual holds to begin practice while preparing for the professional license.

Licensure – The granting of access to practice teaching, administration, or school services in Kansas public schools.

Local education agency (LEA) – Any governmental agency authorized or required by state law to provide education to children, including each unified school district, special education cooperative, school district interlocal, state school, and school institution.

Mentor – A teacher or administrator who holds a professional license assigned by an LEA to provide support, modeling, and conferencing to a beginning professional.

Professional license – A license issued to an individual based on successful completion of a performance assessment and maintained by professional development.

Restricted teacher license – A license that allows an individual limited access to practice under a special arrangement among the individual, a Kansas teacher education institution, and an LEA.

Restricted school specialist license – A license that allows an individual limited access to practice in a school under a special arrangement among the individual, a Kansas teacher education institution, and an LEA.  For ESU’s program this will refer only to school counselor and library media specialist.

School Specialist license – The granting of access to practice school services in Kansas public schools. For the purposes of ESU’s alternate route/restricted license program the term will be used to refer only to school counselor and library media specialist.

Subject – A specific teaching area within a general instructional field.

Teaching license – The granting of access to practice teaching in Kansas public schools. For the purposes of ESU’s alternate route/restricted license program the term will be used to refer to history and government, psychology, English language arts, speech/theatre, mathematics, biology, chemistry, earth and space science, physics, business, psychology, and journalism.