(a) Each person formally admitted to a State Board of Education approved teacher preparation program shall take the state reading, writing and mathematics competency examination, prescribed by and administered under the direction of the State Board of Education, unless such person has qualified for a waiver of such test based on criteria established by the State Board of Education. Each person’s essential skills test results shall be used as a diagnostic tool, in accordance with the guidelines adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 5 of public act 16-41*, for purposes of providing any necessary remedial instruction to such person while he or she is enrolled in such teacher preparation program.

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(b) (1) Any person who does not hold a valid certificate pursuant to section 10-145b shall achieve a satisfactory evaluation on the appropriate State Board of Education approved subject area assessment in order to be eligible for a certificate pursuant to said section unless such assessment has not been approved by the State Board of Education at the time of application, in which case the applicant shall not be denied a certificate solely because of the lack of an evaluation on such assessment.

(2) Any person applying for an additional certification endorsement shall achieve a satisfactory evaluation on the appropriate State Board of Education approved subject area assessment in order to be eligible for such additional endorsement, unless such assessment has not been approved by the State Board of Education at the time of application, in which case the applicant shall not be denied the additional endorsement solely because of the lack of an evaluation on such assessment.

(3) On and after July 1, 1992, any teacher who held a valid teaching certificate but whose certificate lapsed and who had completed all requirements for the issuance of a new certificate pursuant to section 10-145b, except for filing an application for such certificate, prior to the date on which the lapse occurred, may file, within one year of the date on which the lapse occurred, an application with the Commissioner of Education for the issuance of such certificate. Upon the filing of such an application, the commissioner may grant such certificate and such certificate shall be retroactive to the date on which the lapse occurred, provided the commissioner finds that the lapse of the certificate occurred as a result of a hardship or extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the applicant. If such teacher has attained tenure and is reemployed by the same board of education in any equivalent unfilled position for which the person is qualified as a result of the issuance of a certificate pursuant to this subdivision, the lapse period shall not constitute a break in employment for such person reemployed and shall be used for the purpose of calculating continuous employment pursuant to section 10-151. If such teacher has not attained tenure, the time unemployed due to the lapse of a certificate shall not be counted toward tenure, except that if such teacher is reemployed by the same board of education as a result of the issuance of a certificate pursuant to this subdivision, such teacher may count the previous continuous employment immediately prior to the lapse towards tenure. Using information provided by the Teachers’ Retirement Board, the Department of Education shall annually notify each local or regional board of education of the name of each teacher employed by such board of education whose provisional certificate will expire during the period of twelve months following such notice. Upon receipt of such notice the superintendent of each local and regional board of education shall notify each such teacher in writing, at such teacher’s last-known address, that the teacher’s provisional certificate will expire.

(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection to the contrary, to be eligible for a certificate to teach subjects for which a bachelor’s degree is not required, any applicant who is otherwise eligible for certification in such endorsement areas shall be entitled to a certificate without having met the requirements of the competency examination and subject area assessment pursuant to this subsection for a period not to exceed two years, except that for a certificate to teach skilled trades or trade-related or occupational subjects, the commissioner may waive the requirement that the applicant take the competency examination. The commissioner may, upon the showing of good cause, extend the certificate.

(5) On and after July 1, 2011, any person applying for a certification in the endorsement area of elementary education shall achieve a satisfactory evaluation on the appropriate State Board of Education approved mathematics assessment in order to be eligible for such elementary education endorsement.

(6) On and after July 1, 2018, any person who holds an initial, provisional or professional educator certificate and achieves a satisfactory evaluation on the appropriate State Board of Education approved subject area assessment shall be issued a cross endorsement in the relevant certification endorsement area corresponding to a teacher shortage area, as determined by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to section 10-8b.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section and section 10-145b, the following persons shall be eligible for a nonrenewable three-year temporary certificate: (1) A person who (A) has graduated from a teacher preparation program, as defined in section 10-10a, at a regionally accredited college or university outside of the state, or an alternate route to certification program approved by the State Board of Education, and (B) meets the requirements for certification, except successful completion of the testing requirements of this section, (2) a person hired by a charter school after July first in any school year for a teaching position that school year, provided the person hired after said date could reasonably be expected to complete the requirements prescribed in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of section 10-145b, and (3) a person who (A) has successfully taught under an appropriate certificate issued by another state, territory or possession of the United States or the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for two or more years during the ten years immediately preceding the date of application for the nonrenewable three-year temporary certificate, and (B) meets the requirements for certification, except successful completion of the testing requirements of this section. The nonrenewable three-year temporary certificate shall be valid for three years from the date it is issued.

(d) Any person who is first issued a certificate valid after July 1, 1989, or who is reissued a certificate after July 1, 1989, shall, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, be required to achieve a satisfactory evaluation on a professional knowledge clinical assessment not later than the end of the second year of teaching in a public school if hired prior to January first or, if hired on or after January first, not later than the end of the second full school year of teaching following the year in which such person was hired in order to retain the certificate. The commissioner (1) may waive the requirement that such satisfactory evaluation on a professional knowledge clinical assessment be achieved upon a determination that such assessment is not valid for the person’s teaching assignment, or (2) upon a showing of good cause, may extend the time limit for the assessment for a period of time not exceeding two years. The requirement of a clinical assessment shall not apply to any such person who has completed at least three years of successful teaching in a public school or a nonpublic school approved by the appropriate state board of education during the ten years immediately preceding the date of application or who successfully taught with a provisional teaching certificate during the year immediately preceding an application for a provisional educator certificate as an employee of a local or regional board of education or facility approved for special education by the State Board of Education. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, the State Board of Education may reissue an initial educator certificate to a person who held such certificate and did not achieve a satisfactory evaluation on a professional knowledge clinical assessment provided the person submits evidence demonstrating significant intervening study and experience, in accordance with standards established by the State Board of Education.

(e) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person who holds a valid teaching certificate that is at least equivalent to an initial educator certificate, as determined by the State Board of Education, and such certificate is issued by a state other than Connecticut in the subject area or endorsement area for which such person is seeking certification in Connecticut shall not be required to successfully complete the competency examination and subject matter assessment pursuant to this section, if such person has either (A) successfully completed at least three years of teaching experience or service in the endorsement area for which such person is seeking certification in Connecticut in the past ten years in a public school or a nonpublic school approved by the appropriate state board of education in such other state, or (B) holds a master’s degree or higher in the subject area for which such person is seeking certification in Connecticut.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person who has held a valid teaching certificate issued by the State Board of Education and such certificate has expired shall not be required to successfully complete the subject matter assessment in the endorsement area for which such person is seeking renewal or advancement of such certificate, pursuant to this section, if such person has either (A) successfully completed at least three years of teaching experience or service in a public school or a nonpublic school under a valid teaching certificate issued by the State Board of Education or issued by a state other than Connecticut, in the past ten years in such endorsement area, or (B) holds a master’s degree or higher in the subject area for which such person is seeking renewal or advancement of such certificate.

(f) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person who has achieved a satisfactory evaluation on an equivalent competency examination or subject area assessment required for educator certification in another state shall not be required to achieve a satisfactory evaluation on the competency examination or subject matter assessment pursuant to this section, provided the State Board of Education determines that the requirements for achieving a satisfactory evaluation on such equivalent competency examination or subject area assessment in another state are at least equivalent to the requirements prescribed by the State Board of Education for achieving a satisfactory evaluation on the competency examination or subject matter assessment pursuant to this section.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person who has previously achieved a satisfactory evaluation on an appropriate State Board of Education approved subject area assessment for a teaching certificate that has expired shall not be required to take the appropriate subject matter assessment currently approved by the State Board of Education, provided the Commissioner of Education determines that the requirements for achieving a satisfactory evaluation on such previous subject area assessment are at least equivalent to the requirements prescribed by the State Board of Education for such current subject matter assessment.