EKU Continues Addressing Teacher Shortage With Option 9 Competency-Based Education Courses for Elementary Education Certification

With the state’s ongoing teacher shortage, Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) offers innovative approaches to place educators in classrooms across the state. The Kentucky Department of Education’s School Report Card notes a nearly 25% teacher turnover rate for the 2022-23 school year. To help address the shortage, EKU became the first public university in the state to announce an Option 9 alternative route to teacher certification and simultaneously offered a new online elementary education degree last fall. Building on Option 9, EKU will be offering competency-based education (CBE) courses to further eliminate barriers to teacher certification for current certified staff in schools. 

“Our history and reputation at EKU are rooted in education, and we’re proud to graduate more than 150 educators each year who power the teacher workforce,” said EKU President David McFaddin. “In our mission as the School of Opportunity in the Commonwealth, it is imperative that we lead in teacher education and provide qualified educators who are ready to serve Kentucky’s communities and children.”

In Kentucky, a bachelor’s degree is required in order to earn teacher certification. Option 9, created by the Kentucky General Assembly, allows for completion of a bachelor’s degree and initial teacher certification in a three-year period for those working in a non-teaching position in a qualified school district. 

“I sponsored the bill that created Option 9 to help schools meet the challenges of recruiting and retaining effective teachers,” said State Representative Timmy Truett. “The new competency-based education courses at EKU will give more classified staff an efficient way to become certified teachers by honoring their previous experience and knowledge gained from working in schools. As an elementary principal, I am excited about this opportunity to enable the experts who are already working in our buildings to address these vacancies.” 

EKU Option 9 students complete coursework online and work with students in classrooms to complete field experience and student teaching requirements. Local districts and schools help ensure student success by providing necessary mentoring and support throughout the program.

EKU’s addition of CBE courses in the spring will allow Option 9 students to earn credit based on demonstration of competency in specific skills and knowledge, rather than on time spent in class. 

“This unique program will provide paraeducators across Kentucky with the opportunity to apply their knowledge from careers in education toward becoming a certified teacher,” said Dr. Elizabeth Smith, Dean of the College of Education and Applied Human Sciences. “We are thrilled to support home-grown teacher pipelines for our school partners by giving paraeducators with years of experience in schools a more efficient and accessible route to becoming teachers.” 

Students can work, complete assessments and earn credits at their own pace with the new CBE courses. Students will have the option to take the CBE version, when available, or the online version of a course based on their experience and comfort with the content. 

“We are doing all we can to remove barriers to teacher certification while still maintaining the tradition of excellence that EKU is known for,” said Dr. Nicola Mason, professor and chair of the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership at EKU. “We work closely with paraeducators, teachers, principals and superintendents to ensure EKU is preparing teachers for the current workforce needs of our schools. And our curriculum reflects that as well. We anticipate that our new competency-based education courses will have an immediate positive impact on the current teacher shortage in Kentucky.”

With the addition of innovative pathways to teacher certification, EKU’s education programs continue to experience record enrollment. Nearly 550 students are currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education—a 20% increase from last year. 

Within one year of graduation, 81% of EKU education majors are employed within Kentucky. Furthermore, three years upon graduation, 100% of graduates from program specialties including elementary, middle, secondary, special education, deaf and hard of hearing, gifted education, principalship, superintendency and literacy are employed within their program area.

Smith noted, “From the beginning of their careers, EKU graduates are ready to apply their extensive content knowledge and expert student engagement strategies. Over and over, school districts express that our graduates are outstanding teachers—and the Commonwealth needs more of them! We are working diligently and creatively to recruit more future teachers to meet the needs of schools in our region.”    

EKU offers comprehensive teacher education as well as advanced specialty education programs, from initial teacher certification to endorsements and master’s programs to a Doctor of Education. To learn more about Option 9 and the new CBE course offerings at EKU, visit our website or contact Christopher Budano at 859-622-2155 or christopher.budano@eku.edu.