COST Deficiency Plans & Coursework Completion Requirements — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'deficiency plan' in the context of out-of-state teacher certification?
- A state-issued list of errors or omissions found in a teacher's certification application packet
- A federal document required whenever a teacher's prior state license has been lapsed for more than 12 months
- A disciplinary record filed when a teacher fails a required state content knowledge exam
- A state-issued roadmap specifying the exact coursework or requirements a teacher must complete to convert a provisional certificate to a full professional certificate (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A state-issued roadmap specifying the exact coursework or requirements a teacher must complete to convert a provisional certificate to a full professional certificate
A deficiency plan is a forward-looking remediation document, not a punitive record. It lists the specific gaps between what the teacher has completed and what the new state requires, and sets out an approved path to address those gaps. It is distinct from an application error list, a disciplinary file, or a lapse-reinstatement form.
Question 2: Which situation most commonly triggers the issuance of a deficiency plan to an out-of-state teacher?
- The teacher earned a score above the state minimum cutoff on a required Praxis exam
- The teacher submitted their application more than one year after relocating to the receiving state
- The teacher's home state had lower or different certification requirements than the receiving state, creating preparation gaps (Correct answer)
- The teacher's transcripts were evaluated by a state-approved foreign credential evaluation agency
Correct answer: The teacher's home state had lower or different certification requirements than the receiving state, creating preparation gaps
Deficiency plans arise from substantive requirement gaps — situations where the receiving state mandates coursework, clinical hours, or competency demonstrations that the home state did not require. High exam scores and late applications do not generate deficiency plans; the trigger is a mismatch in certification standards between states.
Question 3: Deficiency plan requirements are most commonly expected to be completed within:
- 30 days of receiving the provisional certificate
- Before the teacher can accept any teaching position in the new state
- A defined timeframe, often ranging from 1 to 5 years depending on state policy (Correct answer)
- Only after the teacher has accumulated at least 10 years of service in the new state
Correct answer: A defined timeframe, often ranging from 1 to 5 years depending on state policy
States set a structured completion window that allows the teacher to work while fulfilling requirements — typically tied to the provisional certificate's validity period. Requiring completion in 30 days or before hire would effectively exclude provisional teachers from employment, which contradicts the purpose of provisional certification.
Question 4: Which of the following is a typical deficiency that may appear on an out-of-state teacher's deficiency plan?
- Holding an undergraduate degree from a university located outside the receiving state
- Having been certified in more than three different states over the course of a career
- Missing state-specific coursework in areas such as special education law, state history, or structured reading instruction methods (Correct answer)
- Earning a salary above the state average for the teacher's grade level in their most recent position
Correct answer: Missing state-specific coursework in areas such as special education law, state history, or structured reading instruction methods
Many states have unique content requirements — a state law course, a specific reading or literacy methods course aligned to the state's literacy framework, or special education law training reflecting state statute. These are preparation requirements the home state may not have mandated, making them genuine deficiencies that a plan must address.
Question 5: When a teacher successfully completes all items identified on their deficiency plan, the next step is typically:
- Automatically receiving a full professional certificate without submitting any additional documentation
- Submitting official completion documentation to the state licensing agency to trigger conversion of the provisional certificate to a full professional license (Correct answer)
- Restarting the entire certification application process from the beginning with a new application and all original documents
- Passing a state-administered comprehensive exit examination before the certificate tier can be upgraded
Correct answer: Submitting official completion documentation to the state licensing agency to trigger conversion of the provisional certificate to a full professional license
Certificate conversion is not automatic — the teacher must affirmatively submit transcripts, course completion records, or other required documentation to the licensing agency to initiate the review. State agencies do not monitor coursework completion; the burden is on the teacher to provide evidence and request the upgrade.
Question 6: Which types of coursework are most widely accepted by states for satisfying deficiency plan requirements?
- Only courses taken at colleges or universities physically located within the receiving state
- Only self-paced professional development courses published by the state department of education
- Only courses retaken at the exact institution where the teacher originally earned their degree
- Graduate or undergraduate courses from regionally accredited institutions, including state-approved online programs (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Graduate or undergraduate courses from regionally accredited institutions, including state-approved online programs
Regional accreditation (e.g., HLC, SACSCOC, MSCHE) is the benchmark states use to assess academic legitimacy. Most states explicitly permit online coursework from accredited institutions to satisfy deficiency requirements, removing geographic barriers. Courses must meet credit-hour and content standards, but the delivery mode and institutional location are not limiting factors.
COST Deficiency Plans & Coursework Completion Requirements
What is a 'deficiency plan' in the context of out-of-state teacher certification?