Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-508.1

The Interstate Agreement on Qualification of Educational

Personnel is hereby enacted into law and entered into with all

jurisdiction legally joining therein, in the form substantially as

follows:

ARTICLE I. PURPOSE, FINDINGS, AND POLICY

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1. The states party to this Agreement, desiring by common

action to improve their respective school systems by utilizing the

teacher or other professional educational person wherever educated,

declare that it is the policy of each of them, on the basis of

cooperation with one another, to take advantage of the preparation

and experience of such persons wherever gained, thereby serving the

best interests of society, of education, and of the teaching

profession. It is the purpose of this Agreement to provide for the

development and execution of such programs of cooperation as will

facilitate the movement of teachers and other professional

educational personnel among the states party to it, and to authorize

specific interstate educational personnel contracts to achieve that

end.

2. The party states find that included in the large movement of

population among all sections of the nation are many qualified

educational personnel who move for family and other personal reasons

but who are hindered in using their professional skill and

experience in their new locations. Variations from state to state

in requirements for qualifying educational personnel discourage such

personnel from taking the steps necessary to qualify in other

states. As a consequence, a significant number of professionally

prepared and experienced educators is lost to our school systems.

Facilitating the employment of qualified educational personnel,

without reference to their states of origin, can increase the

available educational resources. Participation in this compact can

increase the availability of educational manpower.

ARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS

As used in this Agreement and contracts made pursuant to it,

unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

1. "Educational personnel" means persons who must meet

requirements pursuant to state law as a condition of employment in

educational programs.

2. "Designated State official" means the education official of

a state selected by that state to negotiate and enter into, on

behalf of his state, contracts pursuant to this Agreement.

3. "Accept", or any variant thereof, means to recognize and

give effect to one or more determinations of another state relating

to the qualifications of educational personnel in lieu of making or

requiring a like determination that would otherwise be required by

or pursuant to the laws of a receiving state.

4. "State" means a state, territory, or possession of the

United States; the District of Columbia; or the Commonwealth of

Puerto Rico.

5. "Originating State" means a state (and the subdivision

thereof, if any) whose determination that certain educational

personnel are qualified to be employed for specific duties in

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schools is acceptable in accordance with the terms of a contract

made pursuant to Article III.

6. "Receiving State" means a state (and the subdivisions

thereof) which accept educational personnel in accordance with the

terms of a contract made pursuant to Article III.

ARTICLE III. INTERSTATE EDUCATIONAL

PERSONNEL CONTRACTS

1. The designated state official of a party state may make one

or more contracts on behalf of his state with one or more other

party states providing for the acceptance of educational personnel.

Any such contract for the period of its duration shall be applicable

to and binding on the states whose designated state officials enter

into it, and the subdivisions of those states, with the same force

and effect as if incorporated in this Agreement. A designated state

official may enter into a contract pursuant to this article only
tes providing for the acceptance of educational personnel.

Any such contract for the period of its duration shall be applicable

to and binding on the states whose designated state officials enter

into it, and the subdivisions of those states, with the same force

and effect as if incorporated in this Agreement. A designated state

official may enter into a contract pursuant to this article only

with states in which he finds that there are programs of education,

certification standards or other acceptable qualifications that

assure preparation or qualification of educational personnel on a

basis sufficiently comparable, even though not identical, to that

prevailing in his own state.

2. Any such contract shall provide for:

(a) Its duration.

(b) The criteria to be applied by an originating state in

qualifying educational personnel for acceptance by a receiving

state.

(c) Such waivers, substitutions, and conditional acceptances as

shall aid the practical effectuation of the contract without

sacrifice of basic educational standards.

(d) Any other necessary matters.

3. No contract made pursuant to this Agreement shall be for a

term longer than five (5) years but any such contract may be renewed

for like or lesser periods.

4. Any contract dealing with acceptance of educational

personnel on the basis of their having completed an educational

program shall specify the earliest date or dates on which

originating State approval of the program or programs involved can

have occurred. No contract made pursuant to this Agreement shall

require acceptance by a receiving state of any persons qualified

because of successful completion of a program prior to January 1,

1954.

5. The certification or other acceptance of a person who has

been accepted pursuant to the terms of a contract shall not be

revoked or otherwise impaired because the contract has expired or

been terminated. However, any certificate or other qualifying

document may be revoked or suspended on any ground which would be

sufficient for revocation or suspension of a certificate or other

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qualifying document initially granted or approved in the receiving

state.

6. A contract committee composed of the designated state

officials of the contracting states or their representatives shall

keep the contract under continuous review, study means of improving

its administration, and report no less frequently than once a year

to the heads of the appropriate education agencies of the

contracting states.

ARTICLE IV. APPROVED AND ACCEPTED PROGRAMS

1. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to repeal or

otherwise modify any law or regulation of a party state relating to

the approval of programs of educational preparation having effect

solely on the qualification of educational personnel within that

state.

2. To the extent that contracts made pursuant to this Agreement

deal with the educational requirements for the proper qualification

of educational personnel, acceptance of a program of educational

preparation shall be in accordance with such procedures and

requirements as may be provided in the applicable contract.

ARTICLE V. INTERSTATE COOPERATION

The party states agree that:

1. They will, so far as practicable, prefer the making of

multilateral contracts pursuant to Article III of this Agreement.

2. They will facilitate and strengthen cooperation in

interstate certification and other elements of educational personnel

qualification and for this purpose shall cooperate with agencies,

organizations, and associations interested in certification and

other elements of educational personnel qualification.

ARTICLE VI. AGREEMENT EVALUATION

The designated state officials of any party states may meet from

time to time as a group to evaluate progress under the Agreement,

and to formulate recommendations for changes.

ARTICLE VII. OTHER ARRANGEMENTS
e shall cooperate with agencies,

organizations, and associations interested in certification and

other elements of educational personnel qualification.

ARTICLE VI. AGREEMENT EVALUATION

The designated state officials of any party states may meet from

time to time as a group to evaluate progress under the Agreement,

and to formulate recommendations for changes.

ARTICLE VII. OTHER ARRANGEMENTS

Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to prevent or

inhibit other arrangements or practices of any party state or states

to facilitate the interchange of educational personnel.

ARTICLE VIII. EFFECT AND WITHDRAWAL

1. This Agreement shall become effective when enacted into law

by two states. Thereafter it shall become effective as to any State

upon its enactment of this Agreement.

2. Any party state may withdraw from this Agreement by enacting

a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall take

effect until one (1) year after the Governor of the withdrawing

state has given notice in writing of the withdrawal to the Governors

of all other party states.

3. No withdrawal shall relieve the withdrawing state of any

obligation imposed upon it by a contract to which it is a party. The

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duration of contracts and the methods and conditions of withdrawal

therefrom shall be those specified in their terms.

ARTICLE IX. CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY

This Agreement shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate

the purposes thereof. The provisions of this Agreement shall be

severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this

Agreement is declared to be contrary to the Constitution of any

state or of the United States, or the application thereof to any

Government, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the

validity of the remainder of this Agreement and the applicability

thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not

be affected thereby. If this agreement shall be held contrary to

the Constitution of any state participating therein, the Agreement

shall remain in full force and effect as to the state affected as to

all severable matters.