Division of Educator Licensure and Quality

Kentucky's state legislators and educators developed the Continuing Education Option (CEO) for rank change and certificate renewal as an alternative to a planned fifth-year program college course of studies. The initiative, that resulted from the 1996 General Assembly House Bill 305, is structured to link teachers' professional growth with positive, measurable improvement in student learning. Built around the Kentucky Teacher Standards adopted by the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB), the CEO requires candidates to submit an independent professional growth plan based on the needs of the teacher, the students, and the school. The professional growth plan is a unique independent study that includes graduate level classes, professional development experiences, research, reading, and shadowing other professionals.

Candidates create job-embedded CEO Plans based on the needs of their schools, districts, and communities. Each candidate is required to create a portfolio representing successful completion of his or her plan. Although the CEO is an independent study, throughout the process candidates receive support through online resources and by participating in face-to-face regional monthly cohort meetings offered across the state. Cohorts are supported by experienced educational professionals (coaches) in a blended learning environment integrating traditional learning with technology to provide a technology enhanced independent learning experience.

The benefits of successful completion of the CEO program are far reaching. The teacher candidate completes a self-assessment to identify his or her own areas for growth and matches them to specific local district and classroom needs. The structures of the CEO Plan and CEO Portfolio are based on candidates' professional needs, goals, objectives, and activities. To address the full scope of the Kentucky Teacher Standards, some of these professional needs, goals, objectives, and activities are teacher-centered, some are student-centered, and some focus on leadership. As a result, each completed CEO program will bring new resources and experiences into the candidate's classroom, school and district.

More information and documents can be found here.

For online course material click here.