12 NCAC 09B .0303          TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF GENERAL INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION

(a)  An applicant meeting the requirements for certification as a general instructor shall be in probationary status for a period not to exceed 12 months, until satisfying the requirements of Paragraph (b) of this Rule.

(b)  The probationary instructor shall be eligible for general instructor certification if the instructor submits to the Commission the following forms:

(1)           a Form F-12, pursuant to 12 NCAC 09B .0301, signed by a certified School Director of In-Service Training Coordinator, indicating a favorable recommendation; and

(2)           a Form F-16, Commission Instructor Evaluation Form, pursuant to 12 NCAC 09B .0202 indicating the Instructor taught a minimum of eight hours of Commission-accredited basic training, Commission-recognized in-service training course, or training course pursuant to 12 NCAC 10B .0601, 12 NCAC 10B .1302, or 12 NCAC 10B .2005, during the probationary period. The Instructor shall achieve a minimum of 64 points on all instruction evaluations submitted to the Commission.

(c)  Probationary Instructors may request an extension of up to one year to teach the eight hour minimum requirement. The Director may grant the requested extension for just cause based upon the circumstances that created the need for an extension. For purposes of this Rule, "just cause" includes an accident, illness, emergency, or course cancellation that precluded the instructor from fulfilling the teaching requirement.

(d)  The term of certification as a General Instructor is indefinite, provided the instructor completes during each calendar year a minimum of one hour of instructor refresher training provided by North Carolina Justice Academy. Probationary instructors and general instructors earning their initial certification are not required to complete this training in the year they are awarded their certification.

(e)  If an instructor fails to meet the requirements of Paragraph (d) of this Rule, the certification period for the instructor shall cease, and the instructor shall be required to complete the requirements of Rule .0302 of this Section in order to obtain probationary instructor status.

(f)  The use of guest participants in a delivery of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Course is permissible. However, such guest participants shall be supervised on-site by a Commission-certified instructor and must be authorized by the School Director. A guest participant shall only be used to complement the primary certified instructor of the block of instruction and shall not replace the primary instructor.

(g)  "Commission-recognized in-service training" shall mean training meeting the following requirements:

(1)           training is taught by an instructor certified by the Commission;

(2)           training utilizes a lesson plan in the Instructional Systems Design format; and

(3)           completion of training shall be demonstrated by a passing score on a written test as follows:

(A)          a written test comprised of at least five questions per credit shall be developed by the agency or the North Carolina Justice Academy for each in-service training topic requiring testing. Written courses that are more than four credits in length are required to have a written test comprising of a minimum of 20 questions. The Firearms Training and Qualifications In-Service Course is exempt from this written test requirement;

(B)          a student shall pass each test by achieving at least 70 percent correct answers; and

(C)          a student who completes a topic of in-service training in a traditional classroom setting or online and fails the end of topic exam shall be given one attempt to re-test. If the student fails the exam a second time, the student shall complete the in-service training topic in a traditional classroom setting before taking the exam a third time.

(D)          Topics delivered pursuant to 12 NCAC 09E .0104(1) shall not require written testing.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 17C‑6;

Eff. January 1, 1981;

Amended Eff. January 1, 2017; December 1, 2007; November 1, 2007; August 1, 2006; January 1, 2006; August 1, 2000; July 1, 1991; October 1, 1985; January 1, 1985; January 1, 1983;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. May 25, 2019;

Amended Eff. October 1, 2025; July 1, 2020; August 1, 2019.