1. Requirement. An educational specialist certificate is required for employment as an educational specialist at a public school or a private school approved for attendance purposes pursuant to section 2901, subsection 2, paragraph B.

2. Qualifications. The state board shall adopt rules establishing the qualifications for an educational specialist certificate.

3. Endorsements. The educational specialist certificate must be issued with an endorsement that specifies the work area for which the individual is determined to be qualified. A holder of an educational specialist certificate may not work outside the holder’s area of endorsement.

4. Certificate renewal. An educational specialist’s certificate is issued for a 5-year period and may be renewed in accordance with state board rules, which must require, at a minimum, that the educational specialist, whether employed or unemployed, complete at least 6 semester hours of professional or academic study or the equivalent or in-service training designed to improve the performance of the educational specialist in the field.