Changes in Teacher Certification: Strengthening the Professional Core Joel Geary, Educator Preparation Liaison

1. Changes in Teacher Certification: Strengthening the Professional Core Joel Geary, Educator Preparation Liaison Edward G. Rendell, Governor Tom Gluck, Secretary of Education 1

2. Edward G. Rendell Governor Tom Gluck, Secretary of Education

3. Office of Post Secondary/Higher Education Sandra Edmunds, Deputy Secretary Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality Terry Barnaby , Director Division of Professional Education, Christina Baumer Division Manager

4. The mission of the Pennsylvania Department of Education is to lead and serve the educational community, to enable each individual to grow into an inspired, productive, fulfilled lifelong learner. 4

5. Changes to PA Certification regulations New Professional Core Impact on current certificate holders Differences between “old” and “new” certificate programs Additional changes to certification programs Keep up with changes Topics Covered Topics

6. On or before January 1, 2011: Teacher education programs will require at least 9 credits or 270 hours, or an equivalent combination thereof, regarding accommodations and adaptations for students with disabilities in an inclusive setting. Within the content of these 9 credits or 270 hours, instruction in literacy skills development and cognitive skill development for students with disabilities must be included, as determined by the institution. At least 3 credits or 90 additional hours, or an equivalent combination thereof, must address the instructional needs of English language learners. For purposes of this requirement, 1 credit equals 30 hours of coursework. Applicable hours are limited to a combination of seat hours of classroom instruction, field observation experiences, major research assignments, and development and implementation of lesson plans with accommodations and adaptations for diverse learners in an inclusive setting. This requirement does not apply to current certificate holders—it is a requirement for college programs. Changes to § 49.13 Changes to § 49.13

7. New certificates issued after January 1, 2013, will be:  a. Early Childhood (Pre K through grade 4, or ages 3 through 9).  b. Elementary/Middle (grades 4 through 8, or ages 9 through 14).  c. Secondary (grades 7 through 12, or ages 11 through 21).  d. Specialized areas (Pre K through grade 12 or up through age 21).  e. Special Education PreK-8 (PreK through grade 8 or ages 3 through 14) with a dual certificate in one of the following:          i.   Early Childhood          ii.   Elementary/Middle          iii.  Reading Specialist    f.  Special Education 7-12 (Grades 7 through 12 or ages 11 through 21) with a dual certificate in one of the following:                          i.   Secondary          ii.  Reading Specialist Note: The definition of Pre-kindergarten was amended to include Early Intervention agencies. Changes to § 49.85 Changes to § 49.85

8. No worries. Your ability to work is based on your current certificate(s). You may add new certificates Complete a post-bacc certification program. In some cases, you can add an Instructional area to an existing Instructional Certificate if you take and pass the appropriate ACTFL/Praxis content test. Must hold an Instructional (type 60, 61, 62 or 80) certificate and be adding an Instructional area. *Please note cannot add to a Vocational certificate. Excludes: Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Reading Specialist, Cooperative Ed, all Special Education areas and Health and Physical Education and any Instructional subject with "no qualifying score". http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=506819&mode=2 For Existing Certificate Holders For Existing Certificate Holders

9. PA Certification Web Pagehttp://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/certifications/7199

10. Added Early Childhood theory PA Early Learning Standards How to observe and record behavior in order to understand the meaning and degree of variation and exceptionality among individuals Diversity Family and Community Partnerships Pedagogy has added appropriate early foundations in the subject areas Strengthened awareness and use of multiple assessments to make decisions about instruction, eligibility decisions Added Field Experience hours requirement: Observation and Exploration: 40 hours Pre-Student Teaching: 150 hours Student Teaching: maintains requirements for 12 weeks full-time Added several requirements linking Pre K-4 instruction with PA Standards and Assessment Anchors Requires colleges to offer two-years of support after graduation What’s Different? Grades Pre K-4 What’s Different? Pre K-4 What’s

11. Emphasis on Middle Level education, e.g., philosophy of middle school education, adolescent development and motivation, student transition, managing classroom and materials for middle level learners. Added a requirement for minimum competencies in English/Language Arts and Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Added a requirement for a Concentration Area (Option I or Option II) Result: Certificate holder is able to be a generalist in grades 4-6, but also may be HQT in one or two subject areas in 7th & 8th grades (depends on Option). Strengthened awareness of and use of multiple assessments to make decisions about instruction, eligibility decisions Added Field Experience hours requirement: Observation and Exploration: 40 hours Pre-Student Teaching: 150 hours Student Teaching: maintains requirements for 12 weeks full-time Added several requirements linking 4-8 instruction with PA Standards and Assessment Anchors Requires colleges to offer two-years of support after graduation What’s Different? Grades 4-8 (Middle Level)

12. Requires dual certification with either Pre K-4 or 4-8 7-12 content area. Reading Specialist Note: Only 3 colleges are seeking this to date. Heavy focus on use of assessment and appropriate instruction to help students progress toward standards, plus: Understanding and preventing over-representation of diverse students in special education Inclusion in LRE Collaboration Secondary Transition Pedagogy for different grade bands focuses on that grade band Added Field Experience hours requirement: Observation and Exploration: 40 hours Pre-Student Teaching: 150 hours Student Teaching: maintains requirements for 12 weeks, split between Special Education and content area certificate Requires colleges to offer two-years of support after graduation What’s Different? Special Education

13. Earn Elementary K-6 or Special Education N-12 certificate before December 2012, or seek new certificates Some colleges are not able to run both programs simultaneously Thus, many candidates are moving into the new programs New admissions must be for new programs For Candidates in College Now For Candidates in College Now

14. Graduates who earn the first certificate will have an opportunity to enter an “Accelerated Program” for the other certificate. Guidelines will be released soon. For all other certificate holders, a post-bacc program is an option Field experience/student teaching in new grade band is required For Those Desiring Both Pre K-4 and 4-8 Certificates

15. New Guidelines take effect September 1, 2011 Professional Core for secondary-level teacher preparation must include: Organizational Structure of the High School Adolescent Development Subject Matter Content and Pedagogy Subject Matter Content Pedagogy -- “Candidates interested in teaching at secondary levels must in one sense be prepared to “unpack” complex issues and procedures to their foundational elements, yet in another sense be able to motivate and challenge students with a variety of evolving 21st century applications of the subject matter.” Assessment Professionalism Adaptations and Accommodations for Diverse Students in an Inclusive Setting and Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners §49.13(4)(i)) Secondary Education Programs

16. Additional subject areas may be “added-on” after initial certification, if the applicant can demonstrate subject matter knowledge through the appropriate ACTFL/Praxis test(s). The current grades 7-9 add-on certificates will no longer be issued once the new 4-8 Praxis tests have been developed. Until then, 7-9 add-ons are permitted. Once new tests are established, middle grades can only be added by completing a 4-8 program. Upon certification in one 4-8 concentration, additional concentrations may be added through the appropriate 4-8 content test. Secondary Education Programs

17. Following approval by the Department, baccalaureate or graduate degree granting institutions may offer short programs (12 credits maximum) that lead to the Program Endorsement. The Program Endorsement documents knowledge in new and emerging areas where formal certification does not exist. The Program Endorsement is intended to improve a teacher’s skills in dealing with complex classroom settings. These endorsements would be added to existing Level I or Level II Certificates but are not required to perform service in these areas. Autism Spectrum Disorder Instructional Coaching New Endorsements New Endorsements

18. For coaches who will serve primarily as literacy coaches at the Pre K-4 level, the PA certification guidelines for reading specialist http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/institutional_program_approval/8817 and the IRA Standards for Reading Professionals 2010 provide useful information about content knowledge. In Pennsylvania, coaching is considered a part of the Reading Specialist certification. In other words, an individual with reading specialist certification is eligible for a coaching position; however, the Instructional Coaching Endorsement is available for reading specialists who desire to further strengthen their professional knowledge and skills in instructional coaching. From the Guidelines for the Instructional Coaching Endorsement

19. To provide the literacy knowledge necessary for those whose focus is literacy across the disciplines, Standards for Middle and High School Literary Coaches (IRA, 2006) http://www.reading.org/General/CurrentResearch/Standards/CoachingStandards.aspx provides specific knowledge competencies for English, mathematics, science and social studies. Likewise, the PA Comprehensive Reading Plan document, The Pennsylvania Literacy Framework (PLF), may provide a valuable framework for literacy. The philosophy of Pennsylvania’s Standards Aligned System (SAS) must permeate the candidates’ course experiences, as well as their field experiences. Programs have flexibility in how they address accommodations, adaptations and cognitive development of diverse students in an inclusive setting, and English Language Learners. From the Guidelines for the Instructional Coaching Endorsement

20. $100   In State PA Certificate Application (Level I)   $160   Out of State PA Certificate Application (Level I) (fee required for each subject area)  $100   Level II Application(converting Level I to Level II) $100    Add-On application (fee required for each subject area)   Fees Have Gone Up

21. Educators who have been issued a Level I instructional certificate after September 22, 2007 must complete 6 specific credit hours as a part of the 24 semester hour post-baccalaureate credits. Therefore, effective September 1, 2011, individuals applying for Level II conversion must have earned at least six post-baccalaureate credits of collegiate study in the area of Inclusive Classrooms and/ or in the area of Standards Aligned Systems (SAS). Acceptable coursework in the area of Inclusive Classrooms includes the following topic areas: Providing effective instruction to students with mild to severe disabilities Research-proven strategies and methods to help special needs learners gain meaningful access to elementary and/or secondary curriculum content Assessing the success of instruction with special learners and improvement of outcomes for all students Methods of motivation and classroom management in settings with special needs learners Acceptable coursework in Standards Aligned Systems (SAS) includes the following topic areas: Understanding the national movement for core academic standards; understanding Pennsylvania's Standards Aligned System (SAS) and the research base underlying its six components Use of diagnostics and formative assessment Use of Pennsylvania's Ed Portal as an ongoing job-embedded resource for educators A requirement to conduct a professional development activity or awareness session in the educator's own school district on Pennsylvania's SAS and curriculum frameworks Level I to Level II

22. A common misconception is that the 24 credits required for conversion to a Level II certificate are required to be at the graduate level, and/or earned after the initial PA certificate is issued. Credits are not required to be at the graduate level, but are required to be earned “post-baccalaureate” (earned after the conferral of the initial Bachelor’s degree.) Credits earned during a post-baccalaureate teacher preparation program are applicable to meet the Level II requirements. Please encourage new teachers to review the Level II Instruction Booklet posted on the PDE website at www.education.state.pa.us before enrolling in, or taking Level II related coursework. The booklet specifically details what specific credits are acceptable, or unacceptable, for Level II conversion. Level I to Level II

23. PA Certification Web Page http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/certifications/7199 PDE Chapter 49 Web page http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/chapter_49/8627 Joel Geary: jgeary@state.pa.us Keeping Up With Changes