Professional Standards Commission Update for System Leaders

1. Professional Standards Commission Update for System Leaders GAEL Summer Conference July 10, 2007

2. Want Details? Special Interest Session Q&A with PSC DIRECTORS Atlantic Hall: 1:30-2:45 3:00-4:15

3. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission is a Regulatory Agency charged with Establishing and Enforcing Standards for Educator Preparation, Certification and Professional Conduct.

4. State Program Audits are always fun! The PSC Program Audit Dated April 2007 produced some interesting results.

5. PSC Program Audit 2007 School System Survey Results 94% Said The Certification Process Has Been Simplified Over The Past Four Years. (88 OF 94 RESPONDENTS)

6. PSC Program Audit 2007 School System Survey Results 96% Said The Certification Process Has Been Made More Efficient In The Past Four Years. (90 OF 94 RESPONDENTS)

7. PSC Program Audit 2007 School System Survey Results 78% Were “Very Satisfied” With The Time Required To Process Applications For Initial Certification. (65 OF 83 RESPONDENTS)

8. PSC Program Audit 2007 School System Survey Results 95% Were “Very Satisfied” With The Amount Of Time Required To Process Applications For Renewal. (88 OF 93 RESPONDENTS)

9. BUT…

10. The PSC Audit Headline Read “Although the commission is meeting its statutory mandates, the state continues to face teacher shortages.”

11. The Purpose of the Professional Standards Commission is to Provide a POOL of Qualified Educators to serve the children of Georgia

12. 2310 686 Certified Employed per the CPI

13. 1466 1081 Certified Employed per the CPI

14. The problem is that the Pool is not geographically distributed across the state!

15. Solving the Teacher Distribution / Shortage Problem Will Require the Coordinated Effort of All Educational Agencies.

17. ALLIANCE GOALS • Increase Graduation Rates • Strengthen Teacher Quality, Recruitment, Retention • Improve Workforce Readiness Skills • Develop Strong Leaders, Especially at Building Level • Improve SAT / ACT

18. ALLIANCE GOALS • Increase Graduation Rates • Strengthen Teacher Quality, Recruitment, Retention • Improve Workforce Readiness Skills • Develop Strong Leaders, Especially at Building Level • Improve SAT / ACT

19. The Statement in the Audit Resulted in a Change in the PSC Organization Structure

20. The New Structure reflects our Legislated Mandates as a REGULATORY agency. • Our Structure now includes the: • Educator Preparation Division • Certification Division • Ethics Division • Administrative/Support Units

21. Educator Preparation Division

22. Educator Preparation Division • Director: Fran Watkins • Purpose: Establish and enforce standards used to prepare teachers, service personnel and school leaders and accredit educator preparation programs whose students receive state certification. • Programs: • Program Accreditation: Tom Hall • Educator Testing: Linda Holloman • Teacher Recruitment: Cyndy Stephens

23. Routes to Certification • Traditional Routes - Obtaining a Georgia certificate by completing a state-approved educator preparation program, usually at a college or university. • Alternative Routes - Obtaining a Georgia certificate while working as an educator. Designed for "career switchers" who already hold degrees and have various life experiences, as well as former educators with expired or invalid certificates who wish to return to the classroom.

24. Alternative Routes 1. Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (TAPP) For individuals, usually "career switchers", who hold a PSC-accepted college degree but did not complete teacher education requirements. Eligible candidates are accepted into TAPP with employment at a participating school. Complete a two-year internship/induction period and Special Georgia Requirements. Application for certificate must come from employing school system.

25. TAPP Total Enrollment 1013

26. Alternative Routes 2. Test-Based Option (1-Year Supervised Practicum) Under specific situations, candidates holding a PSC-accepted college degree with appropriate GPA and a current job offer may, at the request of the employing school system, obtain a Non-Renewable certificate. Up-front eligibility also includes completion of the Basic Skills, Content and Professional Pedagogy Assessments. Application for certificate must come from employing school system.

27. Test-Based Option1-Year Supervised Practicum 3/8/2005 through 1/31/2007 Clear Renewable Participants Certificate Issued Total 425 207 Math 87 51 Science 69 41 Sp. Ed. 86 38 Other 183 77 Current Candidates in FY07 221 School Districts Participating 85

28. HB 603 SB 72 3. Secondary, Advanced Degree Alternative Program • PSC Program: least restrictive standards; high-quality professional development; intensive supervision/structured guidance; demonstrates satisfactory progress toward full certification. • Local System must have PSC program approval; • Applicant must possess a Master’s, Doctoral, or Juris Doctorate Degree in the academic subject to be taught

29. 95.7% of Georgia teachers are highly qualified. This represents all teachers who hold some type of Georgia certificate and are assigned to the appropriate core academic content by the school system. Your assignment of teachers determines whether or not they are Highly Qualified. Highly Qualified Teachers

30. TEACHER QUALITY EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF EXPERIENCED AND QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN CLASSROOMS WITH POOR AND MINORITY CHILDREN WHAT ARE YOU / WE DOING ABOUT IT???

31. Georgia’s Equity Plan Goals Ensure that poor and minority children are not taught by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers at a higher rate than other children. Ensure that children in low performing schools have access to equitable levels of instructional capacity.

32. Five Strategies Collection and Dissemination of Information Data Collection and Analysis of Highly Qualified Teacher Data Georgia’s Equity Plan 3. Monitoring of local school systems actions to achieve 100% highly qualified for all children 4. Research to develop instructional capacity measures for studying inequities 5. USDOE Annual Report of Georgia schools’ efforts to achieve 100% of highly qualified teachers for minority children and children in poverty

33. PSC’s Role in Georgia’s Equity Plan To make available accurate and appropriate data to assist local school systems in making decisions about their needs for and assignments of highly qualified teachers to teach children of poverty and minority children.

34. Teacher “Candidate” Recruitment

35. 500,000 page views/week Applications Posted2002 30,000 2003 34,000 2004 36,000 2005 108,298 2006 107,536 Vacancies Posted 2002 5,200 2003 6,500 2004 7,400 2005 5,749 2006 6,422

36. Participants 2002 136 2003 260 2004 305 2005 310 2006 559

37. PSC Recruitment Initiatives • 3 Regional Teacher Recruiters • Identify Candidates • System Support

38. PSC Recruitment Initiatives • Expand and Enhance Alternative Route Programs • Contract with Coastal Plains RESA • Contract with Middle Georgia RESA

39. North GA/Metro Region • Northwest GA RESA • North GA • Metro • Griffin • Northeast GA • Pioneer • Southwest GA Region • West GA • Middle GA • Chattahoochee-Flint • Southwest • Coastal Plains • Southeast GA Region • Oconee • CSRA • Heart of GA • First District • Okefenokee RESA RESA Locations 2007-2008 GEORGIA EDUCATOR RECRUITER REGIONS

40. Educator Testing

42. BACKGROUND • DECISION TO CHANGE TESTS IN SUMMER OF 2005 • ALIGNED WITH: National Content Standards GA Performance Standards GA Ed Prep Standards • OVER 5,000 GEORGIA EDUCATORS SERVED ON COMMITTEES • HUNDREDS MORE TOOK PART IN CONTENT VALIDATION SURVEYS

43. BACKGROUND (cont) • PHASE I: 40 Assessments • PHASE II: 5 Assessments • ComputerBased Competency via Internet byNOV 15, 2007

44. BACKGROUND (cont) TEST TAKERS – NOV ’06 Thru MAY ’07** 28,527 Individuals Have Taken a GACE Test 66,470 Tests Have Been Taken 31,639 Basic Skills Tests 1,542 Paraprofessional Tests 35,528 Content Tests 761 Professional Pedagogy Tests **NOTE: Does Not Include Separate Basic Skills Test Administered on June 30.

45. STILL TO COME • 2 ADDITIONAL TEST SITES IN NW AND SE GEORGIA Specific locations will be on web during registration • COMPUTER BASED COMPETENCY Available via Internet by November 15 • PARAPROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT Available via internet NOW to 45 Districts/RESAs 2nd Sign-Up Letter to Superintendents this Summer • WORKING ON BASIC SKILLS TEST VIA INTERNET PHASE III-NEW TESTS/UPDATES DUE TO GPS CHANGES

46. COMPUTER SKILL COMPETENCY REQUIREMENT • HB 1187, Special Georgia Requirement • Test-Out Option Online; No Cost to Educator AssessOnline Available Until 9/30/07 • GACE Version Available via Internet by 11/15/07$$$ Will Cost Educator Money $$$

47. PSC GACE POINT OF CONTACT LINDA HOLLOMAN PSC GACE POINT OF CONTACT: LINDA HOLLOMAN linda.holloman@gapsc.com (404) 232-2613

48. Certification Division

49. Certification Division • Director: Phil Blackwell • Purpose: Recommend and enforce certification policies and procedures, evaluate applications to determine issuance/denial status, maintain accurate certification records, and provide current certification information to the public and the educational community. • Programs: • Certification Operations: Kelli Young • Teacher Recognition: Jane Huntley

50. CERTIFICATION RULE CHANGES EFFECTIVE DATE# CERT RULES Mar 15, 2006 26 Sep 1, 2006 18 Dec 15, 2006 12 Jul 15, 2007 14 TO BE INITIATED: Jul 26, 2007 Legislative Alternative Route (Adv Degree) Sep 13, 2007 Leadership