Pennsylvania Act 2018-82 — PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF 1949 - INSTRUCTIONAL CERTIFICATE GRADE SPANS AND AGE LEVELS AND DUTIES OF DEPARTMENT

Act text

Session of 2018

No. 2018-82

HB 1386

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An act relating to the public school system, including certain provisions applicable as well to private and parochial schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," in certification of teachers, providing for instructional certificate grade spans and age levels and duties of department.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a section to read:

Section 1202.1. Instructional Certificate Grade Spans and Age Levels and Duties of Department.--(a) The following shall apply to special education certificates:

(1) Notwithstanding 22 Pa. Code § 49.85 (relating to limitations), the grade span and age levels for special education certificates issued after December 31, 2021, shall be prekindergarten through grade twelve or up to twenty-one (21) years of age. An additional content area shall not be required for a special education certificate issued in accordance with this section.

(2) Special education certificates issued in accordance with 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(a) and (b) shall remain valid for the term of the certificate.

(3) An individual holding Special Education-PK-8 and Special Education-7-12 level certificates issued in accordance with 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(b)(5) and (6) shall have the opportunity to expand the scope of the individual's certificate to meet the grade levels covered under paragraph (1) by a process determined by the Department of Education, which shall include, but not be limited to, continuing education credits or attaining qualifying scores on the assessment made available by the Department of Education for the specific certification level.

(b) The Department of Education shall have the following duties:

(1) Within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this subsection:

(i) Notify all teacher preparation programs approved by the Department of Education, all individuals enrolled in these programs and all individuals holding an early childhood certificate under 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(b)(1) that an individual holding or seeking an early childhood certificate may, by attaining qualifying scores on the assessment made available by the Department of Education, extend the grade span for the individual's early childhood certificate to include grades five and six and include and maintain notice of the availability of the assessment on the publicly accessible Internet website of the Department of Education with other information describing certification requirements.

(ii) Create a notification form to inform an individual seeking an early childhood certificate after the effective date of this subsection that the individual may, by attaining qualifying scores on the assessment made available by the Department of Education, extend the grade span for the individual's early childhood certificate to include grades five and six. A teacher preparation program shall provide the form to all individuals seeking an early childhood certification.

(2) By March 1, 2019, and by March 1 of each year thereafter, issue a report to the Education Committee of the Senate, the Education Committee of the House of Representatives and the State Board of Education and post the report on the publicly accessible Internet website of the Department of Education that includes the following:

(i) The number of Instructional I Certificates issued, in total and subdivided by field of certification and teacher preparation program for each year beginning in 2010. This shall include certificates issued reciprocally for out-of-State teacher preparation programs.

(ii) The number of Instructional II Certificates issued, in total and subdivided by field of certification and teacher preparation program for each year beginning in 2010. This shall include certificates issued reciprocally for out-of-State teacher preparation programs.

(iii) The number of administrative certificates issued, in total and subdivided by field of certification and teacher preparation program for each year beginning in 2010. This shall include certificates issued reciprocally for out-of-State teacher preparation programs.

(iv) The number of emergency certificates issued, in total and subdivided by the local education agency by which the individual is employed and by field of certification for each year beginning in 2010.

(v) The number of individuals who have taken the assessment under paragraph (1) and who attained qualifying scores on the assessment since the assessment was made available by the Department of Education.

(c) The Joint State Government Commission shall conduct a study and issue a report subject to the following:

(1) The study shall analyze the following:

(i) The appropriateness of the fields of certification, including grade span and age level limitations, in improving student outcomes.

(ii) The creation or elimination of teaching certifications or endorsements.

(iii) National trends regarding grade span and age limitations of certification.

(2) The report shall be transmitted no later than June 1, 2019, to the following:

(i) The Governor.

(ii) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the Education Committee of the Senate.

(iii) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the Education Committee of the House of Representatives.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 19th day of October, A.D. 2018.

TOM WOLF