Source: https://www.education.pa.gov/Educators/Certification/Staffing%20Guidelines/Pages/CSPG21.aspx
Timestamp: 2019-12-14 22:22:50
Document Index: 110072392

Matched Legal Cases: ['§49', '§49', '§49', '§49', '§49', '§403', '§49']

CSPG 21 - Testing
Pennsylvania Department of Education > Educators > Certification > Staffing Guidelines (CSPGs) > CSPG 21 - Testing
​CSPG 21 - Testing
The Testing Certification and Staffing Policy Guideline (CSPG) outlines the testing requirements for all education candidates for certification. The information provided in the Testing CSPG is applicable to all educators who are currently applying for a Pennsylvania certification.
All candidates should refer to the Certification Test and Score Requirements chart for current test information. Test requirements, including qualifying scores, are subject to change.
The GPA Qualifying Scores included in the chart may not be used for:
Intern certificates;
Add-ons by testing; or
Basic skills assessments.
Candidates must meet the assessment requirements on the date the application is submitted. Older tests, taken when required in Pennsylvania, may be eligible under the replaced test policy (refer to section 3).
Candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher are not required to take the basic skills assessments as a post-baccalaureate program entrance requirement.
Out-of-State Instructional candidates who submit a copy of a current, valid, and comparable certificate with verification of two years of satisfactory teaching experience are only required to take the content test.
Educational Specialist candidates who hold a valid license recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education are exempt from all testing.
Vocational candidates in post-baccalaureate programs are not required to take the basic skills assessment in reading and writing. The mathematics assessment is required for vocational level II certification.
All test scores must be reported electronically and directly from the test provider when available.
If not available, we accept test scores through alternative submission methods:
A letter from another state education agency sent directly to PDE with the
Current name of the applicant;
Application ID, PPID, date of birth, or last four digits of the SSN;
Test information: test date, test code, test name, and either the score or state qualifying score needed for certification at the time the test was taken.
Official scores in an envelope sealed by the test provider and forwarded to PDE with a TIMS application cover sheet to the address listed on the cover sheet.
SAT or ACT scores entered by the Pennsylvania approved program provider in TIMS.
Scores verified from an official score report sent directly to PDE from the program provider or high school (ACT, SAT). The letter may be sent via:
Email RA-TeacherCert@pa.gov
U.S. Mail to the address listed on the TIMS application cover sheet.
Replaced Tests
Tests are periodically replaced. Old test scores will be accepted if taken within six months of the effective date of the new test unless:
A candidate registered for the test prior to the effective date of the new test.
A candidate took the test within the window and failed. They will be given an additional six months.
Adding Certificate Areas by Testing
Educators currently holding a valid Pennsylvania Instructional certificate may add subject areas by passing the appropriate content tests and applying in TIMS. Certification areas that may not be added via testing are Special Education (all areas),
Cooperative Education, Health and Physical Education, and Reading Specialist.
Chapter §49.18, §49.65, §49.111, §49.121, §49.163, §403.4
CSPG 4
This revision supersedes all earlier CSPGs carrying this number and/or addressing this subject. Previous CSPG printing dates on this subject: 1/1987, 7/2004, 5/2008, 8/2008, 7/2014, 9/2016
​Major Changes to CSPG #21
​5/1/2017 ​Clarified basic skills entrance requirement
​8/1/2016 ​Added submission information and test exceptions.
​7/1/2014 ​Revised the replaced test policy.
The Pre-Service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) reading, writing, mathematics tests replaced the Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST) effective April 2012; PPSTs accepted through Dec. 31, 2012.
Added the acceptance of the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) Plus writing for meeting the basic skills assessment requirement.
Eliminated the 10-year test score validity requirement.
Added six-month grace period for acceptance of replaced tests.
Added the Letter of Eligibility test requirement.
Deleted the following statement as the certificate, plus two years of teaching supersedes/supplants the 3-out-of-7 rule even though it is still in regulation:
Test scores submitted under the 3-out-of-7 rule as stated in Chapter §49.65 (e) must have been successfully completed within five years of the date of application.
​8/1/2008 ​The five-year test score validity has been extended to 10 years for all
educator candidates with the exception of out-of-state candidates
evaluated under the 3-out-of-7 rule.
​9/1/2003 ​Allowed the add-on of instructional certifications by passing the content
test and permitted the use of the American Council for the Teaching of
Foreign Languages (ACTFL) tests administered through Language
Testing International (LTI) for foreign languages.
​9/1/2002 ​Fundamental Subjects Content Knowledge (0511) replaced Elementary
Education Content Knowledge (0014).
​9/1/2001 ​Testing added for Educational Specialists, Supervisors and
​9/1/2000
Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST) Listening Skills Test required as of 9/1/2000 until 1/2002.
Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST) – reading, writing and math replaced General Knowledge and Communication Skills as basic skills tests.
Elementary Education Content Knowledge (0014) was added for all K-6 and K-12 areas.
​11/1/1997 ​Principles of Learning and Teaching replaced Professional Knowledge
​11/1/1993 ​Praxis tests for basic skills and content areas replaced National Teacher
Exam/Pennsylvania Teacher Certification Testing Program tests.
​9/1/1991-1993 ​National Teacher Exam tests were offered in the basic skills areas
including General Knowledge, Communication Skills and Professional
Knowledge between 1991-93. Additional specialty area National Teacher
Exam tests continued to be added.
​6/1/1987 ​Pennsylvania teacher certification testing began. Pennsylvania Teacher
Certification Testing Program tests were required between 1987 and
1992. A small number of National Teacher Exam specialty area tests