Pennsylvania Code › Title 22 - EDUCATION › Part I - State Board of Education › Subpart C - Higher Education › Chapter 49 - CERTIFICATION OF PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL › Subchapter A - GENERAL PROVISIONS › THE PROGRAM › Section 49.13 - Policies

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) The Board,
						through the Secretary, will provide standards for the guidance of the preparing
						institutions in educating professional personnel for the schools of this
						Commonwealth, all of which are to include accommodations and adaptations for
						diverse learners.
(b) The
						Department will have the following responsibilities with respect to
						certification and permitting of professional personnel in the schools of this
						Commonwealth:
(1) Provision of advisory
						services to college and school personnel in matters pertaining to educator
						preparation and certification.
(2)
						Designation of professional titles for personnel.
(3) Prescription of procedures for issuance
						of certificates and permits.
(4)
						Evaluation and approval of educator preparation programs leading to the
						certification and permitting of professional personnel.
(i) The evaluation by the Department will
						provide assurance that, on or before January 1, 2011, teacher education
						programs will require at least nine credits or 270 hours, or an equivalent
						combination thereof, regarding accommodations and adaptations for students with
						disabilities in an inclusive setting. Within the context of these nine 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 three credits or 90 additional hours, or an
						equivalent combination thereof, must address the instructional needs of English
						language learners. For purposes of this requirement, one 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.
(ii) The evaluation by the
						Department will provide assurance that educator preparation programs
						demonstrate the integration of culturally relevant and sustaining education and
						professional ethics throughout the preparation program.
(iii) The evaluation by the Department will
						provide assurance that educator preparation programs include instruction in
						structured literacy as part of programs that prepare candidates to earn an
						instructional certificate in Early Childhood, Elementary/Middle, Special
						Education (PK-12), English as a second language and Reading
						Specialist.
(iv) Program approval
						reviews shall be conducted by professional educators from basic and higher
						education.
(5)
						Registration of certified and permitted persons.
(6) Maintenance of records of all
						certificates and permits.
(7)
						Assurance that each professional person is properly certified or permitted for
						the specific position in which the professional person is employed.
(8) Review and investigation of alleged
						violations of this chapter.
(9)
						Prescription of procedures approved by the Board for the appraisal and
						evaluation of education and experience of applicants for any type of
						professional certification issued by the Department when the applicant has been
						denied certification and is prepared by institutions outside this Commonwealth
						or has appealed in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board in §
													49.66 (relating to appeal
						procedure), a decision pertaining to eligibility for certification rendered by
						a Commonwealth institution having an approved program. The appellant initially
						shall have appealed to the institution.
(10) The issuance of administrative agency
						interpretative policies and directives relating to professional certification
						and staffing in the schools of this Commonwealth as may be necessary to carry
						out the intent of this chapter.
(11) Identification and approval of
						assessment tools, instruments and procedures to measure basic skills and
						general knowledge; professional knowledge and practice; and subject matter
						knowledge.
(12) Assurance that
						individual scores or measurements achieved on assessments instituted under §
													49.18 (relating to assessment) are
						not released without the permission of the candidate or pursuant to subpoena or
						court order. The Department will inform the candidate by means of the
						candidate's last known address when it has received a subpoena or court
						order.