PRINTER'S NO. 133
No. 148 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY RHOADES, PICCOLA, PILEGGI, RAFFERTY, GREENLEAF,
WOZNIAK, KASUNIC, PIPPY, ERICKSON, BOSCOLA, STACK AND WAUGH,
FEBRUARY 1, 2005
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 1, 2005
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," further providing for continuing
6 professional development and for program of continuing
7 professional education.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Section 1205.1(c.1) of the act of March 10, 1949
11 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
12 amended November 23, 1999 (P.L.529, No.48), is amended and the
13 section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
14 Section 1205.1. Continuing Professional Development.--* * *
15 (c.1) The continuing professional education plan shall
16 specify the professional education needs that will be met by
17 completion of each continuing professional education option and
18 how it relates to areas of assignment and certification or
19 potential administrative certification. The options may include,
20 but shall not be limited to:
1 (1) Collegiate studies.
2 (2) Continuing professional education courses taken for
3 credit.
4 (3) Other programs, activities or learning experiences taken
5 for credit or hourly, to include:
6 (i) curriculum development and other program design and
7 delivery activities at the school entity or grade level as
8 determined by the school entity and approved by the board of
9 directors;
10 (ii) participation in professional conferences and
11 workshops;
12 (iii) education in the workplace, where the work relates to
13 the professional educator's area of assignment and is approved
14 by the board of directors;
15 (iv) review, redesign and restructuring of school programs,
16 organizations and functions as determined by the school entity
17 and approved by the board of directors;
18 (v) in-service programs that comply with guidelines
19 established by the department;
20 (vi) early childhood and child development activities for
21 professional educators whose area of assignment includes
22 kindergarten through third grade;
23 (vii) special education activities for professional
24 educators whose area of assignment includes students with
25 special needs; [or]
26 (viii) other continuing professional education courses,
27 programs, activities or learning experiences sponsored by the
28 department[.]; or
29 (ix) programs, activities or learning experiences accessed
30 through the clearinghouse established by the department under
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1 section 1205.2(f).
2 * * *
3 (c.5) A school entity in which one or more schools have been
4 identified for warning, school improvement or corrective action
5 shall convene the committee for the purpose of amending its
6 professional education plan as set forth in subsection (b). The
7 amended professional education plan shall specify continuing
8 professional education options designed to assist in the
9 attainment of academic performance targets. Such options may
10 include:
11 (1) methods of improving the academic performance of
12 students in any subject area in which a school or schools has
13 failed to meet the academic performance target;
14 (2) methods of improving the academic performance of
15 students identified as:
16 (i) economically disadvantaged;
17 (ii) members of a major racial and ethnic group;
18 (iii) a student with a disability; or
19 (iv) limited English proficient; and
20 (3) training for educational advisors and instructional
21 coaches in any subject area for which an academic performance
22 target has been established.
23 * * *
24 Section 2. Section 1205.2(f) of the act, added November 23,
25 1999 (P.L.529, No.48), is amended to read:
26 Section 1205.2. Program of Continuing Professional
27 Education.--* * *
28 (f) [The department shall annually] In order to assist
29 school entities and professional educators in the satisfactory
30 completion of the continuing professional education program, the
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1 department shall do all of the following:
2 (1) Annually provide a minimum of forty (40) hours of
3 continuing professional education courses, programs, activities
4 or learning experiences at no charge to professional educators
5 employe by a school entity. In providing these courses, the
6 department shall seek to use the most efficient and cost-
7 effective means possible, including the use of advanced
8 technology such as CD-ROM, the Internet and distance
9 communication.
10 (2) Establish a clearinghouse of continuing professional
11 education programs, activities or learning experiences for use
12 by school entities to fulfill the requirements of section
13 1205.2(c)(4)(iii). The programs, activities or learning
14 experiences shall be cataloged by area of assignment, area of
15 certification and topic and shall be provided to a school entity
16 upon request.
17 (3) Establish a clearinghouse of continuing professional
18 education programs, activities or learning experiences for use
19 by school entities that have amended their professional
20 education plans pursuant to section 1205.1(c.5). The programs,
21 activities or learning experiences shall be cataloged by area of
22 assignment, area of certification and topic and shall be
23 provided to a school entity upon request. Programs, activities
24 or learning experiences under this clause shall include:
25 (i) methods of improving the academic performance of
26 students in any subject area for which an academic performance
27 target has been established;
28 (ii) methods of improving the academic performance of
29 students identified as:
30 (A) economically disadvantaged;
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1 (B) members of a major racial and ethnic group;
2 (C) a student with a disability; or
3 (D) as limited English proficient; and
4 (iii) training for educational advisors and instructional
5 coaches in the subject areas of reading and mathematics.
6 * * *
7 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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