PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 19 PRINTER'S NO. 52
No. 154 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY RHOADES, RAFFERTY, GORDNER, BOSCOLA, STACK, STOUT,
ERICKSON, WAUGH, GREENLEAF, KASUNIC, COSTA, WASHINGTON,
WOZNIAK AND PILEGGI, JANUARY 29, 2007
SENATOR RHOADES, EDUCATION, AS AMENDED, FEBRUARY 6, 2007
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 July 11, 2006 (P.L.1092, No.114), 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] PRE-KINDERGARTEN through third grade; <--
23 (vii) special education activities for professional
24 educators whose area of assignment includes students with
25 special needs;
26 (viii) successful completion of department training for
27 service as a Distinguished Educator if the professional educator
28 participates in and completes at least one assignment in the
29 Distinguished Educators Program; [or]
30 (ix) other continuing professional education courses,
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1 programs, activities or learning experiences sponsored by the
2 department[.]; or
3 (x) programs, activities or learning experiences accessed
4 through the clearinghouse established by the department under
5 section 1205.2(f).
6 * * *
7 (c.5) A school entity in which one or more schools have been
8 identified for warning, school improvement or corrective action
9 shall convene the committee for the purpose of amending its
10 professional education plan as set forth in subsection (b). The
11 amended professional education plan shall specify continuing
12 professional education options designed to assist in the
13 attainment of academic performance targets. Such options may
14 include:
15 (1) methods of improving the academic performance of
16 students in any subject area in which a school or schools has
17 failed to meet the academic performance target;
18 (2) methods of improving the academic performance of
19 students identified as:
20 (i) economically disadvantaged;
21 (ii) members of a major racial and ethnic group;
22 (iii) a student with a disability; or
23 (iv) limited English proficient; and
24 (3) training for educational advisors and instructional
25 coaches in any subject area for which an academic performance
26 target has been established.
27 * * *
28 Section 2. Section 1205.2(f) of the act, amended February 2,
29 2006 (P.L.19, No.5), is amended to read:
30 Section 1205.2. Program of Continuing Professional
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1 Education.--* * *
2 (f) [The department shall annually] In order to assist
3 school entities and professional educators in the satisfactory
4 completion of the continuing professional education program, the
5 department shall do all of the following:
6 (1) Annually provide a minimum of forty (40) hours of
7 continuing professional education courses, programs, activities
8 or learning experiences at no charge to professional educators.
9 In providing these courses, the department shall seek to use the
10 most efficient and cost-effective means possible, including the
11 use of advanced technology such as CD-ROM, the Internet and
12 distance communication.
13 (2) Establish PROVIDE a clearinghouse of continuing <--
14 professional education programs, activities or learning
15 experiences for use by school entities to fulfill the
16 requirements of section 1205.2(c)(4)(iii). The programs,
17 activities or learning experiences shall be cataloged by area of
18 assignment, area of certification and topic and shall be
19 provided to a school entity upon request.
20 (3) Establish PROVIDE a clearinghouse of continuing <--
21 professional education programs, activities or learning
22 experiences for use by school entities that have amended their
23 professional education plans pursuant to section 1205.1(c.5).
24 The programs, activities or learning experiences shall be
25 cataloged by area of assignment, area of certification and topic
26 and shall be provided to a school entity upon request. Programs,
27 activities or learning experiences under this clause shall
28 include:
29 (i) methods of improving the academic performance of
30 students in any subject area for which an academic performance
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1 target has been established;
2 (ii) methods of improving the academic performance of
3 students identified as:
4 (A) economically disadvantaged;
5 (B) members of a major racial and ethnic group;
6 (C) a student with a disability; or
7 (D) as limited English proficient; and
8 (iii) training for educational advisors and instructional
9 coaches in the subject areas of reading and mathematics.
10 * * *
11 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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