1Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2act relating to the public school system, including certain
3provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5laws relating thereto," in certification of teachers, further
6providing for continuing professional development and for
7program of continuing professional education.

8The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9hereby enacts as follows:

10Section 1. Section 1205.1 of the act of March 10, 1949
11(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
12amended by adding a subsection to read:

13Section 1205.1. Continuing Professional Development.--* * *

14(g) As used in this section, the term "school entity" means
15a school district, charter school, regional charter school,
16cyber charter school, intermediate unit or area vocational-
17technical school.

18Section 2. Section 1205.2(c) and the definition of "school
19entity" in subsection (o) of the act, amended July 13, 2005
20(P.L.226, No.46) and July 11, 2006 (P.L.1092, No.114), are
21amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection to

1read:

2Section 1205.2. Program of Continuing Professional
3Education.--* * *

4(c) [The] Subject to the restrictions in subsection (c.1),
5the requirements of subsection (a) may be satisfied by a
6professional educator, whether or not presently employed by a
7school entity, by the successful completion of credits or hours
8to include any of the following:

9(1) Credits of collegiate studies related to an area of the
10professional educator's assignment or certification at an
11institution of higher education approved by the department.

12(2) Credits of continuing professional education courses
13related to an area of the professional educator's assignment or
14certification conducted by providers approved by the department.

15(3) Hours of other continuing professional education
16programs, activities or learning experiences related to an area
17of the professional educator's assignment or certification
18conducted by providers approved by the department.

19(4) Credits or hours completed in any collegiate studies,
20continuing professional education courses or continuing
21professional education programs, activities or learning
22experiences included in the professional education plan of the
23professional educator's school entity and conducted by:

24(i) the department;

25(ii) providers approved by the department;

26(iii) the professional educator's school entity; or

27(iv) providers approved as part of the professional
28education plan of the professional educator's school entity.

29(5) Credits or hours not included in clauses (1) through (4)
30approved by the board of directors of the school entity.

1(6) Credits or hours required to obtain administrator
2certification.

3(7) Credits or hours in an area other than the area of the
4professional educator's assignment or certification if the
5professional educator may be transferred by the board of
6directors to another assignment. The credits or hours must be
7approved for the professional educator by the board of
8directors.

9(8) Successful completion of department training for service
10as a Distinguished Educator if the professional educator
11participates in and completes at least one assignment in the
12Distinguished Educators Program.

13(c.1) The credits or hours authorized under subsection (c)
14or elsewhere that a professional educator may earn for meeting
15the requirements of subsection (a), whether or not presently
16employed by a school entity, are restricted as follows:

17(1) Credits or hours for the successful completion of the
18training and project-based evaluation established under 22 Pa.
19Code § 4.51c (relating to project-based assessment) that are
20approved to satisfy the requirements of subsection (a) shall be
21restricted to satisfy one (1) credit or thirty (30) hours of the
22one hundred eighty (180) hours of credits needed for a single
23five-year compliance period.

24(2) The requirements of subsection (a) may not be satisfied
25by the successful completion of:

26(i) Credits or hours that consist solely of grading,
27scoring, correcting, assessing or evaluating a student's
28participation in or response to a tool used to measure a
29student's knowledge base, ability to learn or proficiency in any
30subject area regardless of being approved or conducted by the

1Department of Education. A tool to measure a student may
2include, but shall not be limited to:

3(A) a presented question;

4(B) an exam;

5(C) a test;

6(D) a standardized, performance, project-based or other
7assessment;

8(E) an interview; or

9(F) a request for report or essay.

10(ii) A second or subsequent completion of the training and
11project-based evaluation established under 22 Pa. Code § 4.51c
12that are approved to meet the requirements under subsection (a)
13or for an additional project-based evaluation based on the
14initial training regardless of whether the training and
15evaluation of a project-based assessment or the additional
16evaluation are completed within the professional educator's
17five-year compliance period or a second or subsequent five-year
18compliance period.

19(3) The student whose participation, response or project-
20based assessment is being graded, scored, corrected, assessed or
21evaluated may, but does not need to be, a student of the
22professional educator for this subsection to apply.

23(4) This section shall not restrict a professional educator
24from participating in a second or subsequent completion of
25training or project-based evaluation or an additional project-
26based evaluation based on the initial training. The satisfaction
27of continuing professional education credits with the
28participation, however, is restricted by this subsection.

29* * *

30(o) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following

1words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
2subsection:

3* * *

4"School entity" shall mean a school district, [an
5intermediate unit, a joint school district, an area vocational-
6technical school, a charter school, the Scotland School for
7Veterans' Children and the Scranton School for the Deaf or any
8of these acting jointly] charter school, regional charter 
9school, cyber charter school, intermediate unit or area 
10vocational-technical school.

11Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.