Regular Session 2015-2016 House Bill 1708 P.N. 2551

PRINTER'S NO. 2551

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

1708

Session of

2015

INTRODUCED BY ROEBUCK, C. PARKER, ROZZI, SCHREIBER, THOMAS,

SCHLOSSBERG, LONGIETTI, V. BROWN, KINSEY, COHEN, TRUITT,

READSHAW, O'BRIEN, CARROLL AND SANTARSIERO, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An

act relating to the public school system, including certain

provisions applicable as well to private and parochial

schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the

laws relating thereto," in certification of teachers, further

providing for continuing professional development and for

continuing professional education for school or system

leaders and providing for the Beginning Teacher Mentor

Program.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 1205.1(c.1)(3) of the act of March 10,

1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,

amended October 22, 2014 (P.L.2624, No.168), is amended and the

section is amended by adding a subsection to read:

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

(c.1) The continuing professional education plan shall

specify the professional education needs that will be met by

completion of each continuing professional education option and

how it relates to areas of assignment and certification or

potential administrative certification. The options may include,

but shall not be limited to:

* * *

(3) Other programs, activities or learning experiences taken

for credit or hourly, to include:

(i) curriculum development and other program design and

delivery activities at the school entity or grade level as

determined by the school entity and approved by the board of

directors;

(ii) participation in professional conferences and

workshops;

(iii) education in the workplace, where the work relates to

the professional educator's area of assignment and is approved

by the board of directors;

(iv) review, redesign and restructuring of school programs,

organizations and functions as determined by the school entity

and approved by the board of directors;

(v) in-service programs that comply with guidelines

established by the department;

(vi) early childhood and child development activities for

professional educators whose area of assignment includes

kindergarten through third grade;

(vii) special education activities for professional

educators whose area of assignment includes students with

special needs;

(viii) successful completion of department training for

service as a Distinguished Educator if the professional educator

participates in and completes at least one assignment in the

Distinguished Educators Program;

(ix) other continuing professional education courses,

programs, activities or learning experiences sponsored by the

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department; [or]

(x) visits by educators to a manufacturing workplace for

orientation and demonstrations to give the professional educator

a greater understanding of job opportunities in manufacturing

for students[.]; or

(xi) inclusion of a Beginning Teacher Mentor Program

established under section 1218 or similar program approved by

the department.

* * *

(c.5) A professional education plan shall include trained

mentors providing support of beginning teachers during a two-

year induction period.

* * *

Section 2. Section 1205.5 of the act is amended by adding a

subsection to read:

Section 1205.5. Continuing Professional Education for School

or System Leaders.--* * *

(i) All programs offered or approved by the Department of

Education under this section shall address the Beginning Teacher

Mentor Program for purposes of beginning teacher evaluations

pursuant to section 1218.

Section 3. The act is amended by adding a section to read:

Section 1218. Beginning Teacher Mentor Program.--(a) The

Department of Education, by July 1, 2016, shall establish a

Statewide comprehensive Beginning Teacher Mentor Program that

consists of multiple forms of support for beginning teachers to

assist in their effective transition into the classroom

environment during a two-year induction period. The following

apply:

(1) Under the provisions of 22 Pa. Code § 49.16 (relating to

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approval of induction plans), the approval of induction plans

shall include mentor training as provided for under this

section. The Department of Education shall extend the induction

period for beginning teachers to at least two years.

(2) The structure of the program shall be similar to the

Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership Program standards developed

under section 1217 for school leaders. Mentors shall be trained

to provide supports to beginning teachers in the program, which

shall include, but not be limited to:

(i) Enhancing competencies and qualifications for specific

grade levels.

(ii) Strengthening knowledge on subject matter.

(iii) Enhancing instructional strategies.

(iv) Coaching and training in classroom management

instruction skills.

(v) Coteaching models and peer classroom observations.

(vi) Providing tools to meet the needs of diverse learners,

which include:

(A) Special education students.

(B) English language learners.

(b) To serve as a mentor to a beginning teacher in the

program, a professional educator must be one of the following:

(1) A highly qualified and experienced certified Level II

teacher with a rating of distinguished under section 1123.

(2) A highly qualified and experienced certified Level II

teacher recommended by a principal or superintendent or other

peer teacher with a rating of proficient under section 1123.

(3) A certified teacher eligible under clause (1) or (2)

contracted in a charter school entity or area vocational-

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technical school.

(4) A retired teacher approved by a school district on

active status under the requirements of section 1205.2.

school entity for the training of mentors required under this

program.

(d) Mentors may be part-time or full-time mentors based on

school districts' needs to aid beginning teachers.

(e) A school district that has a comprehensive mentoring

program, similar to the Beginning Teacher Mentor Program, must

have the comprehensive mentoring program approved by the

Department of Education to satisfy the requirements under this

section.

(f) In the development of the program, the Department of

Education shall consult and collaborate with school leaders,

administrators of teacher preparation programs, career educators

from educational organizations within the State and the school

community.

(g) The program shall be included in professional

development requirements as follows:

(1) The program shall be incorporated in each school

entity's three-year professional education plan under section

1205.1 to allow mentors to receive continuing education credit

or hours during the two-year teacher mentor period.

(2) Each mentor trained under the requirements of this

section shall be eligible for continuing education credits or

hours required under section 1205.2 to satisfy one five-year

continuing professional education requirement.

(3) Each principal shall receive hours toward continuing

professional education for school or system leaders required

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under section 1205.5 for any participation in training mentors

or evaluating beginning teachers under this section.

(4) A program component shall be incorporated into each

school district's three-year professional education plan

required under section 1205.1.

(h) A beginning teacher, during the induction period, may be

evaluated based on classroom observation and practice models

related to student achievement which include planning and

preparation, classroom environment, instruction and professional

responsibilities. This criteria shall be used by mentors or a

designated school administrator to evaluate a beginning teacher

during the first two years of induction.

(i) A school entity may make recommendations for any teacher

to participate in the program at no cost to a teacher to enhance

skills needed if the teacher's overall performance is less than

proficient as defined under section 1123. In addition, at the

discretion of a school entity, newly employed personnel may be

required to participate in this induction period.

(j) The program shall be evaluated every three years by the

professionals listed under subsection (f), local school district

administrators, mentors and local school boards.

(k) The Department of Education shall annually report the

following to the Education Committee of the Senate and the

Education Committee of the House of Representatives:

(1) The progress of the program established under this

section.

(2) District retention rates of beginning teachers,

specifically in rural and urban districts.

(3) Ongoing retention rates for teachers attending the

program.

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(4) Any other necessary information needed to retain the

program.

(l) The General Assembly shall, through the annual

appropriations process, determine the level of State funding

necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

(m) As used in this section, the term "program" means the

Beginning Teacher Mentor Program established under subsection

(a).

Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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