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PRINTER'S NO. 2168
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1023
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY ROEBUCK, HILL-EVANS, MURT, LONGIETTI, SCHLOSSBERG,
FREEMAN, READSHAW, BULLOCK, KINSEY, O'BRIEN, V. BROWN AND
DONATUCCI, JUNE 28, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 28, 2017
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 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,
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,
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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 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 to beginning teachers during a two-
year induction period at no cost to a trained mentor or a school
district. School districts may include professional employes as
defined in section 1101(1).
* * *
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 Teacher Mentor
Program pursuant to section 1218 and must be in compliance with
section 1123.
Section 3. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 1218. Teacher Mentor Program.--(a) The Department of
Education, by July 1, 2018, shall establish a Statewide
comprehensive Teacher Mentor Program that consists of multiple
forms of support for beginning teachers' transition into the
classroom environment during a required two-year induction
period. The following apply:
(1) The Teacher Mentor Program shall be incorporated in the
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provisions of 22 Pa. Code ยง 49.16 (relating to approval of
induction plans) for beginning teachers and newly employed
personnel and shall expand the induction period to at least two
years.
(2) 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, and others as needed to develop a comprehensive
mentor program.
(3) The standards 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 through the induction
period, 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 skills, organizational skills,
strategic planning and classroom management.
(iv) Addressing sensitivity to student needs and monitoring
student progress.
(v) Coteaching models and peer classroom observations.
(vi) Utilizing data sources such as surveys, portfolios,
journals, systemic observation, interviews and focus groups to
ensure successful student outcome.
(vii) Addressing the model for teacher rating system under
section 1123.
(viii) Providing tools to meet the needs of diverse
learners, which include:
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(A) Special education students.
(B) English language learners.
(C) Students in high poverty, rural and urban areas.
(4) The program shall be evaluated every three years by the
professionals listed under subsection (a)(2), local school
district administrators, trained mentors and local school
boards. The evaluation of the program shall be examined by
addressing:
(i) Success of the program based on meeting the overall
goals for the trained mentor, beginning teacher, newly hired
personnel and the requirements under subsection (d)(2)(i) and
(ii).
(ii) Components of the program that were most effective or
ineffective.
(iii) Best practices.
(iv) Emerging needs for new training.
(b) (1) The following professional educators may be trained
as mentors at no cost to the professional educator or school
entity:
(i) A highly qualified and experienced certified Level II
teacher with a rating of distinguished under section 1123.
(ii) 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.
(iii) A certified teacher eligible under subparagraph (i) or
(ii) contracted in a charter school entity or area vocational-
technical school.
(iv) A retired teacher approved by a school district on
active status under the requirements of section 1205.2.
(2) A retired teacher on contract for purposes of this
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subsection who returns to school service shall not be subject to
the requirement under 24 Pa.C.S. ยง 8346 (relating to termination
of annuities) if hired on a part-time basis or on an as-needed
basis to perform the duties of a trained mentor.
(c) The program shall be included in professional
development requirements as follows:
(1) The mentored induction shall be incorporated in each
school entity's three-year professional education plan under
section 1205.1 to allow trained mentors to receive continuing
education credit or hours during the two-year mentored induction
period.
(2) Each trained mentor 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 leaders or system leaders
required under section 1205.5 for any participation in training
mentors or evaluating beginning teachers participating in
mentored induction.
(4) There shall be no cost for a professional educator to be
trained as a mentor.
(d) For purposes of evaluation, the following shall apply:
(1) For beginning teachers during a mentored induction
period, evaluations used by trained mentors or designated school
administrators shall include:
(i) Classroom observation and practice models related to
student achievement which include planning and preparation,
classroom environment, instruction and professional
responsibilities.
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(ii) Formative evaluation which is ongoing, descriptive,
nonjudgmental and performed to help teachers teach better. This
evaluation shall be used to identify teacher strengths and
weaknesses so appropriate reinforcement or remediation can
occur.
(2) For current and newly employed personnel participating
in a mentored induction period, evaluations shall be based on
the rating system under section 1123. At the discretion of a
school administrator:
(i) A teacher shall participate in any part or all of the
mentored induction period to enhance skills needed if the
teacher's overall performance is less than proficient as
described under section 1123.
(ii) Newly employed personnel may be required to participate
in a mentored induction.
(e) 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 Teacher Mentor Program established
under this section.
(2) Retention rates of all beginning teachers and newly
hired personnel in all schools in each school district in this
Commonwealth who participated in the mentored induction.
(3) Retention rates and performance for teachers attending
mentored induction required at the school administrator's
discretion under subsection (d)(2)(i) and (ii).
(4) Feedback survey from trained mentors, including
additional tools needed for continuance of a successful Teacher
Mentor Program.
(5) Feedback survey from beginning teachers, including
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additional tools needed for continuance of a successful mentored
induction.
(6) Feedback survey from professional employes who were
required to participate in a mentored induction under subsection
(d)(2)(i) and (ii).
(7) Any other necessary information needed to retain the
program.
(f) The General Assembly shall, through the annual
appropriations process, determine the level of State funding
necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
(g) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Beginning teacher." A first-year teacher with a valid
Pennsylvania Instructional I certificate or Educational
Specialist I certificate.
"Mentored induction." The extended induction period required
under subsection (a)(1) monitored by a trained mentor.
"Newly employed personnel." May include but is not not
limited to a vocational-technical certificate holder, a long-
term substitute, a teacher who has been transferred to another
school district or a current out-of-State teacher employed in an
eligible school district.
"Program." The Teacher Mentor Program established under this
section.
"Trained mentor." A professional employe trained under the
Teacher Mentor Program.
Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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