PRINTER'S NO. 3552
No. 2427 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY GRUCELA, SURRA, BLACKWELL, CLYMER, DALLY, GOODMAN,
HARKINS, M. O'BRIEN, PAYNE, SOLOBAY, TANGRETTI, McCALL,
KOTIK, READSHAW, BRENNAN, STERN, DALEY, BELFANTI, WAGNER,
FRANKEL, HERSHEY, HALUSKA, SAYLOR, PALLONE, SCAVELLO,
CALTAGIRONE, WOJNAROSKI, HUTCHINSON, McILHATTAN, PASHINSKI,
KULA, RUBLEY, SIPTROTH, J. WHITE AND HARHAI, APRIL 3, 2008
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 3, 2008
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 teachers'
6 certificates issued by other states and for evaluation of
7 applications for certification of teachers.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Section 1206 of the act of March 10, 1949
11 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
12 amended to read:
13 Section 1206. Certificates Issued by Other States.--The
14 [Superintendent of Public Instruction may] Department of
15 Education shall validate in this Commonwealth teachers'
16 certificates issued by other states, or by the State normal
17 schools or colleges of other states, whose requirements are
18 equivalent to those of this Commonwealth. Certified teachers
1 from other states applying for teacher certification in
2 Pennsylvania are exempt from any assessment under 22 Pa. Code
3 49.18 (relating to assessment). Such validation of certificates
4 may be revoked by the [Superintendent of Public Instruction]
5 Department of Education at any time.
6 Section 2. Section 1216 of the act, added July 13, 2005
7 (P.L.226, No.46), is amended to read:
8 Section 1216. Evaluation of Applications for
9 Certification.--(a) All applications for certification shall be
10 evaluated in their entirety. The results of assessments taken by
11 an individual in pursuit of certification under 22 Pa. Code
12 49.18 (relating to assessment) shall not expire, and the
13 Department of Education shall consider them to be valid
14 indefinitely. The Department of Education shall notify the
15 applicant if the application is incomplete and include a listing
16 of all materials or information needed to complete the
17 application. The applicant's pending application shall remain
18 open for one year following the date of such notification. No
19 letter of denial of certification shall be issued unless all
20 deficiencies in the application are stated in the letter of
21 denial.
22 (b) The grade point average used by the department in
23 evaluating the grade point average requirements for
24 certification pursuant to 22 Pa. Code § 354.24 (relating to
25 academic performance) shall be as follows:
26 (1) For applicants whose initial preparation culminated in a
27 bachelor's degree or higher prior to October 7, 2000, the grade
28 point average in effect on the date of application for
29 certification.
30 (2) For applicants whose initial preparation culminates in a
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1 bachelor's degree or higher on or after October 7, 2000, the
2 grade point average in effect on the date of graduation.
3 (3) Beginning with students who matriculate in fall 2008, an
4 applicant for a Pennsylvania teaching certificate who maintains
5 a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25 in all required
6 core courses and required elective courses in the bachelor of
7 arts or bachelor of science major academic area the candidate
8 intends to teach or in the noninstructional certificate category
9 the candidate plans to serve shall be exempt from any assessment
10 under 22 Pa. Code 49.18.
11 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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