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SENATE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1970, 2607
PRINTER'S NO. 4070
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1386
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, GROVE, D. MILLER, RAPP, TALLMAN,
WHEELAND, ZIMMERMAN AND WATSON, JUNE 12, 2017
SENATOR EICHELBERGER, EDUCATION, IN SENATE, AS AMENDED,
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
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,
providing for instructional certificate grade spans and age
levels AND DUTIES OF DEPARTMENT.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
section to read:
Section 1202.1. Instructional Certificate Grade Spans and
Age Levels.--(a) Notwithstanding 22 Pa. Code ยง 49.85 (relating
to limitations), the grade spans and age levels for
instructional certificates issued after December 31, 2021 , shall
be as follows:
(1) Early childhood - prekindergarten, kindergarten, grades
one (1) through four (4) or ages three (3) through nine (9).
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(2) Elementary - kindergarten, grades one (1) through six
(6) or ages four (4) through eleven (11).
(3) Middle - grades six (6) through nine (9) or ages eleven
(11) through fifteen (15).
(4) Secondary - grades seven (7) through twelve (12) or ages
eleven (11) through twenty-one (21).
(5) Specialized areas - prekindergarten through grade twelve
(12) or up to age twenty-one (21).
(6) Special education - prekindergarten through grade twelve
(12) or up to age twenty-one (21). An additional content area
shall not be required for a special education certificate issued
in accordance with this section.
(b) Certificates issued in accordance with 22 Pa. Code ยง
49.85(a) and (b) shall remain valid for the term of the
certificate.
(c) An individual holding Elementary/Middle Certificates
issued in accordance with 22 Pa. Code ยง 49.85(b)(2) shall have
the opportunity to expand the scope of the individual's
certificate to meet the grade levels covered under subsection
(a)(2) and (3) by a process determined by the Department of
Education, which shall include, but not be limited to,
continuing education credits or the satisfactory outcome of a
PRAXIS assessment for the specific certification level.
(d) An individual holding Special Education-PK-8 and Special
Education-7-12 level certificates issued in accordance with 22
Pa. Code ยง 49.85(b)(5) and (6) shall have the opportunity to
expand the scope of the individual's certificate to meet the
grade levels covered under subsection (a)(6) by a process
determined by the Department of Education, which shall include,
but not be limited to, continuing education credits or the
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satisfactory outcome of a PRAXIS assessment for the specific
certification level.
SECTION 1202.1. INSTRUCTIONAL CERTIFICATE GRADE SPANS AND
AGE LEVELS AND DUTIES OF DEPARTMENT.--(A) THE FOLLOWING SHALL
APPLY TO SPECIAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATES:
(1) NOTWITHSTANDING 22 PA. CODE ยง 49.85 (RELATING TO
LIMITATIONS), THE GRADE SPAN AND AGE LEVELS FOR SPECIAL
EDUCATION CERTIFICATES ISSUED AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2021, SHALL BE
PREKINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE OR UP TO TWENTY-ONE (21)
YEARS OF AGE. AN ADDITIONAL CONTENT AREA SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED
FOR A SPECIAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATE ISSUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THIS SECTION.
(2) SPECIAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATES ISSUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
22 PA. CODE ยง 49.85(A) AND (B) SHALL REMAIN VALID FOR THE TERM
OF THE CERTIFICATE.
(3) AN INDIVIDUAL HOLDING SPECIAL EDUCATION-PK-8 AND SPECIAL
EDUCATION-7-12 LEVEL CERTIFICATES ISSUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 22
PA. CODE ยง 49.85(B)(5) AND (6) SHALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S CERTIFICATE TO MEET THE
GRADE LEVELS COVERED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) BY A PROCESS DETERMINED
BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE
LIMITED TO, CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS OR ATTAINING QUALIFYING
SCORES ON THE ASSESSMENT MADE AVAILABLE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION FOR THE SPECIFIC CERTIFICATION LEVEL.
(B) THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING
DUTIES:
(1) WITHIN SIXTY (60) DAYS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
SUBSECTION:
(I) N OTIFY ALL TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS APPROVED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, ALL INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED IN THESE
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PROGRAMS AND ALL INDIVIDUALS HOLDING AN EARLY CHILDHOOD
CERTIFICATE UNDER 22 PA. CODE ยง 49.85(B)(1) THAT AN INDIVIDUAL
HOLDING OR SEEKING AN EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATE MAY, BY
ATTAINING QUALIFYING SCORES ON THE ASSESSMENT MADE AVAILABLE BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, EXTEND THE GRADE SPAN FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL'S EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATE TO INCLUDE GRADES FIVE
AND SIX AND INCLUDE AND MAINTAIN NOTICE OF THE AVAILABILITY OF
THE ASSESSMENT ON THE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE INTERNET WEBSITE OF
THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WITH OTHER INFORMATION DESCRIBING
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.
(II) CREATE A NOTIFICATION FORM TO INFORM AN INDIVIDUAL
SEEKING AN EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATE AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE
OF THIS SUBSECTION THAT THE INDIVIDUAL MAY, BY ATTAINING
QUALIFYING SCORES ON THE ASSESSMENT MADE AVAILABLE BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION , EXTEND THE GRADE SPAN FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL'S EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATE TO INCLUDE GRADES FIVE
AND SIX. A TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE THE FORM TO
ALL INDIVIDUALS SEEKING AN EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATION.
(2) BY MARCH 1, 2019, AND BY MARCH 1 OF EACH YEAR
THEREAFTER, ISSUE A REPORT TO THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE
SENATE, THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND POST THE REPORT ON THE
PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE INTERNET WEBSITE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION THAT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
(I) THE NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL I CERTIFICATES ISSUED, IN
TOTAL AND SUBDIVIDED BY FIELD OF CERTIFICATION AND TEACHER
PREPARATION PROGRAM FOR EACH YEAR BEGINNING IN 2010. THIS SHALL
INCLUDE CERTIFICATES ISSUED RECIPROCALLY FOR OUT-OF-STATE
TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS.
(II) THE NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL II CERTIFICATES ISSUED, IN
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TOTAL AND SUBDIVIDED BY FIELD OF CERTIFICATION AND TEACHER
PREPARATION PROGRAM FOR EACH YEAR BEGINNING IN 2010. THIS SHALL
INCLUDE CERTIFICATES ISSUED RECIPROCALLY FOR OUT-OF-STATE
TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS.
(III) THE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIVE CERTIFICATES ISSUED, IN
TOTAL AND SUBDIVIDED BY FIELD OF CERTIFICATION AND TEACHER
PREPARATION PROGRAM FOR EACH YEAR BEGINNING IN 2010. THIS SHALL
INCLUDE CERTIFICATES ISSUED RECIPROCALLY FOR OUT-OF-STATE
TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS.
(IV) THE NUMBER OF EMERGENCY CERTIFICATES ISSUED, IN TOTAL
AND SUBDIVIDED BY THE LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCY BY WHICH THE
INDIVIDUAL IS EMPLOYED AND BY FIELD OF CERTIFICATION FOR EACH
YEAR BEGINNING IN 2010.
(V) THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE TAKEN THE ASSESSMENT
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) AND WHO ATTAINED QUALIFYING SCORES ON THE
ASSESSMENT SINCE THE ASSESSMENT WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
(C) THE JOINT STATE GOVERNMENT COMMISSION SHALL CONDUCT A
STUDY AND ISSUE A REPORT SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING:
(1) THE STUDY SHALL ANALYZE THE FOLLOWING:
(I) THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE FIELDS OF CERTIFICATION,
INCLUDING GRADE SPAN AND AGE LEVEL LIMITATIONS, IN IMPROVING
STUDENT OUTCOMES.
(II) THE CREATION OR ELIMINATION OF TEACHING CERTIFICATIONS
OR ENDORSEMENTS.
(III) NATIONAL TRENDS REGARDING GRADE SPAN AND AGE
LIMITATIONS OF CERTIFICATION.
(2) THE REPORT SHALL BE TRANSMITTED NO LATER THAN JUNE 1,
2019, TO THE FOLLOWING:
(I) THE GOVERNOR.
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(II) THE CHAIRPERSON AND MINORITY CHAIRPERSON OF THE
EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE.
(III) THE CHAIRPERSON AND MINORITY CHAIRPERSON OF THE
EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days
IMMEDIATELY.
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