Proposed certification changes Information every local leader should know

1. Proposed certification changes Information every local leader should know CEA Policy & Prof. Practice All Presidents Meeting March 8, 2010

2. SDE proposing major certification changes in 3 areas • Special education – major change in requirements for • initial certification • Teacher leader – new certificate SDE would require • Literacy – combines current reading teacher & reading • consultant certificates • ~ All changes would become effective July 1, 2014 ~

3. Proposed special education teacher & intervention specialist certificate • Eliminates initial certification through bachelor’s level program • Requires master’s degree for initial certification • Requires prior certificate or passing Praxis II in any content area • Requires minimum 75 hours of CEUs in areas specified by SDE • to advance to professional certificate • only teaching certificate that would have these requirements

4. Impact on teachers & students • Unclear if all special educators would be grandfathered • Cost for teachers to meet requirements for initial certificate • increases by thousands of dollars • Districts would be forced to hire at master’s level – financially • hard for many districts, so would limit number of special educators hired • Broad range of responsibilities allowed under one certificate too • many for any teacher to handle, & still service students well

5. Impact on teachers & students • Districts might focus assignment of special educators to deal mostly • with tasks other than direct service to students; e.g., training paras, diagnostics, facilitating PPTs, etc • Will take longer to prepare special educators - initially may create • greater shortage of special ed teachers • Preparation program too broad for 30 credits – results in underprepared • teachers • Special educators from out of state not certifiable unless they have • master’s in special ed – further decreases number of special educators in CT • Requiring master’s for initial certificate eliminates teacher’s ability to • earn master’s degree (for professional certificate) in area of choice

6. CEA proposals for Special Education certificate • Based on focus groups, survey, & work with special educators, CEA • proposed the following regarding special education certification: • 2 levels of special education certification • Teaching- level 1; preparation to work with students with • mild to moderate disabilities • Specialist – level 2; preparation to work with students with • severe disabilities, and for other responsibilities • Must hold teaching certificate before advancing to specialist certificate

7. Proposed teacher leader certificate • Required for teacher working more than 40% of time in • position such as: • teacher leader • team leader • content coach • curriculum specialist • any other similar title • Requires master’s degree and 12 graduate credits & field • experiences in specific areas • SDE pushing certificate based on erroneous assertion that • there are national standards for TLs, and ETS has developed • performance-based assessment for TLs

8. Impact on teachers & students • Teachers currently working in such positions would not • be grandfathered – would have to earn certificate • Cost to teachers for additional coursework • District training provided to teacher leaders only ‘counts’ • toward certification if district designs, and has approved, • 180-hour program • Prescribed coursework might not match needs for position in • your district • Certification changes expected to be in place for 15+ years

9. Proposed literacy specialist certificate • Combines 2 current remedial reading & reading consultants • into 1 certificate – “administrators don’t understand difference • between them, & use educators interchangeably” • For initial certificate - requires master’s degree/30 graduate credits; • study in curriculum development, children’s literature, • adolescent literature • For professional certificate – requires 12 credits beyond those for • initial certificate

10. Impact on teachers and students • All teachers currently working as literacy coaches, coordinators, • lead teachers, etc. would have to have certificate – no grandfathering • Teachers who now provide early intervention services to students • outside regular classroom would have to hold certificate • Cost to earn initial certificate increases – more credits required • Cost to earn professional certificate – 12 additional credits • Wider range of responsibilities under one certificate – currently • under two certificates • Preparation program too broad for 30 credits – results in • underprepared teachers

11. CEA proposals for Literacy Specialist certificate • 2 levels of literacy certification • Literacyteacher– focus on working with students and their • teachers (one-on-one or small group) • Literacy specialist – focus on training paras, tutors, coaches, • etc.; program development & coordination; full diagnosis & intervention/remediation planning • Must have experience as literacy teacher before specialist • Separate preparation & responsibilities allows greater depth of • knowledge & skill…..more effective services to students

12. Get involved in CEA campaign to change certification! • Read more details about certification proposals on CEA web site – encourage • members to do same : http://www.cea.org/profdev/cert/index.cfm • Participate in public hearings on certification regulations: • Monday, April 5 – CREC (Hartford) • Tuesday, April 6 – CES (Trumbull) • Monday, April 12 – EASTCONN (Willimantic) • Thursday, April 29 – ACES (Hamden) • Work with Uni Serv rep to organize teachers …… attend hearings; use CEA • resources to write testimony for CEA to send to State Board & SDE • Let CEA know what needs clarification