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Background and History

Spring/Summer 2018

  • The Department of Education invited interested stakeholders to participate in dialogue on issues surrounding educator preparation and certification. Attendees at forums held in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh provided input on potential changes to state policy that could strengthen preparation and certification and strategies to advance the Department's other priorities for the educator workforce, including diversifying Pennsylvania's educator workforce and ensuring all students have equitable access to effective teachers. 

November 2018

  • Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera presented recommended amendments to Chapter 49 (Certification of Professional Personnel) to the State Board of Education School Leader and Effectiveness Committee (Committee).
  • The Secretary's recommendations were informed by multiple convenings along with a Learning Policy Institute (LPI) report on certification research and recommendations.
  • The Board accepted the Secretary'​s proposal on its agenda and announced its intention to consider the proposal as the Board initiated a required major review of Chapter 49. 

Spring 2019

  • The State Board's Teacher and School Leader Effectiveness Committee traveled across the state to gather feedback from vested partners on the Secretary's recommended amendments to the Chapter.
  • The Committee heard from diverse vested partners at public hearings in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Lock Haven, and Pittsburgh.
  • The Committee also invited individuals who could not attend its hearings to submit their comments on Chapter 49 in writing. All testimony and written comments were reviewed and considered by the Board. 

July 2020

  • Draft proposed amendments to Chapter 49 were reviewed and approved by the Teacher and School Leader Effectiveness Committee and by the Council of Higher Education before being adopted by the Board as a proposed rulemaking at its public meeting.
  • Proposed amendments were prepared for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin for public comment and were submitted for review by the Senate Education Committee, House Education Committee, and Independent Regulatory Review Commission. 

December 2020

  • The proposed rulemaking (amendments) was published for public comment. 

January 2021

  • Public comment is closed. 

Spring 2021

  • Review and consideration of public comments. 

September 2021

  • A revised final-form rulemaking encompassing the amendments previously described was approved by the Council of Higher Education and by the Board. 

March 2022

  • Final amendments to Chapter 49 were deemed approved by the Senate Education Committee and the House Education Committee on March 9, 2022. 
  • On March 10, 2022, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) considered final amendments to Chapter 49 at a public meeting of the Commission. 
  • Comments submitted to IRRC identified a typographical error in the definition of "structured literacy." In reviewing these comments, the State Board agreed that the final-form regulation erroneously uses the term "systemic" when referring to "structured literacy" and that the correct term is "systematic."  The Board noted for IRRC that it will work cooperatively with the Legislative Reference Bureau to ensure that the proper revised text is published in the Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin. 
  • IRRC approved the final-form amendments to Chapter 49 at its public meeting on March 10, 2022.    

April 2022

  • Final-form amendments to Chapter 49 were published in the April 23, 2022, edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin and take effect at the time of publication.