Hello everyone,
It's still February and I don't know about you, but I'm still waiting for snow!
I have a few updates to share from BSLTQ:
Update on A2E STEM-CS grants and Innovative Prep-to-Practice Grants
Grant paperwork for the Prep2Practice awardees can be found in eGrants at this time. We are still working on emailing grant paperwork to our A2E STEM-CS awardees. Those packets will be sent shortly.
New "Ask Carissa" FAQ Update Section
I get many good questions from the field between updates, and I'd like to share these with you. Please continue to send your questions and I'll include the answers to those questions in a section I'll call "Ask Carissa." If you do not want credit for asking the question, please tell me in your email.
These two questions about the new Act 48 Credit Approval for Mentor/Cooperating Teachers were sent from Dr. Deanna Mack at Geneva College:
- For the Act 48 credit, can mentors who are supervising student teachers receive a stipend and Act 48 hours?
- Yes, mentors can receive both a stipend and Act 48 hours.
- Is there a minimum number of weeks of supervision to earn the 15 Act 48 hours?
- A mentor/cooperating teacher can receive 15 hours per inductee or student teacher regardless of the length of the student teaching experience. In some cases, mentor teachers share a student teacher or only mentor half of a placement. Keep in mind that mentors/supervisors may receive up to 15 hours per inductee or student teacher totaling no more than 45 hours in a compliance period. Once the 45 hours is reached in a compliance period additional credit hours cannot be awarded.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Carissa
Carissa Pokorny-Golden, PhD | Director, Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality
Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education | Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street | Harrisburg PA 17126 | www.education.pa.gov
Happy February!
While this winter weather may not seem much different than last fall, we're pleased to share what's new here at PDE and the Commonwealth: a new Governor Josh Shapiro, new Acting Secretary of Education Khalid N. Mumin, Ed.D, and new Executive Deputy Secretary Angela Fitterer! Below are other BSLTQ updates.
New Structured Literacy Professional Development Course Available to Ed Prep Program Leaders
The New Structured Literacy Professional Development Course can be found on the SAS website at PDE SAS (Standards Aligned System). If you do not have a SAS login, please follow the instructions here: Creating a SAS Account – SAS Help Desk (zendesk.com). You can also use these instructions to help you register for the course in the PD Center: Registering for a SAS Course. Once you login, hover over SAS Tools, choose the PD Center, and type "Structured Literacy" in the search catalog. You can click on the "Options" button to register for the 10-hour Introduction to Structured Literacy Course. Courses for CR-SE and Professional Ethics are forthcoming.
Approval for Act 48 Hours for Cooperating/Mentor Teachers
The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education recently approved Act 48 credits for cooperating/mentor teachers.
Here are the requirements for awarding Act 48 credits for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) or Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs):
- Mentors of first-year teachers and supervisors of student teachers (does not include pre-student teachers) may earn Act 48 credit if the LEA approves the professional development hours starting the 2022-2023 school year.
- Mentors/Supervisors may receive up to 15 hours per inductee or student teacher totaling no more than 45 hours in a compliance period.
- If LEAs do not want to approve Act 48 hours for their employees, the EPPs may do so (but both cannot do so for the same experience/time period).
Update on A2E STEM-CS grants and Innovative Prep-to-Practice Grants
Our office is working hard to get all the grant paperwork out to our awardees as soon as possible. Please be patient as we continue to work on emailing information to our A2E STEM-CS grant awardees and uploading information in eGrants to both our Teacher and Principal Prep-to-Practice grant awardees as they are approved.
Please stay warm and safe this February!
Carissa
Carissa Pokorny-Golden, PhD | Director, Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality
Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education | Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street | Harrisburg PA 17126 | www.education.pa.gov
Good afternoon,
I hope everyone's winter break was a good one! I'm pleased to share additional PDE updates with you that will hopefully brighten this dark and rainy day.
BSLTQ Grant Awards Update
Congratulations to the grantees that received Aspiring to Educate STEM-CS, Teacher Prep2Practice, and Principal Prep2Practice grants! Links to awardee pages are below for your convenience. We are in the process of making arrangements to extend these grants through December 2023 (and December 2024 for Aspiring to Educate STEM-CS Implementation grants), and as soon as we do, will send out grant approval letters. If you have any questions, please email RA-EDOPHEGRANTS@pa.gov.
New Dance Certification Program Framework Guidelines Now Available
PDE approved the new Dance Certification guidelines on January 17. In the past, Dance was traditionally taught in PK-12 schools by teachers holding certification in career technical education, health & physical education, and communications, and those holding a creative movement endorsement. Providing Direct Path Dance Certification in Pennsylvania establishes the expectation that students should receive instruction from a certified dance educator. To satisfy PDE's definition of a certified teacher, teachers must: 1) Hold at least a bachelor's degree; 2) Hold a valid state-issued teaching certificate/license; and 3) Demonstrate subject matter competency for the content area they teach. You can find more information on the new Dance Certification online. If you are interested in offering this certification program, please contact RA-EDPREPPROGRAMS@pa.gov for an initial program review application.
Assurance Forms for Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education, Professional Ethics, and Structured Literacy Program Framework Guidelines Now Available
The assurance forms for these three new program framework guidelines will be posted online shortly, but in the meantime they are attached for your convenience. If you have any questions or have completed forms to be turned in, please send to RA-EDPREPPROGRAMS@pa.gov.
Chapter 354 Questionnaire Will Remain Open through Monday, January 23
Many thanks to the more than 60 of you who have submitted the questionnaire so far! If you haven't already, please consider completing it. Chapter 354 Questionnaire.
Have a great evening,
Carissa
Carissa Pokorny-Golden, PhD | Director, Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality
Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education | Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street | Harrisburg PA 17126 | www.education.pa.gov