Expand AllClick here for a more accessible versionHello everyone,
I know that I just sent out an update a few days ago, but I have a few more updates since last Thursday.
New Certification Clock:
Last week I gave you some news about our improved certification processing times before the information was sent to the press (
NEWS: PA Department of Education Reduces New Teacher Certification Wait Time By 10 Weeks). The press release also discusses our new certification processing clock. The clock will be updated regularly. Please check out the new clock on our website at
Certification (pa.gov). A screenshot of the clock is below.
Updated contact information from all our EPPs: We want to ensure that these updates are going out to everyone that they need to. Please be sure to send updated email addresses for all those who need to be included in our BSLTQ updates to
whvazquez@pa.gov.
Ask Carissa:
I received some great questions from Beth Byers at Wilson College about our new Professional Ethics course on the SAS website. She asked about pre-service students creating a SAS account to complete the Professional Ethics course and whether they will receive a certificate of completion after taking the course.
The answer to this question is yes, students can create a SAS account to complete the Professional Ethics course, and they can receive a certificate of completion. To receive a certificate of completion, however, students will need to request it by contacting the SAS help desk at 877-973-3727 or
helpdesk@pdesas.org.
If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to reach out and I'll do my best to answer them.
Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Carissa
Hello everyone,
I hope that your summer has been pleasant thus far (as pleasant as it can be while receiving record amounts of rain and smoke from Canada). As always, there is a lot going on at PDE and at the capitol.
Update on Certification Processing In June, we were excited that our Instructional I applications were being processed within 4-8 weeks. As of this week, our in-state level I certificates are at 2-4 weeks! Level II certificates are at 4-6 weeks, out-of-state level I certificates are at 8-10 weeks (as are all other specialty certificates), and add-on certificates are at 1-3 weeks. Please keep in mind that the processing times are incumbent on how many applications we receive each day so these time frames may change. We are thankful to Governor Shapiro for his commitment to licensing and certification processing and his desire to strengthen our teacher pipeline for these changes. As I stated in last month's email, we were given funding to hire three new temporary clerks and four new evaluators this past fall and spring and that has helped greatly in speeding up our certification processing times. We are currently in the process of hiring an administrative officer (to help with grant processing), 3 new full-time clerical employees, 3 new specialists, 2 new evaluators, a specialist supervisor, and a higher education administrator (Professional Education and Teacher Quality Chief). Change is happening here at BSLTQ and our processing times for certification, emails, and phone calls will become even better in the coming months.
Budget ImpasseAs you know the state is currently in a budget impasse. Without a budget, the state cannot release funds for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
The impasse affects grant payments and grantees of our Prep2Practice and A2E (Aspiring to Educate) grants will be contacted about this shortly. Budget impasse FAQs for the public have been published on the Office of the Budget website. The FAQ document contains information relevant to Commonwealth vendors, grantees, and other stakeholders during the budget impasse. The public FAQ document can be found at the following link on the Office of the Budget website:
Budget Impasse Q and A.
New Professional Ethics Professional Development Courses on the SAS Website The new Professional Ethics 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. 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, click on the PD Center icon, and type "Professional Ethics" in the search catalog. You can click on the "Options" button to register for each 5-hour course.
Carissa's First State-Wide Tour: Would you like a visit from your BSLTQ Director and PETQ (Professional Education and Teacher Quality) Chief in the fall? I'm excited to announce that with the arrival of our new PETQ Chief near the end of August (more about that in future updates), we'd like to begin in-person visits to education preparation programs in every region of the state. There's a lot going on in each of your programs, and we'd love to hear all about it: your successes, your challenges, and your hopes for the future. Please reach out to my administrative officer, Whitney Vazquez, at
whvazquez@pa.gov, if you'd like to set up an appointment for us to come and visit. While we can't visit all your educator preparation programs this academic year, we'll do our best to plan as many as we can. We plan on visiting programs each year so if we don't get out to you this year, we will in the future.
And don't forget about our
BSLTQ Yearly Update Webinar to be held on
Tuesday, August 8. We'll be discussing new changes to CSPGs, as well as the results of the Chapter 354 questionnaire that many of you completed in January of this year. We'll be offering other webinar updates, for new certification officers and new deans and chairs, shortly.
I look forward to seeing all of you at the update. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to
ra-edprepprograms@pa.gov.
Carissa
Hello all,
I truly hope that you are all getting to enjoy your summer as far. Here at the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality a lot is changing for the better. This email will be an update of some of those changes.
New Hires in BSLTQ
Exciting news! We've hired three new clerks in the Certification Division to answer emails, phone calls, and documents sent by mail. We also have four additional evaluators (who were hired in the fall 2022) working on applications this summer. Currently, we are working to ensure that all Instructional I application reviews are completed within 4-8 weeks. All other applications are currently at 8-10 weeks. This may change as we progress through the summer months. We will be updating our certification page as application review timelines change.
BSLTQ Yearly Update Webinar
Save the date! Our staff from Certification Services and Professional Education and Teacher Quality will be conducting a yearly update webinar on Thursday, August 8 from 1-2:30 p.m. This webinar will cover new changes to Certification Staffing Policy Guidelines (CSPGs), as well as pertinent information about recent changes in certification and educator preparation. The first hour of the training will be dedicated to a presentation and the last half hour will include a question-and-answer session. The presentation will be recorded for those who cannot attend, and questions asked during the session will be collected and answers will be distributed in a future update.
Ask Carissa FAQ Section
Dr. Marcia Bolton, Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Millersville University, reached out to ask if we were extending Act 48 hours for graduate course mentors for programs such as school psychologists or school counselors. After speaking with the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), we were recently granted:
Approval of Act 48 Hours for LEA Mentors of Interns
Here are the requirements for awarding Act 48 credits for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) or Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs):
- Mentors of school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, and school social workers, may earn Act 48 credit if the LEA approves the professional development hours starting the 2022-2023 school year.
- Mentors may receive up to 15 hours per intern (per semester) 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
Most of the A2E and P2P grants have been executed at this time. Those that haven't been executed will be shortly. We are working on getting an extension for the one-year grants and will be in contact with all grantees when an extension has been approved.
Please continue to enjoy your summer! If you have any further questions, please reach out to ra-edprepprograms@pa.gov.
Hello everyone,
I truly hope that the end of semester "busyness" is slowing down and that you are planning some time to rest and relax this coming summer. I have a few updates to share from BSLTQ:
School Social Worker Certification Extension:
We have been receiving questions about the School Social Worker certification from school entities especially related to the August 1 deadline, and we have some news about the deadline. Individuals employed as social workers in schools, in accordance with CSPG #201, who have not yet obtained a School Social Worker Certification from the Pennsylvania Department of Education now have until August 1, 2026 to earn their certification by meeting the license and experience provisions outlined in the Special Considerations section of CSPG #87 School Social Worker, Educational Specialist Certificate PK-12.
Individuals may also earn their School Social Worker certification by completing a preparation program at a college/university that offers the certification program. The new deadline is effective immediately and applies to all schools. Local education agencies do not need to apply to the Department of Education for an extension or emergency permit. Answers to frequently asked questions may be found here. Other questions may be directed the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality at ra-edcertstaff@pa.gov.
Act 91 Update:
The Act 91 Report of April 2023 on Classroom Monitors. (Word)
I'd like to thank Dr. Tom Conway of Cabrini University and Dr. Connie Nichols of Grove City College for their help in evaluating the data included in the report. We appreciate the time and energy they spent helping create this report.
If you receive any questions from school entities about whether Act 91 will be extended, please don't hesitate to reply with the following:
- Act 91 of 2021 amended the Pennsylvania School Code to provide schools with additional staffing flexibility during the pandemic and the educator workforce shortage.
- The Department of Education agrees that schools would benefit from extending provisions in Act 91.
- House Bill 27 (Struzzi) would provide an additional two years (2023-24 and 2024-25 school years) for schools to hire annuitants and prospective teachers as substitute teachers and to issue temporary certifications for substitute teachers. However, the House has not yet passed the bill, and if they do pass it, the bill still must past the Senate.
- Schools that support extending the Act 91 provisions should contact their local legislators as soon as possible, as only the General Assembly can change state law.
Expanding the Capacity of BSLTQ:
As I mentioned in an earlier update, Certification Services has brought on four new evaluators to process Instructional I and II certifications. Our goal with these hires is to process applications more quickly. We also recently brought on three temporary employees to help with answering phones, emails, and mail. We continue to work on processing times and emails and look forward to being able to serve you better this spring/summer.
And, remember, if you missed any of the updates I have sent since January, all updates can be found archived at this link, Updates from the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality (BSLTQ), which can also be found on the PDE Certification page under "Frequently Asked Questions and Help."
If you have any questions, please reach out to RA-EDPREPPROGRAMS@pa.gov.
Hello everyone,
I hope that you are enjoying the somewhat beautiful weather we've been having and that you are hanging in there in preparation for the end of another school year!
We understand that there are questions surrounding the implementation of new Chapter 49 competencies within educator preparation programs. These competencies address Professional Ethics, Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education, and Structured Literacy.
Attached are three items:
- PDE March 2023 Assurances Form Presentation (.pdf)
[A pdf version of the PowerPoint that we used for PAC-TE] - Chapter 49 PDE Responses to PAC-TE (.pdf) [FAQ for preparation program providers]
- PDE Chapter 49 Competencies Matrix Aid 2023 (.xlsx)
[Workbook with competencies provided as an aid to developing matrices]
We are hoping these items help you in preparing your assurance forms.
Please reach out to us at our resource account, Higher Education Liaisons RA-EDPREPPROGRAMS@pa.gov, with any questions.
Take care,
Carissa
Good afternoon,
I hope this update finds you well. It's been a little while since my last update so this one is a bit longer than past updates.
This past week, Dr. Tanya Garcia transitioned out of her role as Deputy Secretary and Commissioner of Postsecondary and Higher Education here at PDE, and we welcomed newly appointed Dr. Kate Shaw in that role. Dr. Shaw was at PDE for several years as Deputy Secretary and Commissioner of Postsecondary and Higher Education during the Rendell Administration. Dr. Shaw's career has focused on creating more accessible, equitable, and effective postsecondary education systems. Most recently she served as Senior Advisor at HCM Strategists, a national policy development firm that partners with over two dozen states to strengthen their postsecondary systems, their finances, and their capacity to serve as economic and workforce development engines. For over a decade Dr. Shaw led Research for Action, a Philadelphia-based education research organization that conducts applied research in Pennsylvania and across the nation.
We also welcomed back Stephanie Stauffer in the role of Higher Education Associate II. As many of you know Stephanie was an employee of PDE for over seven years and previously worked in this role. We are excited to have Dr. Shaw and Stephanie Stauffer here again at PDE. Below are other BSLTQ updates.
New position open in the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality (Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education) at PDE
I'm also excited to announce an open position working with our team at PDE in the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality! The position is for a Higher Education Program Manager responsible for professional educational administrative and managerial work in the development, improvement, and coordination of higher education professional educator programs within the Commonwealth. This position was previously held by Dr. Christina Baumer. Please use the following link to apply or for more information: PDE Higher Education Program Manager - Commonwealth of PA (governmentjobs.com).
Update on A2E STEM-CS grants and Innovative Prep-to-Practice Grants
Our office continues to work on approving contracts. Please be patient as we continue to work on emailing information to our A2E STEM-CS grant awardees and uploading information in eGrants to our Teacher and Principal Prep-to-Practice grant awardees as they are approved and move through the routing process.
Pennsylvania Higher Education Summit to be held Tuesday, May 16
Please see the attached program flyer for the Pennsylvania Higher Education Summit to be held on Tuesday, May 16 at PaTTAN Central in Harrisburg, PA. The summit will be focusing on Structured Literacy Teacher Preparation and is sponsored by the International Dyslexia Association of Pennsylvania. Please click the following link to register: PA Higher Education Summit.
As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Carissa
Hello everyone,
Happy Spring! It was lovely to see so many of you at the PAC-TE Spring Conference today. I hope that our session helped to answer some of the questions you might have about assurance forms. It you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Jamal and Stephanie at ra-edprepprograms@pa.gov.
I'm sending out this update to inform you about a new grant that is available for education preparation programs through our Bureau of Special Education, The Accelerated Program for PK-12 Special Education Teacher Certification Grant. There is a short turn around on this grant. Applications must be submitted by end of day on Friday, April 7, 2023. I've included a short description of the grant below:
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Special Education, is requesting applications from Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) who partner with one or more Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to provide individuals who currently hold bachelor's degrees an accelerated program with the required college/university coursework, summer field experiences, mentoring and student teaching to obtain their PK-12 special education teaching certification in accordance with PA Public School Code Section 12-1207.1, Postbaccalaureate certification.
Outcomes of the Grant include:
1) The establishment or expansion of summer field experiences (e.g., extended school year, tutoring) to provide opportunities for the accelerated program participants to demonstrate and apply the core concepts learned in their respective IHE courses.
2) Increased mentoring opportunities for accelerated program participants by current, experienced special educators to build their knowledge and understanding of the social-emotional, behavioral, and learning needs of students with disabilities.
3) An increased number of special education certifications awarded.
I've attached the Request for Application and the application above. Please email Carol Good, cgood@pattanpgh.net, if you have any questions about the grant.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need me. Have a wonderful evening!
Carissa
Good evening,
I apologize for getting this exciting news out this evening, rather than earlier today. Attached please find information about the Dual Credit Grant offered through the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Division of Instructional Quality. Be aware that application for the grant is time sensitive. Eligible school entities interested in applying must first indicate their interest between Friday, February 17, 2023, and Friday, February 24, 2023. Be sure to read the RFA above for more information.
And, in other news, all of the BSLTQ updates I have sent since January 19, 2023, and all future updates can be found archived at this link: Updates from the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality which can also be found on the PDE Certification page under "Frequently Asked Questions and Help."
Please have a wonderful President's Day weekend!
Carissa
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