Certification Staffing Policy Guidelines (CSPGs)

The Pennsylvania Department of Education, in accordance with 22 Pa. Code § 49.13(b)(10), developed the following Certification and Staffing Policies and Guidelines (CSPG) to provide guidance involving compliance with state laws governing certification and staffing practices in school entities within the Commonwealth. 

The CSPGs also provide clarification to educators regarding (1) the issuance of professional certificates, (2) the grade level and content scope of certificate subject areas and (3) the appropriate certificate for staffing professional positions in public schools.  In the CSPGs, you will find valuable information related to certificate eligibility as well as the proper staffing practices that will help achieve educational excellence in the schools of the Commonwealth.

General Certification Information

• CSPG 1 – Appropriate Certification in Pennsylvania (revised 2/1/2022)
• CSPG 2 – Effective Dates for Certificate Issuance (revised 12/15/2022)
  
• CSPG 3 – Validity of a PA Certificate (revised 11/1/2020)
  
• CSPG 4 – Evaluation for Certificate Eligibility by the Bureau (revised 12/2022)
  
• CSPG 5 – Evaluation of Credentials for Individuals Prepared Outside of the United States (revised 10/1/2022)
• CSPG 7 – Level II (Permanent) Certification (revised 12/2022)
  
• CSPG 8 – Continuing Professional Development (revised 2/1/2022)
• CSPG 9 – Experience Requirements for Initial Supervisory, Administrative Certificates and Letters of Eligibility (revised 12/2022)
• CSPG 10 – Letter of Equivalency for Master’s Degree and Baccalaureate Degree (revised 10/1/2022)
  
• CSPG 11 – Personal Information Changes for Certificate Holders (revised 8/1/2014)
• CSPG 12 – Voluntary Deletion of Areas of Certification (revised 12/1/2018)
  
• CSPG 13 – Emergency Permits (revised 3/13/2023)
• CSPG 14 – Act 97 Waiver of Certification (revised 9/1/2016)
• CSPG 15 – Mandatory Reporting of Educator Misconduct (dropped 2/1/2011)
• CSPG 16 – Policies Pertaining to Certificates No Longer Issued (revised 1/17/2023)
  
• CSPG 17 – Release of Information from Official Certification Records
• CSPG 18 – Interstate Certification Agreement (dropped 12/8/2022)
  
• CSPG 19 – Credits Earned Through In-Service Education, by Examination and CEU’s (revised 6/1/2020)
  
• CSPG 20 – Induction (revised 8/1/2014)
• CSPG 21 – Testing (revised 12/21/2022)
  
• CSPG 22 – Certification Appeal Committee (dropped 12/1/2014)
• CSPG 23 – Requesting Information (dropped 12/1/2014)
• CSPG 24 – Appropriate Certification in Charter Schools (revised 1/1/2022)
• CSPG 25 – Career and Technical Emergency Permits (revised 12/2022)
• CSPG 26 to 29 – Reserved

Instructional Certification

• CSPG 30 – Agriculture (revised 11/1/2019)
• CSPG 31 – Art (revised 1/17/2023)
  
• CSPG 32 – Biology (revised 3/1/2017)
• CSPG 33 – Business, Computer and Information Technology (revised 9/1/2019)
• CSPG 34 – Chemistry (revised 3/1/2017)
• CSPG 35 – Citizenship Education (revised 1/2023)
  
• CSPG 36 – Communications (revised 3/1/2014)
• CSPG 37 – Cooperative Education (revised 12/1/2018)
  
• CSPG 38 –Safety/Driver Education (revised 5/1/2015)
• CSPG 40 – Earth and Space Science (revised 3/1/2017)
• CSPG 41 – American Sign Language (revised 7/1/2018)
• CSPG 42 – English (revised 4/1/2018)
• CSPG 43 – Environmental Education (revised 9/1/2019)
• CSPG 44 – Family & Consumer Sciences (revised 9/1/2019)
• CSPG 45 – World Languages (revised 6/1/2017)
• CSPG 46 – General Science (revised 3/1/2017)
• CSPG 47 – Health and Health and Physical Education (revised 9/1/2019)
• CSPG 48 – Library Science (revised 9/1/2019)
• CSPG 49 – Marketing/Distributive Education (revised 9/1/2019)
• CSPG 50 – Mathematics (revised 12/1/2014)
• CSPG 51 – Middle Level English (revised 3/1/2023)
  
• CSPG 52 – Middle Level Social Studies (revised 2/1/2020)
  
• CSPG 53 – Middle Level Mathematics (revised 1/1/2020)
  
• CSPG 54 – Middle Level Science (revised 2/1/2020)
  
• CSPG 55 – Music Education (revised 9/1/2019)
• CSPG 56 – Physics (revised 3/1/2017)
• CSPG 57 – Reading Specialist (revised 9/1/2019)
• CSPG 58 – Social Sciences (revised 1/2023)
  
• CSPG 59 – Social Studies (revised 1/2023)
  
• CSPG 60 – Visually Impaired (revised 2/1/2023)
• CSPG 61 – Special Education – PK-12 (revised 3/1/2021)
• CSPG 62 – Hearing Impaired (revised 2/1/2023)
• CSPG 63 – Special Education – Speech and Language Impaired PK-12 (revised 9/1/2019)
• CSPG 64 – Teacher Intern (revised 12/21/2022)
• CSPG 65 – Technology Education (revised 9/1/2019)
  
• CSPG 66 – Career and Technical Instructional and Career and Technical Intern Certification (revised 2/1/2022)
  
• CSPG 67 – Military Science Programs (revised 2/1/2023)
• CSPG 68 – English as a Second Language Program Specialist (revised 9/1/2018)
• CSPG 69 – Grades PK-4 (revised 8/1/2019)
  
• CSPG 70 – Grades 4-8
• CSPG 71 - Computer Science 7-12 (revised 4/1/2022)
  
• CSPG 72  - Dance PK-12
  

• CSPG 73 to 74 – Reserved
  

Educational Specialist Certification

• CSPG 75 – Dental Hygienist (revised 3/1/2018)
• CSPG 76 – Elementary and Secondary School Counselor (revised 3/15/2023)
• CSPG 77 – Home and School Visitor (revised 10/1/2019)
  
• CSPG 78 – Instructional Technology Specialist (revised 10/1/2019)
• CSPG 79 – Secondary School Counselor (combined with CSPG 76 on 9/1/2013)
• CSPG 80 – School Nurse (revised 3/1/2023)
• CSPG 81 – School Psychologist (revised 3/15/2023)
  
• CSPG 86 – School Speech and Language Pathologist (revised 10/1/2019)
  
• CSPG 87 - School Social Worker, Educational Specialist Certificate PK-12 (revised 12/1/2022)
  

• CSPG 82 to 85 – Reserved

Supervisory Area Certification

• CSPG 88 – Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction (revised 6/1/2005)
• CSPG 89 – Supervisor of Pupil Services (revised 2/1/2023)
  
• CSPG 90 – Supervisor of a Single Area (revised 5/1/2015)
• CSPG 91 – Supervisor of Special Education (revised 5/1/2015)
• CSPG 92 – Supervisor of Career and Technical Education (revised 2/1/2020)
  
• CSPG 93 to 94 – Reserved

Administrative Areas of Certification

• CSPG 95 – Principal (revised 10/1/2019)
• CSPG 96 – Superintendent (revised 12/1/2021)
  
• CSPG 97 – Career and Technical Administrative Director (revised 1/1/2020)
  
• CSPG 98 and 99 – Reserved

Ancillary Staffing Information

• CSPG 100 – Temporary Permits for Resource Specialists (revised 7/1/2013)
• CSPG 101 – Paraprofessional Staff (revised 5/1/2021)
• CSPG 102 – Staffing In-School Suspension Programs (revised 3/21/2023)
  
• CSPG 103 – Staffing Adult Instruction and Classes Enrolling Both School-Aged and Adult Students
• CSPG 104 – Limitation of Assignment of Secondary Teachers to Instruction at the Elementary Level (revised 8/1/2013)
• CSPG 105 – Gifted Enrichment Programs (revised 1/1/2018)
• CSPG 106 - Program Endorsements (new 1/1/2019)
  

Licensed Professionals

• CSPG 201 – School Social Worker (revised 9/1/2011)
• CSPG 202 – Orientation and Mobility Specialist (new 12/1/2014)
• CSPG 203 – Behavior Analyst (new 8/1/2016)​