PRINTER'S NO. 176
No. 159 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY CONTI, CARONE, STEIL, FICHTER, M. N. WRIGHT,
FARGO, BROWNE, STURLA AND E. Z. TAYLOR, FEBRUARY 3, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 3, 1997
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," further providing for continuing
6 professional development and renewability of certain
7 professional certification.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Section 1205.1 of the act of March 10, 1949
11 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
12 amended October 21, 1965 (P.L.601, No.312), is repealed.
13 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
14 Section 1205.2. Continuing Professional Development and
15 Renewable Certification.--(a) Each school entity shall submit
16 to the Secretary of Education for approval a continuing
17 professional development plan in accordance with this section.
18 The plan shall be submitted with the strategic plan of the
19 school entity as provided in this act and in 22 Pa. Code Ch. 5
20 (relating to curriculum). The Secretary of Education shall
1 establish a schedule for intermediate units to file a
2 professional development plan and shall specify the form in
3 which professional development plans are to be submitted.
4 (1) A school entity shall develop a continuing professional
5 development plan which shall include options for professional
6 development including, but not limited to, activities such as
7 the following:
8 (i) Graduate level coursework.
9 (ii) Obtaining a professionally related Master's Degree.
10 (iii) Department-approved in-service courses.
11 (iv) Curriculum development work and other program design
12 and delivery activities.
13 (v) Participation in professional conferences and workshops.
14 (vi) Supervised peer observations of or consultations with
15 other professional employes.
16 (vii) Department-approved in-service or evening courses
17 conducted by or in behalf of the school entity, in conjunction
18 with other school entities.
19 (2) The continuing professional development plan shall
20 define terms used including, but not limited to, the following:
21 (i) Professionally related graduate level coursework.
22 (ii) Professionally related Master's Degree.
23 (iii) Curriculum development work and other program design
24 and delivery activities.
25 (iv) Professional conferences.
26 (v) Supervised peer observations of or consultations with
27 other professional employes.
28 (3) A continuing professional development planning committee
29 shall be appointed by the board of a school entity. The plan
30 shall be developed by the teachers and administrators of the
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1 school entity, parents with children attending a school in the
2 district and individuals from the community. The plan shall
3 describe the persons who developed the plan and how the persons
4 were selected.
5 (4) The continuing professional development plan submitted
6 to the Secretary of Education shall be recommended by the
7 continuing professional development planning committee and
8 approved by the board of the school entity.
9 (5) The continuing professional development plan shall
10 include a section which describes how the professional
11 development plan meets the educational and staff development
12 needs of the school entity, its professional employes, the
13 students and the community. Each school entity shall review its
14 plan to determine that it continues to reflect the needs of the
15 school entity, its professional employes, the students and the
16 community and amend the plan as necessary.
17 (b) Professional personnel, obtaining an Instructional II,
18 Educational Specialist II, Supervisory, Vocational
19 Administrative Director, Administrative Certificate or Letter of
20 Eligibility on or after June 1, 1997, shall, thereafter, present
21 to the Secretary of Education evidence of satisfactory
22 participation in continuing professional development every five
23 (5) years. This section will be satisfied by completing any of
24 the following or a combination thereof:
25 (1) Twelve (12) credits of collegiate studies in the areas
26 of assignment and certification.
27 (2) Twelve (12) credits of department-approved in-service
28 courses in the areas of assignment and certification, or of
29 department-approved in-service or evening courses by or on
30 behalf of the school entity in conjunction with other school
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1 entities.
2 (3) Three hundred and sixty (360) hours of department-
3 approved continuing professional development activities and
4 experiences which may include: curriculum development work,
5 program design and delivery activities and professional
6 conferences and workshops.
7 Evidence of completion of these requirements shall be made at
8 such time and in such form as the Secretary of Education may
9 require.
10 (c) All professional employes of a school entity receiving
11 their initial Pennsylvania teaching or administrative
12 certification, as provided for in Article XI of this act, prior
13 to June 1, 1997, shall be required at least once during every
14 five (5) year period, commencing upon receipt of a permanent
15 teaching certificate or initial administrative certificate, to
16 participate in professional development activity pursuant to the
17 professional development plan of that professional employe's
18 school entity. A professional employe who obtains a
19 professionally related Master's Degree shall be deemed to have
20 complied permanently with the provisions of this subsection. The
21 chief school administrator of every school entity shall certify
22 annually to the Secretary of Education the names of professional
23 employes and the professional development activities in which
24 these employes have participated. The certification shall be
25 made at such time and in such form as the Secretary of Education
26 may require.
27 (d) The certificates of professional personnel or employes
28 with a letter of eligibility who fail to comply with the
29 continuing professional development plan under subsection (a) or
30 those who fail to complete the requirements under subsection (b)
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1 or (c) shall be inactive until all requirements are met.
2 (e) The Secretary of Education shall establish a procedure
3 for granting an extension to fulfill the requirements of
4 subsection (b) or (c) due to extenuating circumstances for the
5 holder of the certificate.
6 (f) School districts that employ professional personnel or
7 commissioned officers with inactive certificates or commissions
8 are subject to penalties provided for under section 2518 of this
9 act.
10 (g) All activities and experiences approved to meet
11 requirements for continuing professional development shall meet
12 the following standards:
13 (1) Have significant intellectual and practical content, the
14 primary objective of which is to improve the participant's
15 professional competence.
16 (2) Be organized and led by persons qualified with the
17 practical or academic experience necessary to conduct the
18 activity or experience effectively.
19 (3) Be approved as professional activities and experience by
20 the continuing professional development committee of the school
21 entity.
22 (h) A school entity may provide joint or cooperative
23 professional development activities with another school entity
24 or an institution of higher education.
25 (i) As used in this section, the term "school entity" shall
26 mean a school district, joint school district, intermediate unit
27 or area vocational-technical school.
28 Section 3. Nothing contained in the amendment of section
29 1205.1 of the act shall supersede or preempt any provisions of a
30 collective bargaining agreement, negotiated by a school entity
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1 and the employee organization, that is in effect on the
2 effective date of this section. For the purpose of this section,
3 a "school entity" shall mean a school district, joint school
4 district, intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school.
5 Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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