PDE Conference Presentation on Chapter 49.2 and Program Review

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PDE Conference Presentation on Chapter 49.2 and
Program Review

• April 17, 2009
• Terry Barnaby
• Director, Bureau of School Leadership
• and Teacher Quality
• Edward G. Rendell
  Dr. Gerald L. Zahorchak
• Governor
  Secretary of Education

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New Regulations

• Based on districts need for better-prepared
  teachers
• New knowledge of what makes an effective teacher
• Pk-4, 4-8, Special Education (dual certification)
• 9 credits or 270 hours of Special Education
• 3 credits or 90 hours of ELL strategies

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Development of New Guidelines

• Collaborative Process
• Higher education/basic education workgroups
• Process and content facilitators
• Multiple forums at different points in process
• Over 150 meetings
• Significant changes based on feedback from field

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New Guidelines

• Increased specificity, rigor
• Competencies and Credits to provide guidance on
  content and required depth and breadth
• No required courses
• Faculty in professional core must have knowledge
  and skills for courses they teach

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Grade-Band Specific Knowledge in

• Content
• Child Development
• Pedagogy
• Assessment tools and their application
• PAs academic standards
• PAs standards-aligned system

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Improved Field Experiences

• 150 hours prior to Student teaching
• 12 weeks minimum Student teaching
• Continuum of experience from observation to
  classroom assistance to student teaching
• Provides for diverse settings based on scope of
  certificate
• Incentives for higher ed/basic ed collaboration

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Chapter 49.2 CertificatesPreK-4

• Aligned with Pennsylvanias curriculum standards
• Based on National Standards
• Emphasis on language development, reading
  instruction and math skills
• Increased content expertise in all subject areas
• Focused child development and best practices

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Chapter 49.2 Certificates4-8

• Increased emphasis on content for both generalist
  and specialist
• Increased content for 4, 5 and 6th grade teachers
• Required concentration in one or two content
  areas for 7th and 8th grade specialists
• Focus on the unique needs of middle level
  learners
• Critical content in early adolescent development
  and behavior
• Strategies to address behavior and learning
  problems most often developed in 4-8.

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Chapter 49.2 CertificatesSpecial Education
PreK-8 7-12

• Dual Certificate
• Special ed teachers will be highly qualified at
  selected grade levels
• Better prepared to teach specific age groups
• Able to address diverse learners in multiple
  settings
• Rules governing special education
• Learning and social environments
• Collaboration and transition strategies
• ELL

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Additional Design Elements

• Accelerated Programs
• PreK-4 and 4-8 certificates
• Provide educators certified pre-K-8
• Special Education Overlap
• 9 credits for adaptation and accommodations
• 15 credits of special education child
  development, etc for accompanying certificate
• To encourage more candidates to pursue dual
  certification

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Timeline

• Regulations require new programs to begin Fall
  2009
• Extensions Granted by Secretary and State Board
• 6 month extensions granted to address potential
  shortages
• Intent to Begin
• 40 in Fall 2009
• 60 in Fall 2010
• Every current teacher preparation program except
  1 has indicated its intent to submit new programs

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Chapter 49 Program Review Process

• Comprehensive Assessment
• Qualitative evaluation of the Program
• The degree to which a program has met the
  standards set forth through a wide range of
  quality indicators
• The depth and breadth of the program in
  relationship to the multiple indicators in the
  program guidelines.
• Completely Transparent
• All review materials posted on PDE website
• Streamlined Electronic Application

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Guiding Principle

• The closer that a program comes to fully
  meeting the standards set forth in the
  guidelines, the more likely it is to be approved.

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Quality Indicators

• Design elements for Quality
• External reviewers selected through national
  content experts review of vitae
• Content rubrics developed by content experts
• Program Review rubrics developed by PDE
• Training developed by content experts and PDE
• Highly Qualified reviewers with consensus on
  quality programs

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Program Review Rubric

• What it isnt
• A Formula
• A Numerical Evaluation System
• Based on a single indicator
• What it is
• Every quality indicator considered
• Rubrics reviewed and studied during training
• An evaluation of the program as a whole

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Supports

• Regular communication with the field
• Website
• Frequently Asked Questions document
• Weekly Chapter 49 E-mail Update
• Monthly Newsletter
• Support e-mail address for questions or comments
• Review process technical assistance
• Webinar trainings open to anyone
• Detailed instruction manual
• Help Desk set up for support

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PDE Responsibility

• Provide first class training and materials to
  content reviewers
• Provide fairness and consistency to the process
• Coordinate the work of reviewers throughout the
  process.
• Approve/disapprove based on reviews and standards
• Provide technical assistance to programs needing
  redesign or more information