Hot Topics in Human Resources

1. Hot Topics in Human Resources PASA Women’s Caucus May 2, 2008

2. Hot Topics • Chapter 49 Changes in Certification • Act 45 System Leader Continuing Professional Education • Act 49/HR “Shorts” • HQT, Bridge, PIMS data collection, EDP, & paraeducators

3. Certification Changes • Current Levels: • Early Childhood Education (K-3) • Elementary (K-6) • Middle Level Content (7-9) • Secondary Content Area (7-12) • Special Education (K-12)

4. New Levels • Effective 2011 • Early Childhood Education (PK-4) • Elementary/ Middle Level (4-8) • Special Education (PK-8) • Special Education (7-12)

5. Structural Changes • Focus on early education and inclusion practices • All preparation programs will include • Adaptations & accommodations for diverse learners in an inclusive setting: 9 credits or 270 hours, and • Meeting the needs of English Language Learners: 3 credits or 90 hours

6. Elementary & Middle Level Changes • Grades 4-6 viewed as generalist • Grades 7-8 viewed as specialist • General program includes professional core and: • Middle level cognitive development- 3 credits • Early adolescent development & learning theory- 3 credits • Assessment- 3 credits • Middle level methods- 12 credits (3 in each subject area)

7. Elem/Middle, continued • Model emphasizes either breadth or depth • Breadth: those that span multiple disciplines= social studies and science • Depth: focus on a single discipline = mathematics and English/Language Arts

8. Elem/Middle, continued • So there are 2 basic Options • Single area concentration • Two areas of concentration • 1 must be Math or science

9. Special Education Changes • Special Education certificates may not stand alone • Must be combined with at least one of the following: • ECE (PK-4) • Elementary/Middle (4-8) • Secondary content area (7-12) • Reading specialist

10. Challenges for Staffing • Concern about too much to grasp in preparation for Elementary/ Middle • Concern about lack of teachers • Concern about lack of middle level understanding & content knowledge

11. Challenges • Why does it matter? • If a person is not in the appropriate area of certification, then there is a fiscal penalty • If there are not enough appropriately certificated candidates, and LEA’s have to resort to Emergency Permits, the Highly Qualified numbers decline

12. Challenges, continued • Concern about flexibility in assigning elementary staff, e.g. if you have a “bubble” in your population, the teachers cannot move with them after grade 4… • May require RIF of good teachers which is a difficult process and requires showing a trend of enrollment decline

13. Act 45 • Act 45 of 2007 changes the Continuing Professional Education (Act 48) requirements for System Leaders • Applies to 7 position titles: • Superintendent • Assistant Superintendent • Executive Director (IU) • Assistant Executive Director

14. Act 45, continued • Principal • Assistant Principal • Vocational Technical Director • Based on the title of the position

15. Act 45, continued • For these 7 categories, Act 48 credits must be approved by PDE under the Act 45 guidelines and related to the skills and abilities and knowledge required by system leaders

16. Act 45 Challenges • Currently there are not enough Act 45 approved programs for experienced system leaders • GROW and SUPPORT are open, but there is a concern that there are not enough available slots or mentors for the expected numbers • Experienced administrators need other offerings

17. Act 45 Challenges • Concern that relevant offerings will be overlooked if there is only one ITQ per year • Concern about capacity /number of new administrators which will be needed • Concern re: mentor recruitment • To find offerings go on EdHub website

18. Certification “Shorts” • Highly Qualified Teachers HOUSSE & the Bridge & IPDP’s • The path for HQT by using the HOUSSE (Highly Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation) is closed • Except for the IDEA rule (which few meet)

19. Certification Shorts, continued • Bridge will end July 30, 2008 • IDPD’s must be checked; local records of progress kept • PDE anticipating no longer allowing the use of the Praxis test to add middle level content certification • Challenge: the most available way for current staff to add subject areas

20. Certification Shorts, continued • PDE requires 6 of the 24 credits to move to Level II to be in the area of Diverse Learners • They have NOT issued the CSPG saying that yet • This will affect teachers getting a Masters in their subject area; the Masters will NOT qualify them for Level II

21. HR “Shorts” • PIMS data collection on assignments and professional personnel has been very difficult • Changes in codes as well as what is to be reported and how are occurring with no communication to the HR administrators

22. HR “Shorts”/EDP • Teacher Equitable Distribution Plan • Required by ESEA Section IIII

23. EDP, continued • Each SEA Plan must show steps that the state education agency will take to ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers…

24. EDP, continued • Each LEA plan must include an assurance that the LEA will “ensure though incentives for voluntary transfers…professional development, recruitment programs…” that there is equitable teacher distribution

25. EDP, continued • LEAs must analyze data • To identify why teachers are not highly qualified • To determine if novice teachers are concentrated in specific schools • And share plans to remediate problems

26. EDP, continued • EDP required IF • HQT rate is not 100% AND • School is not making AYP • If HQT at 100% then no requirement at this point for EDP

27. Paraeducator Requirements • Under Chapter 14 • All instructional paraprofessionals shall meet one of the following qualifications by July 1, 2010:

28. Paraeducators • Have completed at least 2 years of postsecondary study, or • Possess an associates degree or higher, or • Meet a rigorous standard of quality as demonstrated through a State or local assessment

29. Paraeducators, cont. • Nothing in the above requirements should be construed to supersede a collective bargaining agreement in effect on July 1, 2008 • Instructional paras each school year shall provide evidence of 20 hours of staff development activities related to their assignment

30. Paraeducators, cont. • A personal care assistant provides 1:1 support and assistance to a student, including support and assistance in the use of medical equipment • A PCA may provide support to more than one student, but not at the same time

31. Paraeducators, cont. • PCAs shall provide evidence of 20 hours of staff development activities related to their assignment each school year. The 20 hours of training may include training required by the school-based access program

32. Paraeducators, cont. • The intent is for revised Chapter 14 to be effective 7/1/2008 • The 20 hours of staff development would be required between 7/1/08 and 6/30/09, and each school year after while the person is employed as a paraeducator

33. Paraeducators, cont. • The intent is for the public entity which employs the paraeducator to be responsible for providing the 20 hours on an annual basis because the training must be related to the assignment.

34. Paraeducators, cont. • There is no statewide tracking system • The public entity will be required to set up a tracking system so it can show documentation of the 20 hours after employing the paraeducator

35. Helpful sites • PDE • www.pde.state.pa.us • Teaching tab • EdHub • www.edportal.ed.state.pa.us • PASPA • www.paspa.org

36. Q & A ???

37. Contact Info: • Jane Webster Mansuy • Montgomery County IU • 1605 West Main Street • Norristown PA 19403 • jwm@mciu.org • 610-755-9307