CLASSROOM TEACHERS IMPROVING CONTENT KNOWLEDGE & DELIVERY

IN PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOLS

PowerPoint produced by the

Pennsylvania Department of Education September, 2005

Our Goal: Improving Student Performance

Strengthening Teacher Education Programs

To Increase Knowledge and Skills in

Content & Delivery

State Reforms That Made A Difference*

Traditional leaders – Wisconsin and Minnesota – highest standards for teachers.

New successful reforms – Connecticut and North Carolina – invested in pre-service and in-service teacher education.

States that did not focus on investing in teacher quality have not experienced gains in student achievement.

*Source: Linda Darling-Hammond (2000) analysis of states that made substantial gains in student achievement during the 1990s.

Core Academic Subjects & Content

Areas Federally Defined NCLB defines core academic subject areas of

expertise as follows: Math, Science, Geography, Civics & Government, History, Economics, Reading & Language Arts, Foreign Language, and Art.

ECE and EL ED ARE CONTENT AREA CERTIFICATES in that the required academic content fields ARE addressed in both Teacher Preparation Guidelines, and are in alignment with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards and the Assessment Anchors.

Core Academic Subjects & Content Defined, cont.

Content Area Knowledge is imparted through developmentally appropriate practice.

For example, in Language Arts, candidates will be responsible for:– infusion of literacy across content area– theories and best practices of early and emergent literacy and reading instruction – phonological and phonemic awareness – print awareness/concepts of print– alphabet knowledge – vocabulary: rich oral vocabulary that reflects growing knowledge of the world,

phonics, fluency – comprehension: association of reading and writing with pleasure, association of

reading and writing with skill development, understanding the integration of reading and writing, genres and applications of literature for children, elements of the writing process, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting instructional technologies

All competencies taken directly from the Language and Literacy Section of the REVISED ECE Guidelines.

Renewed Content Area Focus Content areas (the specific subject taught) such

as Elementary Education, Math, English, etc. are the focus for improved student performance and NCLB and IDEIA requirements.

Teacher education programs must be aligned with the content area focus as well as appropriate methodologies for the population served.

Content Issues with the Current Certificates

The current EL ED Instructional I certificates cover such a wide range of content that the required depth of subject knowledge is compromised.

The current SP ED Instructional I certificate covers such a wide range of developmental delays and special needs that the required depth of subject knowledge is compromised. Additionally, NCLB declared Special Education a population, not a content area certificate.

Proposed recommendations shift the focus from breadth (e.g. N- Grade 6) to depth (ECE: Pre K- 3, and EL ED Grade 3 – 6), to provide greater refinement of teacher skills that is better matched to the needs of all students.

A Focus on Subject Area Content

PDE is seeking to ensure that teacher education programs that address certification for candidates teaching Pre K – Grade 6 have been reviewed and updated to include a focus on subject area content, as well as complimentary and necessary instructional strategies.

The Importance of Content

No Child Left Behind clearly demands that Teachers of Record in academic content classrooms across the country MUST have a proven and verifiable subject area expertise. In the Commonwealth, this translates into Instructional I certificates in the content area.

Gaining Content Expertise

Pre-K- Grade 3 (proposed ECE Guidelines draft)

Early Childhood Education content focuses on:

• Learning to Read: Essential skill development• Literacy: Reading, Writing, and Speaking with an emphasis on

Language Development• Assessment of student progress & needs• Identification & Early Diagnosis for students with special needs• Partnership with parents• Developmentally appropriate classroom practices• Curriculum adaptations, IEP compliance, Standards Testing,

etc.

'Prepared to Make a Difference,' International Reading Association, 2003.

Benefits of Having Teachers Prepared in Reading Instruction

Gaining Content Expertise

Grade 3 - Grade 6 (proposed EL ED Guidelines draft)

Elementary Education content focuses on:

• Reading to Learn (Grades 3 – 6): Emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary, oral fluency

• Literacy: Reading, Writing, and Speaking across the curriculum• Content & Skills to prepare to help students meet rigorous academic standards• Assessment of student progress and needs• Partnership with parents• Developmentally appropriate classroom practices• Curriculum adaptations, IEP compliance and revision, Standards Testing, etc.

Where Content & Performance Reform Might Occur

Early Childhood Education

Currently Nursery

Kindergarten

Grades 1 – 3 or Ages 3 - 8

Elementary Education

Currently Kindergarten

Grades 1 – 6 or Ages 3 – 11

Special Education

Currently Pre-Kindergarten-

Grade K- 12

Ages 3 – 21

A New System for Improved Student Achievement

Early Childhood Education

Nursery

Kindergarten

Grades 1 – 3 or Ages 3 - 8

Elementary Education Grades 3 – 6 or Ages 8 – 11

Special Education(NOTE: Special Education Certification alone does NOT make one Highly Qualified under current, federal NCLB legislation)

Primary:

Pre-Kindergarten- Grade 6: Ages 3 – 11

OR

Intermediate/Secondary:

Grades 7 –12 : Ages 12 - 21

Recommended Reform for Early Childhood & Elementary Education

Create Two Distinct Certificates, increasing expertise in:

– Early Childhood Education :• Pre K – Grade 3 “Learning to Read”

– Elementary Education :• Grade 3 – Grade 6 “Reading to Learn”

Recommended Reform for Special Education:

Separate Pre K-12 Special Education Certificate into: Special Education Pre K-6 and Special Education 7-12.

Require a content area certificate such as ECE (Pre K - 3), Elementary Education (3 - 6) (or the actual subject area certificate in Grades 7-12) in order to be a high quality, Highly Qualified Teacher of Record in an academic content classroom.

Recommendations for Enhancing Teacher Preparation:

Require all Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education program candidates to also fulfill a Pre K-6 Special Education Program.

Require all Pre K-6 Special Education program candidates to also fulfill an Early Childhood Education (Pre K-3) or Elementary Education (3-6) program.

The result is that ALL graduates will then be dually certified.

Dual Certification Early Childhood Education + Special Education

*ECE: Pre K – Grade 3

Special Education Pre K- 6

Elementary Education + Special Education

*EL ED: Grade 3 – 6

Special Education Pre K- 6Special Education for Current Teachers (ADD ON Capacity Certificate Only)

Primary:

Pre-Kindergarten- Grade 6: Ages 3 – 11

OR

Intermediate/Secondary:

Grades 7 –12 : Ages 12 - 21

•ECE or EL ED Certification is REQUIRED to be the Teacher of Record in ANY elementary level content area classroom.

Dual Certification

ECE + SP ED qualifies candidates to instruct ALL students, PRE K – Grade 3 and SP ED students Pre K – Grade 6.

EL ED + SP ED qualifies candidates to teach ALL students, Grades 3 – 6, and SP ED students Pre K – Grade 6.

SP ED Primary combined with a CONTENT AREA CERTIFICATE (ECE or EL ED) qualifies one to be the Teacher of Record in an academic content area classroom for all populations (mainstream and stand alone) through the content certificate (ECE or EL ED) held.

Dual Certification

Reinforcing the movement from Generalist to Specialist, the Special Education Committee also recommended the following Program Specialist Guidelines:

Autism Program Specialist (Pre K – 12)

Emotional & Behavioral Disorder (Pre K- 12)

Moderate to Severe (Pre K-12)

One of the primary goals of offering these 12 to 18 credit post graduate Program Specialist certificates is to address and intensify the Commonwealth’s commitment to best serving ALL children, regardless of need or ability.

Middle and Secondary Concerns

Two Middle Level Certificates are being prepared to issue: Social Studies & Language Arts, and Math & Science. These certificates will reinforce consistency in the classroom by enabling teachers to be HQ in multiple content areas.

Currently, a committee is working on an INTERMEDIATE SPECIAL EDUCATION Certificate, which will cover Grades 7 – 12, ages 12-21.

While a mandatory DUAL certification program becomes increasingly more complex with regard to Secondary Certification, the committee will determine the depth and degree of Special Education methodologies that will be required of ALL candidates.

Middle and Secondary Benefits

One of the goals of creating a public school system rich in Early Childhood Education and developmentally appropriate curriculum is that more children can be assisted earlier in their learning which enhances their ability to be successful learners.

The anticipated results are that the need for Special Education services will decrease in the Middle and Secondary levels, proportionate to the success of students.

Considerations for Current Practitioners

Recommendations for the revision of the Teacher Education Program Guidelines will be applicable ONLY to FUTURE teacher education candidates.

Current practitioners will be permitted to continue teaching under the certificates earned.

Candidates pursuing DUAL CERTIFICATION under this recommendation will be given a three year transition period to acquire additional certification should they seek to move from ECE to EL ED, or from EL ED to ECE.

Considerations for IHEs

A lead time of 12 – 24 months is currently anticipated for teacher education programs in higher education to begin implementing the recommended guidelines.

A moratorium of no less than 12 months has been placed on all major program reviews in an attempt to ease the transition, and to avail departmental staff to both higher education institutions and schools districts as consultants of the proposed changes.

Consequently, school districts can anticipate the first class of graduates from the recommended dual program to be available for hire for the 2009-10 academic year.

CLASSROOM TEACHERS: IMPROVING CONTENT KNOWLEDGE & DELIVERY

IN PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOLS

PowerPoint produced by the

Pennsylvania Department of Education September, 2005