Certification Upgrades: The Here and Now

Agenda Assist Educators with Choosing an Approved Higher Degree Program Grandfathering Dates The 3 New Certification Fields Helpful Tools Surprises Along the Way Ways to Improve Collaboration Certification Forms Reminders            

505-2-.41 EDUCATOR CERTIFICATE UPGRADES Purpose. Educator certificate level upgrade requirements proposed herein will lead educators to complete advanced degree programs closely aligned with their fields of certification and educational roles, with institutions and programs meeting specified levels of accreditation, state approval, or quality assurances.

UPGRADES IN-FIELD UPGRADE NEW FIELD UPGRADE

In-Field Upgrades in-field” means directly related to the certification field. The degree program completed must hold one of the following accreditations at the time you are admitted to the program:  Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education NCATE Institution The Teacher Education Accreditation Council TEAC Institutions Carnegie Classification Carnegie Classification Institutions      RU/VH: Research Universities (very high research activity)     OR      RU/H: Research Universities (high research activity)

New-Field Upgrades “new-field” means the degree program will lead to a new certificate field A “new-field” certificate level upgrade may be earned through: 1. successful completion of GaPSC-approved or a state-approved advanced degree program in a GaPSC certification field not previously held by the educator. 2. pass all appropriate Georgia content assessments, 3. meet all certification requirements, 4. and add the new field to her/his certificate.

ACCREDITATION CAEP http://caepnet.org/ NCATE http://www.ncate.org/tabid/176/Default.aspx TEAC http://www.teac.org/ Carnegie Classification http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/lookup_listings/institution.php U.S. DOE http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Index.aspx

Grandfathering Period Students enrolled in degree programs by July 15, 2011, can upgrade their certificate level as long as they complete the program by the date specified for each degree level. Master’s degree programs must be completed by December 15, 2014. Specialist degree programs must be completed by December 15, 2014. Doctorate degree programs must be completed by December 15, 2016.

The “Three New Fields” Grandfathering *An educator can complete the degree only [no licensure involved] in one of the “Three New Fields” The three new fields,’ Curriculum and Instruction, Instructional Technology, and Teacher Leadership, upgrade grandfathering period was extended until January 15, 2013. Master’s degree must be completed by September 1, 2015. Specialist degree must be completed by September 1. 2015. Doctorate degree must be completed by September 1, 2017.

The “Three New Fields” [Certification] Curriculum and Instruction [Teaching and Learning], Teacher Leadership, and Instructional Technology are new Service fields of certification in Georgia. Now, to meet the new upgrade rule requirements and gain the field, you must enroll in a state-approved certification program that leads to a recommendation for educator certification in one of the three new fields. In addition to completion of a state-approved program, you will also be required to take and pass the GACE Assessment. The assessment is not yet available and is still currently being developed. It is anticipated that the GACE assessment will become available in 2014.

The “Three New Fields” [Certification] Programs offered by out -of-state institutions and leading to a new field of certification must be approved by the home state agency equivalent to the GaPSC. Programs offered by out -of-state institutions must also meet at least one of the criteria listed below: National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education NCATE Institutions The Teacher Education Accreditation Council TEAC Institutions Carnegie Classification Carnegie Classification Institutions RU/VH: Research Universities (very high research activity) OR RU/H: Research Universities (high research activity)

UPGRADE STATS Upgrades Total Cases Percent Upgrades Denied   Upgrades Total Cases Percent Upgrades Denied % Denied Upgrades 2011 7,270 39,567 18.37% 356 4.90% 2012 7,220 39,915 18.09% 282 3.91% 2013 (As of 11/2) 5,936 35,699 16.63% 423 7.13% 2011- 2013 Total 20,426 115,181 17.73% 1,061 5.19%

HELPFUL TOOLS

HELPFUL TOOLS

Surprises Along the Way Common Reasons for Upgrade Denials: College or university does not meet the accreditation requirements (NCATE, TEAC or Carnegie High or Very High). Educator began coursework in the program after the grandfathering dates of 7/15/11 for all fields or 1/15/13 for the 3 new certification fields. Completion of a degree that is not in-field with the current field of certification or one that does not lead to certification in a new field. Out-of-state educators applying for initial certification that do not submit all transcripts reflecting the highest degree earned at the time of application. Please Note: Once an out-of-state educator receives Clear Renewable certification, the educator is considered a Georgia educator and he/she must meet the same requirements as all other Georgia educators. For additional information, reference the Certificate Upgrade page on our website.

Surprises Along the Way Out-of-State Educators Applying for Initial Certification Educators with a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership earned after 12/15/10, must have 3 years of full-time experience in the field of leadership in addition to meeting the requirements for reciprocity to receive Clear Renewable certification at a level 5. If the educator does not have 3 years of experience in the field of leadership, the educator must complete a performance-based Educational Leadership program at the Specialist or Doctorate level through a GaPSC approved program provider.

Improving Collaboration School Systems and Georgia Approved Program Providers Continue to send email correspondence through CertHelp providing information about upcoming rule/procedural changes and future system enhancements. Post new updates on gapsc.org as well as gapsc.com. Expand the Certification Training Library on gapsc.org to include more training and resource information to assist with the certification process.

Improving Collaboration Communicating with the Educators Added an Upgrade and Educational Leadership queue to the service line on M, W & Fri to assist with questions and better serve our customers. Post new information on gapsc.com and key information on the MyPSC homepage. Continue to send correspondence to educators MyPSC accounts. Encourage educators to email mail@gapsc.com so that they receive written correspondence pertaining to their certification requests. Advise educators inquiring about upgrades to email certupgrade@gapsc.com. The email should include the educators name, Cert ID number, name of the college, link to the program and their question.

Certification Forms to Upgrade 1. Application for Certification 2. Official transcript to include the completed coursework and degree statement (MM/DD/YYYY) 3. Alternate Level Six Certification Option Form –if the educator is completing a Doctorate level program and has completed all program requirements with the exception of the dissertation. 4. Employer Assurance form or a $20.00 processing fee (if not employed) Link to the Application Forms and Instructions on the website: http://www.gapsc.com/Certification/FormsAndApplications.aspx

Certification Forms to Add a Field and Upgrade 1. Application for Certification 2. Official transcript to include the completed coursework and degree statement (MM/DD/YYYY) 3. Approved Program Recommendation form for the new field 4. Passing scores on the Gace content area assessment 5. Employer Assurance form or a $20.00 processing fee (if not employed) Link to the Application Forms and Instructions on the website: http://www.gapsc.com/Certification/FormsAndApplications.aspx

IMPORTANT! All Georgia certificate holders must have a MyPSC account Register at www.gapsc.com

Questions? School Systems & College Personnel ONLY HR Line: 800-390-6698 Open M - F, 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM, excluding state holidays EMAIL: certhelp@gapsc.com Always include Cert ID number in email rather than SSN.