§ 49.14. Approval of institutions and alternative program providers.
To be authorized to conduct programs that lead to certificates for professional positions, institutions and any of their off-campus centers as well as alternative program providers engaged in the preparation of educators shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Be approved as a baccalaureate or graduate degree granting institution or alternative program provider by the Department.
(2) Be evaluated and approved as an educator preparing institution or alternative program provider to offer specific programs leading to certification in accordance with procedures established by the Department.
(3) Report to the Department, for approval, all planned changes in previously approved programs. This report shall be made 90 days prior to the implementation of the planned changes.
(4) Follow Department prescribed standards developed from the following principles:
(i) Institutions and alternative program providers develop clear goals and purposes for each program, which shall include competencies, coursework and field experiences that address professional ethics, structured literacy (for programs that lead to certification in Early Childhood, Elementary/Middle, Special Education PK—12, English as a second language and Reading Specialist), and culturally relevant and sustaining education. The Department will identify these competencies and develop associated standards.
(ii) Institutions and alternative program providers are able to demonstrate how instructional and clinical activities provide educator candidates with the capacity to enable the achievement of all students, including diverse learners in an inclusive setting.
(iii) Institutions and alternative program providers are able to demonstrate that educator candidates have participated in instructional activities that enable the candidates to provide instruction to students to meet the provisions of Chapter 4 (relating to academic standards and assessment).
(iv) Institutions and alternative program providers are able to demonstrate that educator candidates successfully participate in sequential clinical experiences fully integrated within the instructional program as determined by the Secretary in consultation with the Board.
(v) Institutions and alternative program providers have clearly expressed standards for admission to, retention in and graduation from approved programs and can demonstrate recruitment and participation of students from historically underrepresented groups. Institutions and alternative program providers annually shall report on students admitted, retained, and graduated from their programs, including numbers from historically underrepresented groups.
(vi) Institutions and alternative program providers shall provide ongoing assessment of educator candidates’ knowledge, skills, dispositions and performance with which to identify needs for further study, certification assessment assistance or clinical experience or dismissal from the program.
(vii) Institutions and alternative program providers can demonstrate how information from systematic evaluations of their programs, including students and educator evaluators, and achievement levels of candidates for certification in the Department-designed assessment program, are used for continual program improvement and shall develop corrective action steps if identified as at-risk or low performing program providers as defined by the Department in accordance with section 207 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.A. § 1022F(A)).
(viii) Institutions and alternative program providers, in partnership with local education agencies, provide a school-based experience integrating the teacher candidates’ knowledge, skills and dispositions in professional practice. This experience shall be fully supported by institutional faculty, including frequent observation, consultation with supervising teachers and opportunities for formative and summative evaluation.
(ix) Institutions and alternative program providers provide ongoing support for novice educators in partnership with local education agencies during their induction period, including observation, consultation and assessment.
(x) Institutions and alternative program providers supply evidence that an acceptable percentage of candidates applying for certification as determined by the Secretary and approved by the Board achieve at a satisfactory level on all assessments appropriate to initial certification in each program for which they are approved.
(5) Institutions and alternative program providers may enter into articulation agreements with community colleges that permit students to earn credits toward meeting the requirements of this chapter.
(6) Institutions shall comply with requirements set forth in the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C.A. § § 6301—7981) and the Federal Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C.A. § § 1001—1019d).
Source The provisions of this § 49.14 amended September 24, 1999, effective September 25, 1999, 29 Pa.B. 4954; amended July 14, 2006, effective July 15, 2006, 36 Pa.B. 3655; amended September 21, 2007, effective September 22, 2007, 37 Pa.B. 5150; amended April 22, 2022, effective April 23, 2022, 52 Pa.B. 2451. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (329957) to (329958).
Cross References This section cited in 22 Pa. Code § 49.15 (relating to approval of experimental programs).
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