Certificate Upgrades

Certificate Upgrades

Certificate Level Upgrade Options Option 1: Upgrading in Your Current Certificate Field In-field: Completion of an advanced degree program in a certification field currently held by the educator. Examples: Teacher holds Early Childhood T-4. Gets Masters in Early Childhood for T-5. Teacher holds T-4 in English for Secondary. Gets Masters in English. Teacher holds T-5 in Special Education. Gets Specialists degree in Special Education. Degrees offered by Georgia institutions must meet one of the following: 1. The college, school or Department of Education is approved by GaPSC (Professional Standards Commission), or 2. The institution has a Carnegie Classification of RU/VH or RU/H (Research University) Degrees offered by out of state institutions must meet one of the following: 1. The institution is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), or 2. The advanced degree program is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), or 3. The institution has a Carnegie Classification of RU/VH or RU/H

Certificate Level Upgrade Options Option 1: Upgrading in Your Current Certificate Field So how do I know if I m okay for an upgrade under Option 1? 1. Do I already hold a certificate in this field? Yes 2. Is my graduate program in a Georgia institution approved by the PSC or is the institution a Research University (RU/H or RU/VH) as classified by the Carnegie Institute? Yes 3. If my graduate program is out of state, is it accredited as required by the PSC? Yes If you can answer yes to question 1 and yes to either question 2 or 3, you are eligible for an upgraded certificate and related pay increase..

Certificate Level Upgrade Options Option 2: Upgrading based on a degree in a new field Completion of an advanced degree program in a new certification field. Examples: Teacher holds Early Childhood T-4. Gets Masters in Middle Grades Social Studies Teacher holds T-4 in Health/PE. Gets Masters in Special Education Teacher holds T-5 in Special Education. Gets Specialists degree in School Counseling Degree programs offered by Georgia institutions must meet the following: The program is a GaPSC approved Educator Preparation Program. Degree programs offered by out of state institutions must meet the following: The program is approved by the state equivalent of the GaPSC, and The institution is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), or The advanced degree program is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), or The institution has a Carnegie Classification of RU/VH or RU/H

Certificate Level Upgrade Options Option 2: Upgrading in a New Certificate Field So how do I know if I m okay for an upgrade under Option 2? 1. Is my advanced degree program in a field other than my current certificate? Yes 2. Is my graduate program in a Georgia institution an educator preparation program approved by the Georgia PSC? Yes 3. If my graduate program is out of state, is the program approved by the college/university s home state PSC? Yes 4. If my graduate program is out of state, is the program accredited as required by GaPSC? Yes

Certificate Level Upgrade Options Option 2: Upgrading in a New Certificate Field So how do I know if I m okay for an upgrade under Option 2? If you can answer yes to question 1 and yes to question 2 you are eligible for an upgraded certificate and related pay increase when you pass the GACE in the new field. Or If you can answer yes to question 1 and yes to questions 3 and 4 you are eligible for an upgraded certificate and related pay increase when you pass the GACE in the new field.

More on New Field Upgrades Many institutions offer degrees in fields such as Secondary Education. In order to accept a degree in Secondary Education to add a field, the transcript and recommendation form must list an area of specialization in a field recognized by Georgia. For example: Secondary Education with a specialization in Science. The educator must also pass the GACE assessments for the Secondary field of specialization and add the field before being eligible to upgrade the certificate.

Even More on New Field Upgrades Georgia educators who hold professional certification and complete an out of state program to upgrade their certificate and add a new field must complete a program that meets Georgia s Upgrade requirements AND pass the GACE content area assessment. If a test is satisfied for an out of state certificate, Georgia will no longer reciprocate. Educators who do not take and pass the GACE content area assessment will NOT receive the upgrade OR add the new field to their certificate. Exception: The only exception is if GACE does not have a content area exam established for the field.

Important Requirements to Remember The institutions must hold the specific type of accreditation at the time of admittance for acceptance. Educators seeking certificate level upgrades through the addition of a new field in conjunction with completion of an advanced degree program must meet all Georgia testing requirements to add the field. Educators must pass the appropriate GACE assessments in order to qualify for a certificate level upgrade. Educators holding valid Georgia NT, NNT, P and GaTAPP certificates at a level 4 or higher cannot upgrade until they convert to a Clear Renewable certificate. The certificate level is still a single level assigned to all certificate fields held by the educator. For example: An educator will NOT hold separate levels for T, S or L certificates. If you are currently actively enrolled and taking courses for an advanced degree, you will be grandfathered in to your upgrade. See the next slide for the timeline.

Grandfathering Timeline Georgia educators with certificate levels in place by December 15, 2010 will remain intact. The grandfathering process for certificate levels will begin on December 15, 2010, and remain in place until July 15, 2011. The process was designed to protect educators who are currently completing a program during the time of the rule change. As of December 15, 2010, educators must meet two requirements to upgrade their certificates under the previous upgrade rule: AND Educator must be enrolled in a program by July 15, 2011 Enrolled is defined as admitted to a program and actively completing coursework Educators enrolled in a program must complete the program within the following time period: Master s degree completed by December 15, 2014 Educational Specialist degree completed by December 15, 2014 Doctoral degree completed by December 15, 2016. If you start a program after July 15, 2011, you are subject to the new rules.

List of Accreditation Agencies The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) The link: http://www.chea.org/search/search.asp The Carnegie Classification for the Advancement of Teaching RU/VH link: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/lookup_listings/srp.php?clq={%22basic 2005_ids%22%3A%2215%22}&limit=0,50 RU/H link: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/lookup_listings/srp.php?clq={%22basic 2005_ids%22%3A%2216%22}&limit=0,50 Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) The link: http://www.teac.org/membership/teac-members/ US Department of Education (USDOE) The link: http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.aspx National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) The link: http://www.ncate.org/public/listofaccredinst.asp Educational Leadership Constituent Council The Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) provides program standards to NCATE. The ELCC is composed of three NCATE constituent member associations: ASCD, NAESP, and NASSP.

New Form The form on the next page is under development by the Ga PSC. The intent of the new form is for educators to have a systematic way to get preapproval from GaPSC before starting an advanced degree. This form will be in use after December 15, 2010.

Pre-Approval Form

Additional New Fields of Certification Three new fields of certification are being developed for approval: Curriculum and Instruction Instructional Technology Teacher Leadership The transition plan for these new fields is intended to honor existing programs until the GaPSC Certification and Preparation rules are adopted and GACE assessments are developed. It will also allow time for institutions to adjust programs for approval by the GaPSC or their home state equivalent. DRAFT GUIDANCE: All candidates enrolled by January 15, 2013 must complete all Master s or Specialist degree program requirements by July 15, 2015, or Doctoral degree program requirements by July 15, 2017. Completers of these programs will earn a certificate level upgrade ONLY regardless of program state approval status.

Additional New Fields of Certification Educators enrolled and completing programs in these fields will continue to earn a certificate level upgrade provided the institution meets one of the following criteria: The program is approved by the GaPSC, or The institution is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), or The advanced degree program is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), or The institution has a Carnegie Classification of RU/VH or RU/H A timeline for acceptance will be determined and published in GaPSC guidance. If an educator wants to later add these fields once approved programs are in place, they must affiliate with an approved provider and complete requirements for recommendation along with passing the GACE assessments.

Status of Out-of- State Programs as of Fall 2010. COLLEGE NCATE TEAC 3-15/3-19 CARNEGIE CLASS APPROVED PROGRAMS Argosy University no no no no American Intercontinental University no no no no Ashford University/Rio Salado College no no no no Cambridge College no candidate no yes Capella University no no no no Central Michigan University yes candidate no yes Drexel University no no RU/H yes Eastern Michigan University yes no no no Fielding Graduate University no no no no George Washington University yes no RU/H no Grand Canyon University no no no yes Kaplan University no no no no Liberty University yes no no yes Lesley University no yes no no Lincoln Memorial University no no no yes National University no no no yes Nova Southeastern University no no no yes University of Phoenix no yes no yes University of West Alabama yes no no yes University of West Florida yes no no yes Walden University no no no yes Western Governor's University yes no no yes

Let s take a look at a few emails the GaPSC received regarding the Upgrade Rules.

Question Will a Doctorate in Education, with no concentration, from Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee ensure a pay raise for a teacher that stays in the classroom? I have an EdS in Middle Grades Education from Mercer University.

Answer Hello. Thank you for your recent inquiry to the Professional Standards Commission (PSC) Certification Division concerning the proposed certification upgrade rule and completing an advanced degree at Lincoln Memorial University. As long as you are actively enrolled in coursework in the program on or prior to 7/15/11 and complete your degree according to the time-line listed below, you are grandfathered and your certificate will be upgraded to the appropriate degree level. Master s degrees: Enrolled by: 7/15/11 Completed by: 12/15/14 Specialist degrees: Enrolled by: 7/15/11 Completed by: 12/15/14 Doctoral degrees: Enrolled by: 7/15/11 Completed by: 12/15/16 Please note an upgrade usually results in a salary increase. However, salary is determined by the local school system and Department of Education regulations and not the PSC. Therefore, please refer all questions regarding salary adjustments to your school system personnel director.

Question I am currently provisionally certified in ECE and looking to complete my Master's in order to retain my certification. I have looked through the information on the website, but have been unable to find all the information I need. I am considering two program options and would like to know if they are currently approved programs that will satisfy my requirement to convert my certificate from provisional to renewable. The programs are: American College of Education - Master's in Education (Curriculum and Instruction) (Regionally Accredited) Western Governor's University - Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Program (K-8) (nationally, regionally, NCATE, and CCNE accredited) I really appreciate your help!

Answer To qualify to convert your Non-Professional certificate in Early Childhood to Clear Renewable status, you must complete a state-approved teacher certification preparation program and receive a recommendation for professional certification. Unfortunately, the master s program at the American College of Education in Curriculum and Instruction would not be acceptable to convert your Non-Professional certificate. Although the institution is regionally accredited, it appears that this program is not state-approved by the Illinois Department of Education. If the post-baccalaureate program at Western Governors University (WGU) is state-approved by the Utah Department of Education, then this program would be acceptable for professional certification in Georgia, and if you successfully complete this program, you can apply to convert your Non-Professional certificate to Clear Renewable. In addition to completing the program, though, you would still have to complete any special Georgia certification requirements such as 3 semester hours of college credit in identifying and educating exceptional children. WGU may be able to include this course in your program, should you decide to complete this program.

Question I currently hold a T-5 in Mathematics and am planning to complete a Ph.D. degree at Georgia Tech in mathematics. Will this advanced degree be acceptable for a certification upgrade based on the new upgrade rule?

Answer The Georgia Institute of Technology currently holds Carnegie Classification of RU/VH. You may complete a higher degree in your field of mathematics through this institution to upgrade your current certificate.

Question I currently hold a T4 in English and am planning to enroll in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree program in drama at Yale University to add drama. Will this advanced degree be acceptable for a T-5 in English and add certification in Drama?

Answer Thank you for your thought provoking question. In order to qualify to upgrade your certification, you must first add the field of Drama to your certificate in English. Since there are limited Georgia approved programs in Drama and currently no GACE assessment, a degree in Drama from Yale University will allow you to add the field. Once you have completed the degree and added the field, you will qualify to upgrade to higher degree because Yale holds a Carnegie classification of RU/VH.

Question I hold a T-6 in Physics and Science and plan to enroll at Walden University to complete a Doctor of Education degree in Science Education in August 2011. Will this advanced degree meet the new guidelines for a certification upgrade?

Answer Unfortunately, Walden University does not meet the GaPSC accreditation requirements outlined in our Educator Certificates Upgrade Rule. This institution does not hold NCATE, TEAC or Carnegie Classification of RU/H or RU/VH. Therefore, earning a higher degree from this institution will not qualify you for an upgrade.

Question I hold a T4 in Special Education General Curriculum and plan to complete the state-approved Master of Education degree in School Counseling at the University of West Alabama in January of 2012. I began my program in July 2010 and plan to pass the Praxis test in School Counseling and apply for certification in School Counseling in Alabama and then transfer it to Georgia. Will I still be required to pass the GACE tests in School Counseling?

Answer Georgia recently modified procedures for meeting the Special Georgia Requirement: Content Knowledge Assessment with rule changes effective December 15, 2010. Since you are a current Georgia educator completing an out-of-state approved master s program after this date, you are required to pass our GACE assessment for the field of School Counseling before you are eligible to add the field. However, you will meet the grandfathering timeline to upgrade your current T4 certificate to T5 upon completion of the higher degree.

Question I hold an S-5 in School Social Work and I am currently working as a social worker in County. I plan to enroll in October 2011 and complete an Educational Specialist degree at Central Michigan University in Administration and Supervision. Central Michigan holds NCATE accreditation. Will the PSC accept this degree program to qualify me for certification in Educational Leadership in Georgia, provided I pass the GACE tests in leadership? Could I complete this degree and qualify for an S-6 in Social Work and then complete a performance-based leadership certification-only program at Mercer University and add on leadership certification? Once I add the field of Educational Leadership, will I continue to be paid specialist pay even though I am not working in a leadership position?

Answer I am happy to assist you with your questions regarding completion of a program in Administration and Supervision with Central Michigan University. CMU does not have an approved Performance-Based Leadership program. Therefore, completion of a degree in Administration and Supervision will not lead to certification in Educational Leadership. Also, you will not qualify to upgrade your current S5 certificate because this field does not meet In-Field requirements for the certification field of Social Work. You must enroll in a Georgia approved Performance-Based Leadership program at the Specialist or Doctorate Level to qualify for professional certification in Georgia. Upon completion of the program and issuance of the PL certificate in Educational Leadership, you must be placed in a leadership position before you would be paid for the degree.