The Bridge I and II Certificate Program

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The Bridge I and II Certificate Program

• Paths to Certified/Highly Qualified Status

Information as of March 8, 2005
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Bridge I and Bridge II

• Bridge II was approved by the State Board of
  Education on January 20, 2005
• Guidelines issued March 8, 2005

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No Child Left Behind

• Places major emphasis on the importance of
  teacher quality in improving student achievement
• Purpose of HQT provisions in NCLB is to increase
  academic achievement of all students by helping
  districts ensure all teachers are highly qualified

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PDEs Goal

• To ensure all teachers have the necessary CONTENT
  knowledge to help students meet academic and
  achievement standards

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No Child Left Behind Identified Content Areas
(Grades 7-12)

• English
• Reading/Lang. Arts
• Mathematics
• Science
• History
• Geography

• Economics
• Civics/Government
• Foreign Languages
• Arts (Art/Music)

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Highly Qualified Requirements

• MUST BE MET BY END OF 2005-06 SCHOOL YEAR
• Hold the Instructional Content Area Certificate
• Take and Pass Content Area Praxis II test and Add
  Certification Area to Certificate
• Hold the Bridge I Certificate

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Bridge I

• Allows certain eligible teachers to earn
  certification in a single content area by
  completing specified activities over a three-year
  period.

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Bridge I Certificate Program

• Addresses Teachers Employed by Public School
  Districts, Intermediate Units, Charter Schools,
  Nonpublic Schools that receive federal funds or
  have students placed via IEPs
• One time opportunity

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Who Can Enter the Bridge I Certificate Program

• Alternative Education Teachers (7-12)
• Middle School Level Teachers with only an
  Elementary Certificate (7-9)
• ESL Teachers Providing Secondary Content
  Instruction (7-12)

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Who Can Enter the Bridge I Certificate Program

• Special Education Teachers (7-12)
• If Students are Below a 6th Grade Learning Level
  (Instruction at the elementary level), per the
  IEP, a Content Certificate is Not Required.
• If Students are Not Participating in PSSA,
  Content Certificate is not required.

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Who Can Enter the Bridge I Certificate Program

• Must have a Pennsylvania Level I or Level II
  Certificate Issued Prior to July, 2004
• ALL paperwork stamped in Bureau of Certification
  (complete packet)

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Who Can Enter Bridge I Certificate Program

• Must have Assignment in Core Content Area
  (between 2000-01 to 2004-05 school year) - 5 Year
  Window
• Must be Teaching that Content at Least 50 of the
  School Year/At Least 1 Period Per Day

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Bridge I Benefits

• Do not need to take Praxis Test
• After Entry, 3 years to gain remaining Credits to
  Complete Highly Qualified Status
• Can Add Certificate Area, Once Content
  Requirements are Completed

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Whats Required to Enter

• Phase 1 - Document 12 points by July 1, 2005
• Experience Teaching Content 2 points per Year
  (6 points maximum)
• Satisfactory Rating
• In last five years

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Whats Required to Enter

• College Credits in Content Area - 1 Point per
  Credit (10 points maximum)
• Content not pedagogy (i.e. College Algebra I,
  Basic College Writing)
• Undergraduate or graduate level
• One point for one semester hour
• Taken at an accredited two-year or four-year
  college or university
• Grade of 2.0 or higher
• Verified by a certified transcript

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Whats Required to Enter

• Approved Professional Development Hours in
  Content Area 30 hours 1 point (6 points
  maximum)
• Includes Act 48 Activity and CPE courses for
  credit that are in content area
• Academic Scholarship/Awards in Content Area as
  District/State Content Teacher of the Year 1
  Point, Journal Article author, 2 points, etc. (6
  points maximum)

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Bridge I - Phase 1

• Suggestion
• Use Act 48 hours to get on the Bridge I - Save
  college credits for Phase 2 because ALL Act 48
  hours for Phase 2 must be new - taken after July
  1, 2005

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How Does A Teacher Enter Bridge I?

• Evaluate Years of Experience, Professional
  Development, College Credits, etc. in the Content
  Area. (LIMITED TO 1 CONTENT AREA)
• Complete the Department-approved standard Bridge
  I Application form
• Select Certificate Area Sought Based on Content
  Experience/Grade Level Submit Application
  /Content Documentation, Transcripts, etc. to
  Chief School Administrator or Designee.

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Chief School Administrators Responsibilities

• Verifies applicants eligibility
• Signs application form
• Uploads names of those approved to PDE via a
  secure password
• Retains transcripts, certification of completion
  of approved Act 48 courses, etc. - Audit purposes
• No later than June 30, 2005

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PDEs Responsibilities

• Department (PDE) verifies that the teacher holds
  a valid PA certification if so issues a Bridge
  I Certificate designation - indicated on website
  - no hard copy
• Good for three years - Counts as Highly Qualified
• Can be verified by accessing the Teacher
  Certification System on the PDE website

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Bridge I Certification Procedures7/1/05 - 7/1/08

• Phase 2 - Additional 18 Points
• Satisfactory Teaching in Content Area (Maximum
  6 points 2 points per year possible)
• In the content area and at the grade level for
  which the Bridge I Certificate is sought

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Bridge I Certification Procedures

• Postsecondary College Credits (Maximum 12 points.
  1 credit 1 point)
• Prior (Not counted in Phase 1) or new, coursework
  completed during these 3 years.

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Bridge I Certification Procedures

• Approved New Professional Development Hours in
  Content Area 30 hours 1 point (6 points
  maximum)
• Pre-approved by the Department if taken after
  July 1, 2005
• Taken prior - application made to the Department
  to have a class approved for Phase 2 - meets
  Standards for a professional development
  program
• Must include a required assessment

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Bridge I Certification Procedures

• Academic Scholarship/Awards in Content Area as
  District/State Content Teacher of the Year 1
  Point, Journal Article author, 2 points, etc. (6
  points maximum)

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Bridge I Certification Yearly Procedures

• Each Year - teacher prepares a standard form
  progress report (Not yet available)
• Returns it to attesting official for signature
• Provides documentation to substantiate point
  total
• Attesting Official completes and returns progress
  report to PDE no later than September 30th of
  each year (2006-2007-2008)

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Bridge I Finalization (by 7/1/08)

• Final Progress Report - Attesting official
  informs the Department that teacher has satisfied
  all requirements
• Bridge I Certificate will be converted into an
  Instructional I or Instructional II certificate
  showing content area or areas in which the
  teacher is highly qualified
• New certificate area will be added to the Teacher
  Certification System a new certificate will be
  issued (Will indicate certification was obtained
  through the Bridge I Certificate program)

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Bridge I Certificate Extension

• Secretary of Education may extend any Bridge I
  Certificate deadline on an individual
  case-by-case basis when exceptional situations
  warrant
• Military duty, debilitating medical condition,
  and authorized maternity or parental leave
• Written application with documentation and
  evidence sent to the Secretary no later than 15
  calendar days prior to the expiration

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Review of Decisions (Appeal)

• Director of the Departments Bureau of Teacher
  Certification (or designee) will review any
  decision made by the Department or school entity
• Request in writing from the teacher
• Within 14 calendar days after receiving written
  notification of the decision

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Review of Decisions (Appeal)

• Written documentation explains decision appealed
  and grounds for the appeal
• May be accompanied by any written materials
  relevant to the decision
• Teacher may request a hearing
• Director issues written decision - final decision

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Bridge II

• Highly Qualified Designation

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Bridge II

• Many teachers found to need highly qualified
  status in more than 1(one) content area
• Could be up to 4 (four) content areas
• Bridge II created to address special education,
  alternative education and ESL teachers in
  self-contained classroom.
• Decouple Certification and Highly Qualified
  Designation

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Bridge II

• When Bridge I requirement is met or through
  testing requirement, teacher gains a full
  Instructional Content Certificate in ONE of the
  core areas being taught
• Suggested - English, Math or Science
• Teacher can THEN be assessed for Bridge II -
  Highly Qualified Designation

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Highly Qualified Designation

• How?
• Graduated (certified) prior to 1987
• At least 1 college course (3 credits) in Content
  Area
• Earned 2.0
• Verified by official/certified transcript
• Taught content for one or more years and received
  PDE-approved satisfactory evaluations in teaching
  that Content Area

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Highly Qualified Designation

• How?
• Graduated after 1987
• At least 1 college course (3 credits) in Content
  Area
• Earned 2.0
• Verified by official/certified transcript
• Passed either
• Fundamental Subjects Content Knowledge Praxis or
• Elementary Education Content Knowledge Praxis

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Highly Qualified Designation

• Content area earned through Bridge I - added to
  Certificate - Can teach in regular classroom
• Content areas with Highly Qualified Designation
  are portable to other schools but limited to
  original certification, i.e. special education -
  cannot teach content in regular classroom

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Highly Qualified Designation

• Recommended to State Board of Education to add an
  additional year (July 1, 2009) to get Highly
  Qualified Designation
• No extension in Bridge II Guidelines issued 3/8/05

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Highly Qualified Requirement

• Federal Government refused to let states
  grandfather teachers into Highly Qualified
• PSEA is encouraging eligible members to enter
  Bridge I
• Teacher refuses to get highly qualified -
  possible insubordination

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Highly Qualified Requirement

• Teacher refuses to get highly qualified -
  Superintendent does nothing - Superintendents
  job could be in jeopardy - Willful neglect of
  state and federal regulations - Discovered during
  an Audit

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IDEIA (2004)

• Highly Qualified effective December 3, 2004
• Elementary Special Education teachers must show
  Elementary Competency
• Includes Middle and High School Life Skills
  Support, Autistic Support, Multidisability
  Support, and all others providing instruction
  preparing students to be assessed against
  alternative achievement standards (PASA)
• Bridge III - Currently under discussion (see
  PennLink)

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Bridge III

• Anticipated soon ????
• May include Students who graduated in December
  2004, those who will graduate in May 2005 and
  those Candidates in Schools of Education

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Additional Information

• See www.teaching.state.pa.us for total Bridge
  Program Information and Forms.
• Contact School Administration Office for
• their timeline.
• Bureau of Teacher Certification and Preparation
• [phone] - Sharron Nelson

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Questions