Level I provisional certificates must be converted to Level II permanent certificates by the end of the validity period by meeting specific requirements.
This Certification Staffing Policy Guideline (CSPG) is not intended to be used for determination of teacher tenure, seniority, or benefit entitlement within the public school system.
General Information
Educational Credits
Basics
- All courses must have been satisfactorily completed with a passing grade. Official transcripts must document the course title, date taken, and credits earned for each course.
- Quarter hour credits will be converted to semester hour credits using the following ratio: one quarter hour credit equals 2/3 semester hour credit.
- Credits completed outside of the United States must be evaluated by a professional credentials evaluation agency accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE) or an agency approved by another state department of education.
Acceptable Credits
- A minimum of 24 credits earned after the conferral of the initial baccalaureate degree is required. A minimum of six of these 24 credits must be in the content area of the Level I certificate or in a course or courses designed to improve professional practice.
- Graduate or undergraduate credits earned at a regionally/nationally accredited or state-approved associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree-granting institution.
- Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)-approved credits (not Act 48 hours) offered by intermediate units.
- A Principal's Induction Program that is offered or approved by PDE.
- Credits in the fields of medicine, law, theology, or real estate are acceptable if the educator can present evidence of relevance to their certification area and assignment.
Unacceptable Credits
- Continuing Education Units (CEU) – non-credit measures of continuing education awarded by various organizations, professional societies, and some colleges or universities. Note: Act 48 hours are considered CEUs.
- In-service education course credits awarded by providers other than Pennsylvania intermediate units or approved by authorities other than PDE's Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality.
Service and Evaluations
Creditable Service
- To receive credit toward the Level II certification requirement, an educator must:
- Serve in an assignment for which they hold a Level I certificate or a Chapter 49.85(f) exception;
- Serve at least 50 percent of the employing entity's schedule;
- Serve for a minimum of 70 days in a semester or for a minimum of 70 days in a single assignment across both semesters; and
- Complete satisfactory service.
- Note: A professional educator may only be evaluated once per year. A temporary professional educator is required to be evaluated twice per year. See 1949 Act 14 - PA General Assembly (state.pa.us)
- Satisfactory and unsatisfactory service will be counted toward the full-service period of certificate validity (refer to CSPG No. 3 – Validity of a Pennsylvania Certificate).
Non-Creditable Service
- Service evaluated as unsatisfactory counts toward the period of validity of the Level I certificate, but cannot be used to meet Level II requirements.
- The following assignments for which an educator lacks the appropriate Level I certificate are considered non-creditable service:
- Emergency permits (all types, even if serving 70 days or more);
- Intern certificates (Instructional or Career and Technical);
- Temporary teaching permits; and
- Temporary provisional certificates (Act 136).
- Non-creditable service also includes service completed in the following placements:
- Contracted employment that cannot be verified by the chief school administrator of an approved public or private school entity;
- Accrued outside the mandated school-year (summer school);
- As a teacher of adult classes of persons over 21 years of age (in non-Bureau of Corrections facilities);
- In non-professional or paraprofessional positions; and
- Outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Mandatory Service
Mandatory service counts toward the Level II certification service requirement and is charged against the period of validity of the Level I certificate. This includes service in following entities:
- Public schools;
- Intermediate units;
- Career and technical schools;
- Approved private schools for special education (APS);
- Special program jointures;
- Pre-K Counts programs (effective 2008-2009 school year);
- Scranton State School for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children;
- State correctional facilities when providing inmate education and training to school age inmates.
- Juvenile correctional facilities or county jails (when employed by a public-school entity);
- Local education agency (LEA) alternative education programs including after school program alternative education programs where the students receive credit for coursework;
- A charter school as a principal, assistant principal, or vice principal; and
- A charter school in any special education certificate area: speech-language, visually impaired, hearing impaired, general special education, supervisory.
- A charter school in related services positions as defined by IDEA which includes the position of school psychologist, school nurse, school counselor, school social worker and education specialist speech and language pathologist.
Optional Service
Service on a Level I certificate in the following types of schools/institutions may be credited toward Level II certification at the option of the certificate holder:
- Pennsylvania charter schools (except principals, assistant or vice principals, all special education teachers, school psychologists, school nurses, school counselors, school social workers and education specialist speech and language pathologists).
- Licensed Private Academic Schools;
- PDE-registered non-public, non-licensed schools;
- Head Start programs (except for Pre-K Counts programs);
- Child care facilities that are Star 3 or above; and
- Bureau of Corrections facilities as a teacher of adult inmates.
Note: Level I certified contracted staff that are verified by the chief school administrator of an approved public or private school entity may use this service for Level II conversion (see Special Considerations.
Calculating Creditable Service on Instructional and Education Specialist Certificates
- An individual must serve 70 days or more in a single assignment on the Level I certificate to receive credit toward Level II certification. Calculation of service time for Level I certificates is based on 90-day fall and spring semesters and a 180-day school year as follows:
- 0-69 days served = 0 years credit
- 70-139 days = ½ year credit
- 140-180 days = 1 year credit
- Calculating the minimum service for Level II work experience requirements should be based on the LEA's official full-time total hours per day and week. At a minimum the individual must work at least half of the hours and/or days established as full-time by the LEA. Examples below provide a guide for computation but do not include all possible scenarios.
Example 1: Computing hours/days worked based on a school day that totals 8 hours a day for 5 days a week. The following scenarios would constitute service that counts:
- Working 8 hours a day for 2.5 days per week.
- Working a minimum of 4 hours a day in a 5-day week.
Example 2: Computing hours/days of work experience based on a school day that totals 8 hours a day in a 6-day block schedule. The following scenarios would constitute service that counts:
- Working 8 hours a day in the 6-day block schedule.
- Working a minimum of 4 hours a day in the 6-day block schedule.
Specific Requirements by Credential Type
Instructional Certificates
Policies
All instructional certificates will simultaneously convert to Instructional II certificates or simultaneously lapse if the validity period has expired.
Educational Requirements
Educators holding an Instructional I certificate must provide evidence of 24 post-baccalaureate semester hour credits, six of which must be associated with the area(s) of certification and/or designed to improve the professional practice of teaching.
Service Requirements
Three years of satisfactory teaching on any Instructional I certificate. Service may be combined from different subject areas.
Other Requirements
- To receive a Level II certificate, an educator also must complete a PDE-approved induction program and submit verification of satisfactory service.
- The holder of a Level I certificate that was issued after September 2001 must receive a recommendation for Level II permanent certification from the superintendent or chief school administrator on the PDE Form 427 Instructional I to Instructional II Assessment Form (PDF) {§ 49.83. Instructional II} to affirm satisfactory completion of the required assessment. A signed copy of the original PDE Form 427 should be retained by the LEA in the appropriate local file.
Educational Specialist Certificates
Policies
- Educational Specialist areas of certification do not simultaneously convert to Educational Specialist II certificates or simultaneously lapse.
- An educator who holds both Elementary K-6 and Secondary 7-12 School Counselor certificates will have both certificates converted simultaneously when the educator presents eligibility for at least one of the certificates. Service to convert both certificates can be three years in elementary counseling, three years in secondary counseling, or a combination of service in both grade levels.
Educational Requirements
Educators holding an Educational Specialist I certificate must provide evidence of 24 post-baccalaureate semester hour credits.
Service Requirements
Three years of satisfactory service on the Educational Specialist I certificate being converted.
Other Requirements
- The educator also must complete a PDE-approved induction program and submit verification of satisfactory service.
- The holder of a Level I certificate that was issued after September 2001 must achieve satisfactory results on a Level II assessment to obtain a Level II certificate. The assessment should be retained by the LEA in the appropriate local file.
Career and Technical Instructional Certificates
Policies
All career and technical instructional certificate areas will simultaneously convert to Career and Technical II certificates or simultaneously lapse if the validity period has expired.
Educational Requirements
Educators may be recommended for Career and Technical Instructional Level II certification by their Pennsylvania-approved preparatory program after completing a total of 42 credit hours in addition to the 18 credits earned in Career and Technical, I program for a total of 60 credit hours.
Service Requirements
Three years of satisfactory service on a Career and Technical I certificate in any occupational competency area for which the certificate was issued.
Other Requirements
The educator must also:
- Complete a PDE-approved induction program;
- Submit verification of satisfactory service; and
- Achieve satisfactory results on a Level II assessment to obtain a Level II certificate. The assessment should be retained by the LEA in the appropriate local file.
Supervisory Certificates
Policies
None
Educational Requirements
None
Service Requirements
- Type Code 81 Supervisory I certificate require three years of satisfactory service.
- Time served counts toward the validity of the Code 81 Supervisory I certificate.
- Type Code 76 Supervisory certificates have no service requirements.
- Service is calculated by the school year (July 1 to June 30) as follows:
- Less than 3 months of service = no credit
- 3 months to less than 9 months of service = 1/2 year credit
- 9 to 12 months of service = 1 year credit
Administrative Certificates
Policies
- All Administrative I certificate will simultaneously convert to Administrative II certificates or will lapse if the validity period has expired.
- Administrative certificate holders who are employed for the first time in a position of principal, assistant principal, or vice principal in a public school in the commonwealth on or after January 1, 2008, must complete the Principal's Induction Program.
Educational Requirements
None
Service Requirements
- Type Code 83 Administrative I certificate require three years of satisfactory service.
- Type Code 78 Administrative certificates are permanent and do not have a service requirement.
- Type Code 75 Administrative I certificate require three years of satisfactory service.
- Service is calculated by the school year (July 1 to June 30) as follows:
- 0 to less than 3 months of service = no credit
- 3 to 9 months of service = 1/2-year credit
- 9 to 12 months of service = 1 year credit
Administrative Provisional Certificates
Policies
- Type Code 72 Administrative Provisional I – Principal must convert to Administrative I (Type Code 75) within the first two years of employment by:
- Completing a Pennsylvania-approved leadership program;
- Passing the subject matter content assessment; and
- Remaining employed.
- Type 75 Administrative I must be converted to Level II within five service years of the Administrative Provisional I issuance date.
- Type Code 72 Administrative Provisional I – Career and Technical Administrative Director must be converted to a Type Code 78 Administrative within the first two years of employment by:
- Completing a Pennsylvania-approved leadership program;
- Passing the subject matter content assessment; and
- Remaining employed.
Educational Requirements
As listed under policies
Service Requirements
As listed under policies
Program Specialist Certificates
Policies
- Program Specialist certificate holders usually possess an Instructional certificate in order to be eligible for a Program Specialist certificate.
- The holder must maintain the prerequisite Instructional certificate in valid status in order to continue service on the Program Specialist certificate.
- Service on a Program Specialist certificate creditable toward meeting the experience requirements for Level II certification for the prerequisite Level I certificate and counts toward the period of validity of the prerequisite Level I certificate.
- Once an educator has completed three years of combined satisfactory service on the Instructional certificate and/or Program Specialist certificate, and has satisfied all educational requirements for Level II certification, the educator may convert the prerequisite Instructional Level I certificate to an Instructional Level II certificate.
- Program Specialist certificates issued to applicants who possess an equivalent English as Second Language certificate from another state, but do not possess a Pennsylvania Instructional certificate, have no conversion requirements.
Educational Requirements
Not applicable
Service Requirements
Not applicable
*Note: The Program Specialist certificate is a unique category not comparable to the previous categories listed.*
Related Information
Special Considerations
- For purposes of transition to permanent (Level II) certification and as best practice, LEAs should observe and document performance during the duration of service in the LEA of any certified educator employed to serve in a professional capacity on their Level I certificate as a long-term substitute (as outlined in creditable service) or as certified contracted staff. This enables certified substitutes or contracted staff to obtain verified satisfactory service from the district superintendent or chief school administrator which is necessary for conversion to Level II.
- Educators who have completed the service time requirements to convert to a Level II certificate, but who have not been evaluated using an approved PDE evaluation form (long-term substitutes, private school educators, etc.), may have their satisfactory service time attested to by the Chief School Administrator of the approved public or nonpublic school entity in which the service was performed.
- Educators who hold a certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards may be issued a Level II certification comparable in grade scope and content area to the National Board certificate. If an individual applies for a Level II certificate in an area not comparable in grade scope and content area to the National Board certificate, the application must be reviewed by PDE's Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality Director for approval.
- An individual applying for Level II School Psychologist certification who holds a National Association of School Psychologists certificate will be issued a Level II certificate.
- Non-U.S. citizen educators certified in a world language subject area may convert to a Level II certificate without obtaining U.S. citizenship but must meet all other regulatory requirements for conversion to an Instructional II certificate.
- Non-U.S. citizen educators certified in a subject area other than a world language cannot convert to a Level II certificate unless they obtain U.S. citizenship or are legally authorized to work in the United States.
- Satisfactory service of a non-U.S. citizen authorized to work in the United States (formerly titled an Alien Provisional certificate), will be charged against validity and credited toward Level II certification.
References
Pa. Public School Code: §1109, §1202, §1205, §1217, §1732-A (c) (2), §1749-A (b) (8)
22 Pa. Code: Chapter 49: §49.2, §49.18 (a), §49.83, §49.84, §49.103, §49.104, §49.111, §49.121, §49.143
Chapter 711: § 711.4, § 711.5
Act 15 of 1999
Act 45 of 2007
Act 76 of 2019
This revision supersedes all earlier CSPGs carrying this number and/or addressing this subject. Previous CSPG printing dates on this subject: 3/75, 1/87, 7/04, 6/10, 6/11, 2/13, 5/16,10/16, 2/19, 11/21.
Summary of Changes
| Date of Revisions | Major Changes to CSPG #7 |
|---|---|
| 10/2024 |
|
| 4/2024 |
|
| 12/2022 |
|
| 7/2021 |
|
| 2/2019 |
|
| 5/2016 |
|
| 2/2013 |
|
| 6/2011 |
|
| 6/2010 |
|
| 7/2004 |
|
| 1/1987 |
|
| 3/1975 |
|