Relates to candidates seeking an initial teaching certificate

3 Co-sponsors

• Tony Avella
• Rich Funke
• William J. Larkin Jr.

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to certain candidates seeking an initial teaching certificate

Purpose

To direct the State Education Department (SED) to develop a temporary alternative pathway to an initial teaching certificate

Summary of provisions

Section 1. Directs the Commissioner of Education to develop an alternative pathway for teacher candidates that fail the edTPA, ALST, or EAS exams.

Section 2. Provides for a retroactive effective date of May 1, 2015.

Justification

The State Education Department has been pursuing the Regents Reform Agenda since 2009. As part of this agenda, SED implemented new requirements for teacher certification in May of 2014. These new requirements include three new exams: the teacher performance assessment (edTPA), the academic literacy skills test (ALST) and the educating all students (EAS) exam.

Prior to the introduction of these new exams, the rates for initial certification were well above 90 percent. For the first year in which the new exams were required, the statewide passage rates on two of the exams, the ALST and EAS were 73 percent and 68 percent respectively. While this precipitous decline in passage rates can be attributed in part to the additional rigor of the new exams, there is evidence indicating that SED did not provide teacher preparation programs and candidates with the frameworks for the new exams far enough in advance of the new examination requirement. The frameworks were provided in August of 2013, which coincides with the senior year for candidates graduating in May 2014. This late release of the final frameworks likely contributed to difficulties for many candidates who invested a tremendous amount of time, effort and financial resources in their education.

Furthermore, many teacher preparation programs are still adjusting their curricula to better prepare future educators for the new examination requirements. These programs need more time to adjust their curricula. In recognition of this need and the difficulties many candidates are encountering with the new exams, this bill would direct SED to provide the programs and students of those programs with a reprieve and alternative pathway until May 1, 2017, in the event that a student fails to pass any of the aforementioned exams. This three year reprieve ensures that the first group of teacher candidates to be required to complete the new examinations for certification will be those candidates who entered college at the time that the final draft frameworks were issued (fall 2013). Pursuing this approach will provide teacher preparation programs with ample time to improve their program quality so that all teacher candidates have a adequate preparation for the new examination requirements.

Legislative history

New bill

Fiscal implications

None to the state.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after May 1, 2015, provided that the Commissioner of Education is authorized to promulgate emergency regulations necessary for the implementation of this act.