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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1605 PRINTER'S NO. 2106
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1407
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY N. NELSON, RIVERA, SCHLOSSBERG, HANBIDGE, GIRAL,
SANCHEZ, OTTEN, PROKOPIAK, TAKAC, ISAACSON, O'MARA, SCHWEYER,
PROBST, BOROWSKI, ABNEY, FLEMING, RUSNOCK AND WEBSTER,
MAY 5, 2025
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JULY 9, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in certification of teachers, further
providing for instructional certificate grade spans and age
levels and duties of department and providing for
instructional certificate grade spans and age levels; AND
ABROGATING A REGULATION.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1202.1 heading and (b)(1)(i) of the act
of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School
Code of 1949, are amended to read:
Section 1202.1. [Instructional] Special Education
Certificate Grade Spans and Age Levels and Duties of
Department.--* * *
(b) The Department of Education shall have the following
duties:
(1) Within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this
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subsection:
(i) (A) Notify all teacher preparation programs approved by
the Department of Education, all individuals enrolled in these
programs and all individuals holding an early childhood
certificate under 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(b)(1) that an individual
holding or seeking an early childhood certificate may, by
attaining qualifying scores on the assessment made available by
the Department of Education, extend the grade span for the
individual's early childhood certificate to include grades five
and six and include and maintain notice of the availability of
the assessment on the publicly accessible Internet website of
the Department of Education with other information describing
certification requirements.
(B) This subparagraph shall expire three years from the
effective date of this clause JULY 1, 2027 .
* * *
Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 1202.2. Instructional Certificate Grade Spans and
Age Levels.--(a) Notwithstanding 22 Pa. Code § 49.85 (relating
to limitations), the grade spans and age levels for
instructional certificates issued after June JULY 1, 2027 , shall
be as follows:
(1) Primary - prekindergarten, kindergarten, grades one
through six or ages three (3) through eleven (11).
(2) Secondary - grades six SEVEN through twelve or ages
eleven (11) TWELVE (12) through twenty-one (21).
(3) Specialized areas - prekindergarten through grade twelve
or ages three (3) through twenty-one (21).
(b) Certificates issued in accordance with 22 Pa. Code §
49.85(a), (b) and (d) shall remain valid for the term of the
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certificate.
(c) An individual holding:
(1) An Early Childhood instructional certificate issued in
accordance with 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(b)(1) or (d)(1) shall have
two pathways to expand the scope of the individual's certificate
to meet the grade levels covered under subsection (a)(1) by a
process determined by the Department of Education, which shall
be limited to continuing education credits for a specific
certification level or by attaining qualifying scores on the
assessment made available by the Department of Education.
(2) An Elementary/Middle instructional certificate issued in
accordance with 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(b)(2) or (d)(2) shall have
two pathways to expand the scope of the individual's certificate
to meet the grade levels covered under subsection (a)(2) by a
process determined by the Department of Education, which shall
be limited to continuing education credits for a specific
certification level or by attaining qualifying scores on the
assessment made available by the Department of Education.
(C) AN INDIVIDUAL HOLDING AN ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE INSTRUCTIONAL
CERTIFICATE ISSUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 22 PA. CODE § 49.85(B)(2)
OR (D)(2) SHALL HAVE TWO PATHWAYS DEVELOPED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S CERTIFICATE TO
MEET THE GRADE LEVELS COVERED UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(2), WHICH
SHALL BE LIMITED TO EITHER COMPLETING CONTINUING EDUCATION
CREDITS FOR A SPECIFIC CERTIFICATION LEVEL OR ATTAINING
QUALIFYING SCORES ON THE ASSESSMENT MADE AVAILABLE BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a), an approved educator
preparation program may permit an individual enrolled in a
program prior to December 31, 2025 JULY 1, 2027 , and remaining
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continuously enrolled to complete the program for the grade
level limitations provided under 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(d). The
department may issue the appropriate Elementary/Middle
instructional certificates to an applicant who completes the
program and meets all other certification requirements.
Beginning after December 31, 2025, an educator preparation
program approved by the department shall no longer accept new
candidates seeking a certificate under 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(d)
(2). NO LATER THAN JULY 1, 2027, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL RESTRICT
AN EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT FROM
ACCEPTING NEW CANDIDATES SEEKING A CERTIFICATE UNDER PA. CODE §
49.85(D).
(E) (1) NOTWITHSTANDING 22 PA. CODE § 49.85, AN EDUCATOR
HOLDING AN EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATE ISSUED UNDER 22 PA. CODE
§ 49.85(B)(1) OR (D)(1) MAY TEACH FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE. AN
EDUCATOR HOLDING A SECONDARY SCHOOL CERTIFICATE MAY TEACH SIXTH
GRADE IN THE SUBJECT AREA FOR WHICH THE SECONDARY CERTIFICATE IS
ENDORSED.
(2) THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION MAY ADOPT STANDARDS AND
GUIDELINES AS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS SUBSECTION.
(F) THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION MAY GRANT EXCEPTIONS TO THE
GRADE AND AGE LEVEL LIMITATIONS SPECIFIED IN THIS SECTION OR FOR
THOSE ISSUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 22 PA. CODE § 49.85. THE
SECRETARY SHALL ISSUE STANDARDS OR GUIDELINES THAT OUTLINE THE
CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH EXCEPTIONS SHALL BE GRANTED.
(G) AN APPROVED EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM SHALL:
(1) REQUIRE INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM WHO ARE
PURSUING AN INSTRUCTIONAL CERTIFICATE UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(1) TO
COMPLETE A MINIMUM OF THIRTY (30) CREDIT HOURS OF EARLY
CHILDHOOD COURSEWORK. COURSEWORK SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE
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LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING TOPICS FOCUSED ON EARLY CHILDHOOD:
(I) DEVELOPMENT STAGES;
(II) LEARNING THEORIES;
(III) CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT;
(IV) INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES;
(V) CONTENT KNOWLEDGE;
(VI) LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS;
(VII) OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT METHODS; AND
(VIII) FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
(2) ESTABLISH PATHWAYS FOR OBSERVATION, RESEARCH AND STUDENT
TEACHING WHICH FOCUS ON SPECIFIC CHILD AGES AND GRADES WITHIN
PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS PURSUING AN INSTRUCTIONAL CERTIFICATE
UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(1).
(3) ALLOW INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM WHO ARE PURSUING
AN INSTRUCTIONAL CERTIFICATE UNDER SUBSECTION (A)(1) TO COMPLETE
THEIR FIELDWORK AND STUDENT TEACHING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
SETTINGS, INCLUDING AT THEIR EMPLOYMENT SITE, PROVIDED THE
EMPLOYMENT SITE MEETS FIELD PLACEMENT CRITERIA AND ENSURES THAT
THE COOPERATING TEACHER IS A CERTIFIED EDUCATOR.
(H) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND PHRASES
SHALL HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THIS SUBSECTION:
"EARLY CHILDHOOD" SHALL MEAN PRE-KINDERGARTEN, KINDERGARTEN
AND GRADES ONE THROUGH THREE OR AGES THREE (3) THROUGH EIGHT
(8).
Section 3. The regulations at 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(c) and (d)
are abrogated INSOFAR AS THEY ARE INCONSISTENT WITH THIS ACT.
Section 4. The amendment or addition of sections 1202.1
heading and (b)(1)(i) and 1202.2 of the act shall apply
beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year.
Section 5. This act shall take effect as follows:
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(1) Section 3 shall take effect in three years JULY 1,
2027.
(2) The remainder of this act shall take effect
immediately.
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