Meeting of the Board of Regents | February 2008

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:	Preliminary Review of Policy Regarding the Sunset of Individual Evaluation for Certification and Teacher Shortages
DATE:	February 4, 2008
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goal 3
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Discussion

 

With the individual evaluation pathway to certification scheduled to end in February 2009 for first-time teachers in all subject areas, and with persistent teacher shortages in some subject areas throughout the State, at this early stage, what next steps should the Board of Regents consider?

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

Review of Policy.

 

Proposed Handling

 

Four options for addressing the persistent teacher shortages throughout the State are proposed for the Committee’s consideration to better meet the need for appropriately certified teachers in all classrooms.  Once the Regents agree to an approach in concept, regulatory language to amend Part 80 of the Commissioner’s Regulations will be drafted for your consideration as soon as practicable.

 

Procedural History

 

NA

 

 

 

 

Background Information

 

              In 2003, the Board of Regents adopted, as an alternative pathway, the current requirements for certification through the individual evaluation of credentials (commonly referred to as transcript evaluation) available to candidates seeking Initial certification in classroom teaching titles.  Under the individual evaluation pathway, candidates submit evidence of coursework and field experience to the State Education Department for evaluation. Once the candidate has met all the requirements for a teaching certificate, the certificate is issued. Under the college recommended pathway, a candidate completes a full teacher preparation program and, upon completion of the program, the college recommends to the Department the candidate for certification.

 

The provision regarding individual evaluation included a sunset date for individual evaluation of February 1, 2007 for certificates in childhood education and February 1, 2009 for all other certificates in the classroom teaching service. 

 

              The purpose in establishing these sunset dates was to allow the Department time to assess the continued need for the individual evaluation pathway, based on how many candidates use this pathway to become certified, particularly in subject areas where there are teacher shortages.  The individual evaluation pathway ended for candidates seeking certificates in childhood education last February because there was no evidence of shortages in this subject area.  In the 2006-2007 school year, almost half of the new teachers certified through the college recommended pathway were childhood education teachers (7,848).

 

              Now, with the individual evaluation pathway for all subject areas set to sunset next year, we want to provide you with information in advance on the number of candidates certified through this pathway and in what subject areas for your consideration and advice.

 

High reliance on individual evaluation pathway for teacher supply

 

Individual evaluation was an important source of new teachers in school year 2006-2007, as shown below.  Excluding childhood education certificates, the Department issued a total of 9,501 Initial certificates to new teachers, 8,449 (89 percent) by college recommendation and 1,052 (11 percent) by individual evaluation.  All subject areas except speech had at least five percent of certificates issued to new teachers from the individual evaluation pathway.  The individual evaluation pathway accounted for 20 percent or more of Initial certificates issued to new teachers in languages other than English and students with disabilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Initial Certificates Issued to New Teachers in 2006-2007 by Pathway
Selected Subject Areas	Individual Evaluation Pathway		College Recommended Pathway		Total
	#	%	#	%	#	%
Blind and Visually Impaired	1	17%	5	83%	6	100%
Career and Technical titles	35	13%	227	87%	262	100%
Deaf and Hard or Hearing	2	15%	11	85%	13	100%
Early Childhood	83	9%	840	91%	923	100%
English Language Arts	125	10%	1,092	90%	1,217	100%
English to speakers of other languages	42	16%	227	84%	269	100%
Languages other than English	125	32%	265	68%	390	100%
Math	172	15%	952	85%	1,124	100%
Science	123	15%	681	85%	804	100%
Social Studies	78	6%	1,265	94%	1,343	100%
Speech	20	3%	586	97%	606	100%
Students with Disabilities	76	20%	305	80%	381	100%
All Others except Childhood Education	170	8%	1,993	92%	2163	100%
Sum of above	1,052	11%	8,449	89%	9,501	100%

 

Teacher shortages exist in the public school workforce in certain subjects with both pathways in place

 

In 2005-06, data show that there were shortages of teachers even when the individual evaluation pathway was available.  The Teacher Supply and Demand Report of March 2007 was based on 2005-06 school year data, the most recent year for which data are available.  It showed that New York State had teacher shortages in many subject areas when shortages are defined as five or more percent of full-time equivalent teaching positions held by teachers without appropriate certification, the measure used for federal loan forgiveness for teachers. 

 

Attachment A (Figures 11 and 12 from the March 2007 Regents item) presents the data for each subject area and geographic region of the State. This data identifies by region the number and the percent of full-time equivalent teaching assignment held by teachers without the appropriate certification. Shortages existed in all geographic regions in at least one subject area.  Statewide, there were shortages in every subject area except elementary education and special education all grades (not bilingual).  The most severe statewide shortages were in bilingual education, career and technical education, English as a Second Language, languages other than English, library/school media specialists, and bilingual special education. 

 

              Geographically, shortages occur even in subject areas that are not considered shortages on a statewide basis.  For example, the data shows New York City has a shortage of elementary and early childhood teachers.

 

There may not be enough new teachers to fill vacancies for new teachers without individual evaluation

 

There would be more severe teacher shortages without the individual evaluation pathway.  The Department’s Teacher Supply and Demand Report issued in March 2007 showed that there may have been far more shortages in given areas of the state if the college recommended pathway had been the only pathway in 2005-2006.  For example, in 2005-2006, if the college recommended pathway was the only pathway, there would have been shortages of new teachers:

 

• in every geographic region;
• in New York City in all subject areas except childhood special education, and reading and literacy; and
• in many regions in special education at the middle and adolescent level, languages other than English, career and technical education, library/school media specialist, and mathematics.

 

Attachment B (Figure 22 from the March 2007 Teacher Supply and Demand Regents item) shows the data for all regions and New York State. 

 

Policy Options

 

              Four possible options are being presented for Regents consideration.

 

Option 1: Continue the individual evaluation pathway for first-time teachers until 2012.

 

             Continue individual evaluation as a pathway for first-time candidates for certificates in classroom teaching titles (except for childhood education) until September 1, 2012.  Between now and then, the Department will continue to monitor teacher shortages and effectiveness in order to gauge the need for, and the impact of, this pathway.

 

Advantage:

 

• This option will not worsen current teacher shortages. 
• Districts will continue to have a supply of teachers to help them meet State and federal goals for certified and highly qualified teachers.

 

Disadvantage:

 

• Institutions of higher education are concerned that the individual evaluation pathway sets a lower standard for teacher certification than the college recommended pathway, and this concern is legitimate.  Unlike the individual evaluation pathway, the registered teacher preparation programs are held accountable to the standards of the State and their chosen accrediting agencies and to provide data that verifies that they maintain high, appropriate performance-based standards.  The individual evaluation pathway replaces such performance-based standards with an accumulation of credits that may be completed at any number of institutions and lack the sequential study found in preparation programs.

 

Option 2:  Permit the sunset to take effect and establish a new type of “Transitional” certificate.

 

              Establish a new type of transitional certificate for first-time teachers selected by school districts for documented shortages areas.  As with the Transitional B certificate, candidates would have to demonstrate content knowledge in order to qualify for the new transitional certificate and would be permitted to complete coursework in pedagogy required for an Initial certificate over a three-year period.

 

Proposed School District Requirements:

 

• Provide documentation of the employer’s inability to fill the position
• Request the certificate, on behalf of a candidate, for a specific position
• Provide the introductory pedagogical component through an approved plan alone or with a BOCES, teacher center and/or institution of higher education before the teacher begins in the classroom
• Provide employment commitment and appropriate support, including mentoring for the full period the individual is employed under the transitional certificate
• Limit the number of these new certificates a district can request based on the size of the district’s teaching force

 

Proposed Candidate Requirements:

 

• Baccalaureate degree
• 30 semester hours in content area of certificate
• Passing scores on CST and LAST
• Completion of an introductory pedagogical component per an approved plan
• Enrollment in college coursework required for the certificate

 

Advantage:

 

• This approach would be suitable for career changers with strong content preparation and experience who want to pursue a career in teaching. 
• It would be available to all districts and BOCES and would be suitable for spot shortages that do not justify the establishment of an alternative preparation program (Transitional B or C) in the region.  For example, this approach would be suitable for a rural school district that is unsuccessful in recruiting a certified Spanish teacher.
• It would address the spot shortages in a more focused way than the individual evaluation pathway because it is targeted on documented shortages, specific vacancies and specific individuals.

 

Disadvantage:

 

• The number of individuals qualified to become certified through this proposed pathway is likely (or could potentially be) less than the total number of new teachers certified through the existing individual evaluation pathway.
• Employers, BOCES and colleges will need time to successfully create new, approvable introductory components for this new type of transitional program.
• There is no data to assure individuals who could meet the threshold criteria are available in the region with the shortage.  There may not be a sufficient field of qualified, interested people to fill the district’s needs.

 

Option 3: Identify major statewide subject shortage areas in which individual evaluation can continue.

 

             Establish statewide shortage areas on a regular (five-year) cycle for the purpose of allowing first-time applicants for certification to continue to apply through the individual evaluation pathway in classroom teaching titles in these shortage areas.

 

Advantage:

 

• This approach would target the production of certified teachers through this pathway to those subject areas of greatest need, thereby restricting use of the individual evaluation pathway for first-time teachers.

 

Disadvantage:

 

• This approach will depend on the Department’s continuing capacity to produce regular reports on teacher shortage areas. 
• At the present time, the Department can only identify shortage areas based on historical data.  Lagging indicators may not reflect current market conditions.
• This approach is administratively complex and would be confusing for prospective teachers. 
• This approach does not address spot shortages that are of lower incidence, but which may be severe in particular regions or local districts, and would not meet the needs of all districts.

 

Option 4:  Continue the individual evaluation pathway for first-time teachers until 2012 while streamlining the supplementary certificate qualifications.

 

            Shortages in specific subject areas at various locations across New York State could also be addressed by using the concept of the supplementary certificate if certified teachers and school districts found this to be a more viable alternative.

 

            Currently, teachers certified in one subject area may qualify for a supplementary certificate in another subject area by completing 12 semester hours of study in the content area of the “new” subject area and passing the Content Specialty Test in that “new” subject area.

 

            District Superintendents report that, if the requirements for the supplementary certificate relied more on the successful completion of the Content Specialty Test and allowed the additional coursework to be completed during the life of the three-year supplementary certificate, school districts would be better able to interest more certified teachers in taking assignments in shortage subject areas.

 

Advantage:

 

• A supplementary certificate holder is already a certified teacher in another subject area.
• A supplementary certificate holder has passed the Content Specialty Test in the subject area he/she will teach.
• A supplementary certificate holder must be actively completing coursework toward certification in the subject area he/she is teaching and must complete all coursework for the “new” subject area in three years.
• Supplementary certificates are not issued unless a school district has offered employment to the teacher in the “new” subject area.  Frequently, the supplementary certificate holder will already have a proven track record as a successful teacher in that district.
• Allowing the streamlined supplementary certificate, in addition to continuing the individual evaluation pathway, would increase the supply of certified teachers for targeted shortage areas.

 

Disadvantage:

 

• Continuing the individual evaluation pathway has the same disadvantage as in Option 1.

 

Recommendation

 

The Department recommends either Option 1 or 4 to ensure that all students have appropriately certified and highly qualified teachers and that school districts, BOCES and charter schools can comply with State and federal teacher quality requirements. 

 

It is recommended that the Board of Regents endorse one of these options in concept so that we can prepare proposals to amend Part 80 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to extend the sunset date for the individual evaluation pathway to September 1, 2012 for all teaching certificate titles except childhood education (where data indicates an oversupply).  If Option 4 is endorsed by the Regents, we would also proceed to draft revisions to the supplementary certificate regulation. 

 

It is also recommended that the Board of Regents discuss Option 2 for conceptual approval for a pilot project in a small number of subject areas with significant shortages if there is sufficient interest in the field. 

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

NA

Attachment A

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Figure 11

Attachment A

Figure 12

Figure 22

Attachment B

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More shortages would have occurred in 2005-2006 if the College Recommended pathway to certification had been the only pathway.  Teacher preparation institutions will need to prepare more new teachers if the Individual Evaluation pathway is terminated in 2009 as planned and nothing else changes.