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THE STATE
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY
OF THE STATE OF |
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TO: |
Higher Education and Professional Practice Committee |
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FROM: |
Johanna Duncan-Poitier |
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SUBJECT: |
Proposed Amendment to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Requirements for the Certification of Teaching Assistants |
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DATE: |
January 20, 2006 |
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STRATEGIC
GOAL: |
Goal 3 |
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
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SUMMARY
Issue for
Discussion
Should the Regents amend section 80-5.6(b)(2)(ii) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, relating to requirements for the certification of teaching assistants?
Reason(s) for Consideration
Review of Policy.
Proposed
Handling
The proposed amendment is before the Committee for discussion in February 2006 and will be submitted for action at the March 2006 Regents meeting.
Procedural
History
A Notice of Proposed Rule Making will be published in the State Register on January 25, 2006.
Background
Information
The purpose of the proposed amendment is to establish requirements for the certification of teaching assistants for service in the State's public schools: extending the validity of the level I and II teaching assistant certificates, specifying additional requirements for the renewal of the level I teaching assistant certificate, requiring additional collegiate study for the level II teaching assistant certificate, and clarifying coursework requirements. Under existing regulations, teaching assistants advance through three levels of certificates (level I through level III), and level I and II certificates are time-limited. The amendment is needed to provide teaching assistants additional time to meet requirements for the next level certificate. Also, the amendment is needed to ensure that level I certificate holders are on track for meeting the one-year experience requirement for the level II certificate. This is accomplished by requiring the candidate requesting the renewal of the level I certificate to have a commitment for employment as a teaching assistant under that certificate.
Recommendation
N/A
Timetable for
Implementation
The effective date of the proposed amendment is April 13, 2006.
Attachment
AMENDMENT TO THE REGULATIONS OF THE
COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Pursuant to sections 207, 305, 3001, 3004, 3006, and 3009 of the
Education Law.
1. Subclause (2) of clause
(a) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of section 80-5.6
of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended, effective April
13, 2006, as follows:
(2) Time validity. The
certificate shall be valid for [one year] three years from its effective
date [and shall not be renewable, unless the certificate holder submits adequate
evidence of the need to renew the certificate for one additional year to meet
the experience requirement for the level II teaching assistant
certificate]. The certificate
shall be renewable on one occasion only for three years, except for a
certificate that already has been renewed once for a one-year term which may be
renewed on one additional occasion only for three years, provided that for a
certificate to be renewed the candidate must submit to the department adequate
evidence substantiating that the candidate has a commitment for employment in a
teaching assistant position under the level I teaching assistant
certificate.
2. Item (i) of subclause (1) of clause (b) of subparagraph (ii) of
paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of section 80-5.6 of the Regulations of the
Commissioner of Education is amended, effective April 13, 2006, as
follows:
(i) Education. The candidate
shall have attained a high school diploma or its equivalent [and] . In addition, the candidate who applies
for the certificate on or before February 1, 2007, shall be required to have
successfully completed a total of at least six semester hours of collegiate
study acceptable toward meeting the requirements for [a] an associate or
baccalaureate degree, and the candidate who applies for the certificate after
February 1, 2007 shall be required to have successfully completed a total of at
least nine semester hours of such collegiate study.
3. Subclause (2) of clause
(b) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of section 80-5.6
of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended, effective April
13, 2006, as follows:
(2) Time validity. The
certificate shall be valid for [two] three years from its effective date
and shall not be renewable.
4. Item (i) of subclause (1)
of clause (c) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of
section 80-5.6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education is amended,
effective April 13, 2006, as follows:
(i) Education. The candidate
shall have attained a high school diploma or its equivalent and successfully
completed a total of at least 18 semester hours of collegiate study acceptable
toward meeting the requirements for [a] an associate or baccalaureate
degree.
5.
Item (i) of subclause (1) of clause (d) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph
(2) of subdivision (b) of section 80-5.6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner
of Education is amended, effective April 13, 2006, as
follows:
(i) Education. The candidate
shall have attained a high school diploma or its equivalent, successfully
completed a total of at least 18 semester hours of collegiate study acceptable
toward meeting the requirements for
[a] an associate or baccalaureate degree, and be matriculated in a
program registered as leading to teacher certification pursuant to section 52.21
of this Title, or its equivalent, or in a program with an articulation agreement
with such a program.