DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Professional Standards Board

FINAL

REGULATORY IMPLEMENTING ORDER

1543 Secondary Science Teacher

I. SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION SUBMITTED

The Professional Standards Board, acting in cooperation and consultation with the Department of Education, seeks the consent of the State Board of Education to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1543 Secondary Science Teacher. The regulation concerns the requirements for certification of educational personnel, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1220(a). It was necessary to review and amend this regulation in order to provide clarification regarding secondary science curricular areas and the necessity for secondary science teachers to hold the appropriate Standard Certificate in each secondary science curricular area they are teaching. This regulation sets forth the requirements for a Secondary Science Teacher.

Notice of the proposed amendment of the regulation was published in the Delaware Register of Regulations on October 1, 2012. The notice invited written comments. No comments were received.

II. FINDINGS OF FACTS

The Professional Standards Board and the State Board of Education find that it is appropriate to amend this regulation to comply with changes in statute.

III. DECISION TO AMEND THE REGULATION

For the foregoing reasons, the Professional Standards Board and the State Board of Education conclude that it is appropriate to amend the regulation. Therefore, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1205(b), the regulation attached hereto as Exhibit “A” is hereby amended. Pursuant to the provision of 14 Del.C. §122(e), the regulation hereby amended shall be in effect for a period of five years from the effective date of this order as set forth in Section V. below.

IV. TEXT AND CITATION

The text of the regulation amended shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit “A”, and said regulation shall be cited as 14 DE Admin. Code 1543 of the Administrative Code of Regulations of the Professional Standards Board.

V. EFFECTIVE DATE OF ORDER

The effective date of this Order shall be ten (10) days from the date this Order is published in the Delaware Register of Regulations.

APPROVED BY THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BOARD THIS 1ST DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2012

IT IS SO ORDERED this 15th day of November, 2012.

Department of Education

Mark Murphy, Secretary of Education

Approved this 15th day of November, 2012

State Board of Education

1543 Secondary Science Teacher

1.1 This regulation shall apply to the issuance of a Standard Certificate, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1220(a), for Secondary Science Teacher. This certification is required for grades 9 to 12 and is valid in a Middle Level school, grades 6 to 8, and may be used in lieu of the Middle Level Science Teacher certification in grades 6 to 8. Certificates issued include in the individual secondary science curricular areas of Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Integrated Science, Physical Science, and Physics.

1.2 An educator shall hold a Standard Certificate in each secondary science curricular area the educator is teaching, in grades nine (9) to twelve (12).

1.2.1 Notwithstanding the requirements in 1.2, a secondary science teacher who holds a Standard Certificate in each of the secondary science curricular areas within a discrete integrated science course, may teach the course without holding a Standard Certificate Secondary Science Teacher Integrated Science.

1.3 Any Secondary Science Teacher Standard Certificate may be used in lieu of 14 DE Admin. Code 1533 Middle Level Science Teacher for teachers teaching middle level science in grades six (6) to eight (8).

1.24 Except as otherwise provided, the requirements set forth in 14 DE Admin. Code 1505 Standard Certificate, including any subsequent amendment or revision thereto, are incorporated herein by reference.

2.1 The definitions set forth in 14 DE Admin. Code 1505 Standard Certificate, including any subsequent amendment or revision thereto, are incorporated herein by reference.

2.2 The following words and terms, when used in this regulation, shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

“Major or Its Equivalent” means a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours of course work in a particular content area. A major or its equivalent for eligibility for a Standard Certificate for Physical Science includes physics, chemistry, astronomy, space science, engineering, or a related field. A major or its equivalent in any science discipline or related field is acceptable for eligibility for a Standard Certificate for Integrated Science.

3.1 In accordance with 14 Del.C. §1220(a), the Department shall issue a Standard Certificate as a Secondary Science Teacher in the individual secondary science curricular areas of Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Integrated Science, Physical Science, and Physics to an educator who has met the following:

3.1.1 Holds a valid Delaware Initial, Continuing, or Advanced License; or a Limited Standard, Standard or Professional Status Certificate issued by the Department prior to August 31, 2003; and,

3.1.2 Has met the requirements as set forth in 14 DE Admin. Code 1505 Standard Certificate, including any subsequent amendment or revision thereto.

Pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1220, where an examination of content knowledge such as a Praxis™ II examination is applicable and available in the individual secondary science curricular area, the applicant shall achieve a passing score as established by the Standards Board, in consultation with the Department and with the concurrence of the State Board for each Standard Certificate issued.