department of education

Office of the Secretary

14 DE Admin. Code 372

FINAL

Regulatory Implementing Order

372 Certification Administrative Support Personnel (Formerly Secretarial Personnel)

I. Summary of the Evidence and Information Submitted

The Secretary of Education intends to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 372 in order to clarify the language of the regulation and to remove the requirement that support staff take the state budget and accounting course in order to receive a pay supplement. Sections 3.0 and 4.0 have been added to address the application procedures and denial of the certificate. The title has been changed to Support Personnel Salary Supplements for Additional Training and the number of the regulation has been changed from 372 to 750 placing it in the 700 section of the Administrative Code.

Notice of the proposed regulation was published in the News Journal and the Delaware State News on October 19, 2006, in the form hereto attached as Exhibit “A”. No Comments were received.

II. Findings of Facts

The Secretary finds that it is appropriate to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 372 in order to remove the requirement that support staff take the state budget and accounting course in order to receive a pay supplement. It is also amended to add Sections 3.0 and 4.0 in order to address the application procedures and the denial of the certificate. The title has been changed to Support Personnel Salary Supplements for Additional Training and the number of the regulation has been changed from 372 to 750 placing it in the 700 section of the Administrative Code.

III. Decision to Amend the Regulation

For the foregoing reasons, the Secretary concludes that it is appropriate to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 372. Therefore, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1309, 14 DE Admin. Code 372 attached hereto as Exhibit “B” is hereby amended. Pursuant to the provision of 14 Del.C. §122(e), 14 DE Admin. Code 372 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 14 DE Admin. Code 372 amended hereby shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit “B”, and said regulation shall be cited as 14 DE Admin. Code 750 Support Personnel Salary Supplements for Additional Training in the Administrative Code of Regulations for the Department of Education.

V. Effective Date of Order

The actions hereinabove referred to were taken by the Secretary pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1309 on December 7, 2006. The effective date of this Order shall be ten (10) days from the date this Order is published in the Delaware Register of Regulations.

IT IS SO ORDERED the 7th day of December 2006.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Valerie A. Woodruff, Secretary of Education

372 Certification Administrative Support Personnel (Formerly Secretarial Personnel)

July 1, 1993

1.0 Standard License Requirements

The following shall be required for the Standard License as referenced in Section 1309(b), Title 14, Delaware Code, and is required for additional salary as provided by that section and referred to as "Senior Secretary; Certified Secretary; and Bachelor's Degree Secretary", in both Section 1309(b) and the 1974 Specific Requirements for Certification.

1.1 Administrative Support Personnel, Level I (formerly Senior Secretary)

1.1.1 The completion of any one of the three options below will allow the individual to hold this License.

1.1.2 High school graduation or certificate of equivalency and successful completion of sixty semester hours of college level course work from a regionally accredited college program in professional office training or accounting, etc.; and demonstrated proficiency in business skills or,

1.1.3 Successful completion of all six parts of the examination for Certified Professional Secretaries administered by the Professional Secretaries International (PSI) or,

1.1.4 Successful completion of the Associate Professional Certificate Option 1 or 2, as administered by the National Association of Educational Office Professionals, Professional Standards Program (PSP).

1.2 Administrative Support Personnel, Level II (formerly Certified Secretary) The completion of Sequence 1 or 2 below will allow the individual to hold this License.

1.2.1 Sequence 1:

1.2.1.1 High School graduate or certification of equivalency and,

1.2.1.2 Associate's degree in Business, Professional Office Training or, Accounting from a regionally accredited college and,

1.2.1.3 Demonstrated proficiency in business skills and,

1.2.1.4 Completion of the Delaware approved inservice course for State Budget Accounting and,

1.2.1.5 A Minimum of five years successful experience as an office professional or,

1.2.2 Sequence 2:

1.2.2.1 High School graduate or certification of equivalency; and

1.2.2.2 Successful completion of the Associate Professional Certificate from the Professional Standards Program (PSP), options 1 or 2, as administered by the National Association of Educational Office Professionals or, successful completion of all six parts of the examination for Certified Professional Secretaries administered by the Professional Secretaries International (PSI) and,

1.2.2.3 Twelve additional semester hours which shall include business theory courses, business computer applications and,

1.2.2.4 Completion of the Delaware approved inservice course for State Budget Accounting and,

1.2.2.5 A minimum of five years of successful experience as an office professional.

1.3 Administrative Support Personnel, Bachelor's Degree (formerly Bachelor's Degree Secretary)

1.3.1 Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited College and,

1.3.2 Demonstrated proficiency in business skills and,

1.3.3 Completion of the Delaware approved inservice course for State Budget Accounting.

2.0 The license that may be issued for this position is the Standard License

750 Support Personnel Salary Supplements for Additional Training

"Certificate" means a document issued by the Department of Education that verifies completion of the additional training required for a Level I, Level II or Bachelor's degree status for support personnel.

"Department" means the Delaware Department of Education.

"Secretary" means the Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education.

"Support Personnel" means an administrative secretary, financial secretary, senior secretary, secretary or clerk employed by a school district, charter school or by the Department of Education.

An administrative secretary, financial secretary, senior secretary, secretary or clerk shall receive as salary the amount that the employee qualifies for under 14 Del.C. §1308 plus an annual amount for additional training as defined in 14 Del.C. §1309(b). The following shall be the requirements for the salary supplements defined in 14 Del.C. §1309(b):

2.1 Professional Secretary Certificate, Level I Salary Supplement Qualifications

2.1.1 Hold a high school diploma or certificate of equivalency; and

2.1.1.1 Complete sixty (60) semester hours of course work from a regionally accredited post secondary institution in professional office training, accounting or other related areas; or

2.1.1.2 Pass all six parts of the Examination for Certified Professional Secretaries administered by the Professional Secretaries International (PSI); or

2.1.1.3 Pass the National Association of Educational Office Professionals, Professional Standards Program (PSP), Certificate Level, Option 1 or Option II.

2.2 Certified Secretary Certificate, Level II Salary Supplement Qualifications

2.2.1 Hold a high school diploma or certificate of equivalency; and

2.2.1.1 Complete an associate degree in business, professional office training or, accounting from a regionally accredited post secondary institution and have a minimum of five years successful experience as an office professional; or

2.2.1.2 Pass all six parts of the Examination for Certified Professional Secretaries administered by the Professional Secretaries International (PSI), complete twelve (12) semester hours of course work from a regionally accredited post secondary institution in professional office training, accounting or other related area and have a minimum of five years successful experience as an office professional; or

2.2.1.3 Pass the Associate Professional Certificate from the Professional Standards Program (PSP), Options I or II, as administered by the National Association of Educational Office Professionals, complete twelve (12) semester hours of course work from a regionally accredited post secondary institution in professional office training, accounting or other related area and have a minimum of five years successful experience as an office professional.

2.3 Bachelor's Degree Certificate, Level III Salary Supplement Qualifications

2.3.1 An individual shall hold a Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited College.

The Department shall issue Certificates to Support Personnel in local school districts, charter schools and in the Department of Education who have met the requirements for additional training in 2.1, 2.2 or 2.3.

4.1 Applicants for a Certificate for additional training shall submit to the Department the appropriate evidence required to meet the requirements for the type of Certificate requested in 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 as described in 4.1.1 through 4.1.3.

4.1.1 Official transcripts forwarded directly from the issuing institution or by the applicant in an unopened, unaltered envelope.

4.1.2 Evidence of passing scores on the Examination for Certified Professional Secretaries administered by the Professional Secretaries International (PSI) or passing scores on the Associate Professional Certificate from the Professional Standards Program (PSP), Options 1 or 2, as administered by the National Association of Educational Office Professionals.

4.1.3 Documentation of years of experience if appropriate.

An applicant may be denied a Certificate for an additional training suplement upon a finding that the applicant has failed to meet the requirements set forth herein or is found to have made a materially false or misleading statement on his or her application or supporting materials.

5.1 The Secretary shall give written notice to the applicant of the denial and the reasons therefore. The notice of denial shall be sent by certified mail and shall give notice that a full and fair hearing may be requested before the Secretary or his or her designee within 10 days of the receipt of the notice of denial. The Secretary's decision shall be final.