department of education
Professional Standards Board
REGULATORY IMPLEMENTING ORDER
307 Certification Administrative Director Of Special Education
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 307 Certification Administrative Director of Special Education. This regulation applies to the certification of educators as Directors of special Education, as established by 14 Del.C. §1220(a). The regulation is being amended to align it with the statutory changes in 14 Del.C. 1220(a), and to require that a candidate complete an NCATE or NASDTEC approved educator preparation program or an approved alternative routes to certification program for school leaders. The requirements for Supervisor of Special Education, as set forth in 14 DE Admin. Code 309, are incorporated into the amended regulation. The regulation will be renamed to make it consistent with the titles of other Professional Standards Board regulations and will be renumbered 1523 to reflect its movement to the Professional Standards Board section of the DE Admin. Code.
Notice of the proposed amendment of the regulation was published in the News Journal and the Delaware State News on November 23, 2004, in the form hereto attached as Exhibit “A”. The notice invited written comments. Written comments supporting the proposed amendment were received from the State Council for Persons with Disabilities and the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens.
II. Findings Of Facts
The Professional Standards Board and the State Board of Education find that it is appropriate to adopt this regulation to comply with changes in statute regarding the licensure and certification of educators.
III. Decision To Adopt 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 “B” is hereby adopted. 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 “B”, and said regulation shall be cited as 14 DE Admin. Code 1523 of the Administrative Code of Regulations of the Department of Education.
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 THE 3RD DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2005.
Harold Roberts, Chair Bruce Harter
Sharon Brittingham Valerie Hoffmann
Norman Brown Leslie Holden
Heath Chasanov Carla Lawson
Edward Czerwinski Mary Mirabeau
Angela Dunmore Gretchen Pikus
Karen Gordon Karen Schilling Ross
Barbara Grogg Carol Vukelich
FOR IMPLEMENTATION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:
Valerie A. Woodruff, Secretary of Education
IT IS SO ORDERED THIS 17TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2005
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Dr. Joseph A. Pika, President
Jean W. Allen, Vice President
Richard M. Farmer, Jr.
Mary B. Graham, Esquire
Valarie Pepper
Dennis J. Savage
Dr. Claibourne D. Smith
1523 307 Certification Administrative Standard Certificate Director of Special Education Effective July 1, 1993
1.0 Content.
1.1 This regulation shall apply to the issuance of a Standard Certificate for Director of Special Education, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1220(a).
2.0 Definitions.
2.1 The following words and terms, when used in this regulation, shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
“Administrative Experience” means experience in a pK-12 setting as an assistant principal, principal, School Leader I, or School Leader II.
[“Standards Board” means the Professional Standards Board established pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1201.]
“Standard Certificate” means a credential issued to verify that an educator has the prescribed knowledge, skill and/or education to practice in a particular area, teach a particular subject, or teach a category of students.
[“State Board” means the State Board of Education of the State of Delaware established pursuant to 14 Del.C. §104.]
“Teaching Experience” means meeting students on a regularly scheduled basis, planning and delivering instruction, developing or preparing instructional materials, and evaluating student performance in any pK-12 setting.
3.0 The following shall be required for the Standard Certificate for a Director of Special Education.
1.0 The following is required for the Standard License
1.1 Degree required
3.1 Educational requirements.
3.1.1 A master’s degree in special education from a regionally accredited college or university where the program is NCATE approved or state approved, where the state approval body employed the appropriate NASDTEC or NCATE specialty organization standards; and
3.1.1.1 Successful completion of a Delaware approved alternative routes to certification program for school leaders. Until approval and implementation of an alternative routes to certification program occurs, candidates shall fulfill the following requirements;
3.1.1.1.1 A minimum of twenty-four (24) semesters hours of graduate level course work in administration, completed either as part of the master’s degree or in addition to it, to include at least one course in each of the following areas, unless otherwise indicated:
3.1.1.1.1.1 Supervision/Evaluation of Staff;
3.1.1.1.1.2 Curriculum Development;
3.1.1.1.1.3 School Law/Legal Issues in Education;
3.1.1.1.1.4 Human Relations; and
3.1.1.1.1.5 Special Education (12 credits)(may include courses in curriculum, instruction, methods, and/or administration); or
3.1.2 [A master’s degree in school administration; and 30 graduate level semester hours in Special Education taken either as part of a degree program or in addition to it; or
1.1.1 3.1.3] A M master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited college or university; plus and
3.1.2[3].1 30 graduate level credits semester hours in Special Education[, to include at least one course in each of the areas set forth in 3.1.1.1.1.1 through 3.1.1.1.1.5 taken either as part of a degree program or in addition to it; and
3.1.3.2 Successful completion of a Delaware approved alternative routes to certification program for school leaders. Until approval and implementation of an alternative routes to certification program occurs, candidates shall fulfill the following requirements:
3.1.3.2.1 Supervision/Evaluation of Staff;
3.1.3.2.2 Curriculum Development;
3.1.3.2.3 School Law/Legal Issues in Education;
3.1.3.2.4 Human Relations; and
3.1.3.1.5 Special Education (12 credits)(may include courses in curriculum, instruction, methods, and/or administration taken either as part of a degree program or as part of the requirement for graduate level semester hours in Special Education set forth in 3.1.2.1 and 3.1.3.1, above; or]
3.1.[3 4] A current and valid special education administrative certificate from another state or the District of Columbia.
3.2 Experience requirements.
3.2.1 A minimum of three (3) years of teaching experience with children with disabilities at the pK-12 level; or
3.2.2 A minimum of three (3) years of professional experience with children with disabilities at the pK-12 level, in any setting, in a position requiring certification or licensing by the appropriate regulatory body, including, but not limited to a school psychologist, speech pathologist, or audiologist, regardless of whether the applicant’s position meets the definition of “teaching experience”; or
3.2.3 A minimum of three (3) years administrative experience with children with disabilities at the pK-12 level; or
3.2.4 Any combination of these types of experiences which totals a minimum of three (3) years.
1.5 Experience
1.2.1 three years of administrative experience as a supervisor of programs for Special Education or as an administrator in a school for the disabled and,
1.3 Specialized Professional Preparation
1.3.1 Master's degree in Administration and Supervision of Programs for Special Education from a regionally accredited college plus 30 graduate level semester hours in Special Education or,
1.3.2 A Master's degree from a regionally accredited college, in any field, plus 30 graduate semester hours. A total of 30 semester hours of graduate level course work shall be from the area of Special Education, taken either within or beyond the Master's degree and,
1.3.3 The individual shall meet the State of Delaware requirements for a Standard License as a Supervisor of Special Education or a Principal/ of a School for the Disabled.
2.0 The following shall be required for the Limited Standard License
2.1 The Limited Standard License may be issued for a period of three years at the request of a Delaware public school district, to a person employed in the above position to allow for the completion of the requirements for the Standard License in section 1.0.
2.1.1 Master's degree from a regionally accredited college and,
2.1.2 Meets the requirement in 1.2 and,
2.1.3 Within six semester hours of meeting the requirements in 1.3.1 or 1.3.2. and 1.3.3
3.0 Licenses that may be issued for this position include Standard and Limited Standard.
