department of education
Professional Standards Board
FINAL
REGULATORY IMPLEMENTING ORDER
1555 Standard Certificate Early Care and Education 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 1555 Standard Certificate Early Care and Education Teacher. This regulation applies to the certification of educators, as established by 14 Del.C. §1220(a). It is necessary to amend this regulation to change the age range and grade levels covered by the regulation from Age 0 to Kindergarten to Age 0 to Grade 2. Additional changes in required content have been made to reflect the greater content needs of teachers in the early grades of school. The name of the regulation has been changed to Standard Certificate Early Childhood Teacher (Birth – Grade 2) to make it more descriptive of its content.
Notice of the proposed amendment of the regulation was published in the News Journal and the Delaware State News on February 23, 2005, in the form hereto attached as Exhibit “A”. The notice invited written comments. Written comments were received fro the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens, but no suggestions for changes were included in the comments. Questions raised in the comments were addressed.
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 1555 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 7TH DAY OF APRIL, 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 21st DAY OF APRIL, 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
1555 Standard Certificate Early Care And Education Teacher (Ages 0 - K)
“Department” means the Delaware Department of Education.
“License” means a credential which authorizes the holder to engage in the practice for which the license is issued.
“Standard Certificate” means a credential issued to certify 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.
3.0 In accordance with 14 Del.C. '1220(a), the Department shall issue a Standard Certificate as an Early Care and Education Teacher to an applicant who holds a valid Delaware Initial, Continuing, or Advanced License; or Standard or Professional Status Certificate issued by the Department prior to August 31, 2003, and who meets the following requirements:
3.1 Degree Requirement
3.1.1 Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university in any field and 45 semester hours of general content courses. These courses may be part of the Bachelor's degree, but if not, then the courses shall be taken in addition to the degree.
3.1.1.1 Nine semester hours of English including an upper level composition course and a literature course
3.1.1.2 Twelve semester hours of science including one course each in Life/Environmental, Earth/Space and Physical Sciences
3.1.1.3 Nine semester hours of social sciences including World History, American History and Geography.
3.1.1.4 Nine semester hours of Mathematics
3.1.1.6 Six semester hours of Fine Arts, or
3.1.2 A Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college in the field of Education and,
3.2 Professional Education
3.2.1 An approved program in Early Care and Education, Birth to Kindergarten or,
3.2.2 An approved program in Primary Education which includes 15 semester hours of coursework, or the equivalent thereof, specific to the birth to kindergarten child and including instruction in each of the following areas:
3.2.2.1 Children's Growth, Development and Learning (ages 0-3 years);
3.2.2.2 Assessment of Young Children;
3.2.2.3 Language Development and Early Literacy in Young children;
3.2.2.4 Family Development and Service Systems for Children and Families;
3.2.2.5 Three additional semester hours taken in one of the four areas above or in another area specifically related to care giving for children ages 0-3 or,
3.2.3 A minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework to include a total of 45 semester hours of specific courses to be taken in addition to the degree if not a part of the degree program and to include the following courses as specified.
3.2.3.1 Children's Growth, Development, and Learning (6 semester hours);
3.2.3.2 Identifying and Teaching Children with Exceptional Needs (6 semester hours);
3.2.3.3 Parent, Family Community Interactions (3 semester hours);
3.2.3.4 Early Childhood Curriculum Development, Content, and Implementation (15 semester hours);
3.2.3.5 Professional Issues in Early Childhood Education (3 semester hours);
3.2.3.6 Fifteen semester hours to include 3 semester hours in each of the following areas dealing with children from birth to kindergarten: Children's Growth, Development and learning (ages 0-3 years), Assessment of Young Children, Language Development and Early Literacy in Young Children, and Family Development and Service Systems for Children and Families. Three additional semester hours taken in one of the four areas above or in another area specifically related to care-giving for children ages 0-3.
4.0 This regulation shall be effective through June 30, 2006 only. Applicants who apply for a standard certificate as an early care and education teacher after that date must comply with the requirements set forth in 14 DE Admin. Code 1516.
1555 Standard Certificate Early Childhood Teacher (Birth - Grade 2)
This regulation shall apply to the requirements for a Standard Certificate, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1220(a), for Early Childhood Teacher (Birth - Grade 2).
2.1 The following words and terms, when used in this regulation, shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
“Department” means the Delaware Department of Education.
“License” means a credential which authorizes the holder to engage in the practice for which the license is issued.
“Standard Certificate” means a credential issued to certify 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.
“Standards Board” means the Professional Standards Board established pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1201.
“State Board” means the State Board of Education of the State of Delaware established pursuant to 14 Del.C. §104.
3.0 In accordance with 14 Del.C. §1220(a), the Department shall issue a Standard Certificate as an Early Childhood Teacher to an applicant who holds a valid Delaware Initial, Continuing, or Advanced License; or Standard or Professional Status Certificate issued by the Department prior to August 31, 2003, and who meets the following requirements:
3.1 A bachelor’s degree from an NCATE specialty organization recognized educator preparation program offered by a regionally accredited college or university, with a major in Early Childhood Education; or
3.2 A bachelor’s degree from a state approved educator preparation program offered by a regionally accredited college or university, with a major in Early Childhood Education, where the state approval body employed the appropriate NCATE specialty organization standards for early childhood teacher education; or
3.3 Passage of the appropriate PRAXIS™II test approved by the Standards Board and the State Board; or
3.4 A bachelor’s degree from an NCATE or state approved program, where the state approval body employed the appropriate [NASDTEC standards or] NCATE specialty organization standards, offered by a regionally accredited college or university, with a major in Primary or Elementary Education; and
3.4.1 At least eighteen (18) semester hours of course work, specific to This now totals 21 credits. Do you want to change the requirement to 18 or allow some flexibility for folks to choose from among the stated courses? the birth to age five (5) child, taken either as part of the degree program or in addition to it, as follows:
3.4.1.1 Children’s Growth, Development and Learning (birth – age five (5)) (3 credits);
3.4.1.2 Early Childhood Curriculum Development, Assessment, Content, and Implementation (6 credits);
3.4.1.3 Language Development and Early Literacy in Young Children (3 credits);
3.4.1.4 Family Development and Service Systems for Children and Families (3 credits); and
3.4.1.5 Development and Programming for Young Children with Special Needs (3 credits); or
3.5 A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in any field, and
3.5.1 A minimum of forty-five (45) semester hours of general content course work, taken either as part of the degree program or in addition to it, as follows:
3.5.1.1 English, including an upper level composition course and a literature course (9 semester hours);
3.5.1.2 A total of twelve (12) semester hours of science, including one course each in Life/Environmental, Earth/Space and Physical Sciences;
3.5.1.3 Social sciences, including world history, American history, political science, economics and geography (9 semester hours);
3.5.1.4 Mathematics (9 semester hours); and
3.5.1.5 Fine Arts or Humanities (6 semester hours); and
3.5.2 A minimum of thirty-nine (39) semester hours of course work, taken either as part of the degree program or in addition to it, as follows:
3.5.2.1 Children’s Growth, Development, and Learning (Birth – age 8) (6 semester hours);
3.5.2.2 Identifying and Teaching Children with Exceptional Needs (6 semester hours);
3.5.2.3 Early Childhood Curriculum Development, Assessment, Content, and Implementation, including a practicum of no less than 50 hours (Birth – age 8) (9 semester hours);
3.5.2.4 Professional Issues in Early Childhood Education (3 semester hours);
3.5.2.5 Language Development, Early Literacy and Reading in Young Children ( 9 semester hours);
3.5.2.6 Parent, Family Community Interactions (3 semester hours); and
3.5.2.7 Family Development and Service Systems for Children and Families ( 3 semester hours).
Will it be necessary to retain the course count option after 2006?
4.0 This regulation shall be effective through June 30, 2006 only. Applicants who apply for a standard certificate as an Early Childhood Teacher after that date must comply with the requirements set forth in 14 DE Admin. Code 1516.
