DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Professional Standards Board

REGULATORY IMPLEMENTING ORDER

1509 Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation

final

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 1509 Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation. This regulation applies to designating new teachers who meet criteria developed by the Mid Atlantic Regional Teachers Project as Meritorious New Teacher Candidates. This designation will be affixed to the new teacher’s Initial License, issued pursuant to 14 DE Admin. Code 1510.

Notice of the proposed amendment of the regulation was published in the News Journal and the Delaware State News on April 20, 2004, in the form hereto attached as Exhibit “A”. 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 adopt this regulation to comply with permit the issuance of the Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation.

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 1509 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 5th Day Of August, 2004

Harold Roberts, Chair Valerie Hoffman

Sharon Brittingham Carla Lawson

Heath Chasanov Mary Mirabeau

Norman Brown Leslie Holden

Edward Czerwinski Karen Schilling Ross

Karen Gordon Carol Vukelich

Barbara Grogg Gretchen Pikus

Bruce Harter Angela Dunmore

FOR IMPLEMENTATION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:

Valerie A. Woodruff, Secretary of Education

IT IS SO ORDERED This 19th Day Of August, 2004

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

1509 Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation

1.0 Content.

1.1 This regulation shall apply to the issuance of a Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation to a candidate for an initial license who meets the criteria set forth by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Teachers Project., pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1210.

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:

“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.

“Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation” means a designation of excellence for new teachers which enables them to teach in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

“Met the Highest Standard” means achieved the highest grade or score awarded by the institution.

“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 An applicant for an initial license who meets the requirements for an initial license and who also meets the criteria set forth by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Teachers Project shall have a Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation affixed to the Initial License, upon receipt of a recommendation from the candidate’s teacher preparation program that the candidate be awarded the designation of Meritorious New Teacher Candidate.

3.1 Criteria for the Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation are:

3.1.1 Verbal Skills:

3.1.1.1 Scores in the upper quartile of students nationally at the time the test was taken on the verbal portion of the SAT, ACT, or GRE.

3.1.2 Content Knowledge:

3.1.2.1 Elementary Education (Grades preK-6):

3.1.2.1.1 A minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA in an undergraduate professional education program, or a minimum 3.7 cumulative GPA in a graduate professional education program; and

3.1.2.1.2 Scores in the upper quartile of students nationally at the time the test was taken in math, science, social studies, and English/language arts in the PRAXIS II Content Knowledge for Elementary Teachers test or Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment test.

3.1.2.2 Middle School Education (Grades 6 – 8):

3.1.2.2.1 A minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA in an undergraduate academic major or a minimum 3.7 cumulative GPA in a graduate program in the subject area in which a standard certificate is sought; and

3.1.2.2.2 Scores in the upper quartile of students nationally at the time the test was taken on the PRAXIS II test in the applicant’s specialty area.

3.1.2.3 Secondary Education (Grades 9 – 12):

3.1.2.3.1 A minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA in an undergraduate academic major or a minimum 3.7 cumulative GPA in a graduate program in the subject area in which a standard certificate is sought.

3.1.2.3.2 Scores in the upper quartile of students nationally at the time the test was taken on the PRAXIS II test in the applicant’s specialty area.

3.1.3 Professional Preparation and Recommendation:

3.1.3.1 Completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program, of traditional or alternative format, with a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA in an undergraduate professional studies program, or a minimum 3.7 cumulative GPA in a graduate professional education program.

3.1.3.2 Completion of a minimum of 400 hours of supervised clinical experience, of which at least 300 hours are directed instructional student teaching. Clinical experience may occur within any state-approved model, including total immersion experiences as teachers of record.

3.1.3.3 Met the highest standard of both the university supervisor and the cooperating teacher on the institution’s formal student teacher or immersion component of the required clinical experience.

3.1.3.4 Met the highest standard on the institution’s professional preparation assessment.

3.1.3.5 Received a recommendation by the teacher preparation program that the candidate be awarded the designation of Meritorious New Teacher Candidate.

4.0 Applicants for initial licensure and the Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation who completed teacher preparation in Delaware will be given expedited consideration of their application a by the Delaware Department of Education.

5.0 A Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation issued to a licensee from one of the participating jurisdictions who has less than three (3) years of teaching experience, shall be honored by the Department. The applicant shall be issued a Delaware Initial License pursuant to 14 DE Admin. Code §1510 with a Meritorious New Teacher Candidate Designation and any Delaware Standard

Certificate for which the candidate qualifies.

6.0 This designation shall be valid for the duration of the individual’s Initial License.