DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Professional Standards Board

FINAL

REGULATORY IMPLEMENTING ORDER

1559 Skilled and Technical Sciences Teacher

I. SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION SUBMITTED

The Professional Standards Board, acting in cooperation and collaboration with the Department of Education, seeks the consent of the State Board of Education to amend regulation 14 DE Admin. Code 1559 Skilled and Technical Science Teacher in order to update educational experience required. This regulation sets forth the requirements for a Skilled and Technical Science Teacher.

Notice of the proposed amendment of the regulation was published in the Delaware Register of Regulations on April 1, 2016. The notice received written comments from the Governors' Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens. The suggestions that were made were considered by the Professional Standards Board, but no changes were made at this time as the revisions addressed an issue which had been found to be an impediment to attracting qualified individuals to the profession.

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. §1305(a), 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 1559 Skilled and Technical Science Teacher 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 PROESSIONAL STANDARDS BOARD THE 5th DAY OF MAY, 2016

Regulation 1559 - SKILLED AND TECHNICAL SCIENCES TEACHER

IT IS SO ORDERED THIS 19th day of May, 2016.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Steven H. Godowsky, Secretary of Education

Approved this 19th day of May, 2016.

State Board of Education

1559 Skilled and Technical Sciences Teacher

1.1 This regulation shall apply to the issuance of a Standard Certificate, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1220(a) for Skilled and Technical Sciences Teacher in a specific career area. This certification is required for grades 9 to 12, and for grades 6 to 8 in a Middle Level school. Certificates issued are in the specific career area. A general Skilled and Technical Sciences certification does not exist. Educators may become certified for more than one specific career area by meeting the qualifications for each area.

1.2 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:

“Career and Technical Education” is also known as Vocational Education, Vocational Technical Education or Career Technical Education.

“Nine (9) Career-Related Credits” means nine (9) college credits or an equivalent number of hours in professional development, technical training or certification, with one (1) credit equating to fifteen (15) hours taken either as part of a degree program or in addition to it, from a regionally accredited college or university, or a professional development provider approved by the employing school district or charter school. These credits may also be earned through a certified or licensed technical training provider or through specified technical training or verification of the equivalent knowledge and training by technical certification as specified in the Department’s Specific Career Area Program Certification Requirements (See 14 DE. Admin Code 525 Requirements for Career and Technical Education Programs).

“Six (6) Education Pedagogy Credits” means six (6) college credits taken either as part of a degree program or in addition to it, from a regionally accredited college or university.

“Skilled and Technical Sciences (STS)” is also known as Trade and Industrial Education, Career and Technical Education, Career Technical Education or Career-Technical Education.

“Specific Career Area” means a specific career area approved by the Department as a Career Technical Education Program as defined in the Skilled and Technical Sciences Certification Inventory or included in the Department’s Skilled and Technical Sciences Standards.

“Specific Career Area Program Certification Requirements” means educator requirements necessary to achieve Department approval of the Career Technical Education program. (See 14 DE Admin. Code 525 Requirements for Career and Technical Education Programs).

“Teacher of Trade and Industries” means a Skilled and Technical Sciences Teacher.

“Two Years of College or Technical Training” means a minimum of a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and the satisfactory completion of any one of the following options in the specific career area of certification (1) an Associate’s degree with a major in the specific career area; (2) two years of college majoring in the specific career area with at least 50% of the major courses required for a Bachelor’s degree satisfactorily completed; (3) a state issued certificate indicating completion of apprenticeship hours and apprentice related training (e.g. journey papers) in the specific career area; (4) completion of four years of sequential Delaware Trade Extension courses in the specific career area; (5) completion of four years of National Center for Construction Education and Research’s Contren documented training in the specific career area; (6) a 70% or above score on both the written and performance elements of a Delaware Apprentice-related Education Provider’s National Center for Construction Education and Research’s Contren-derived full Apprentice Equivalency test-out covering all Apprentice-related Education years in the specific career area; (7) passage of a State of Delaware Licensing Test in the specific career area, offered through the Division of Professional Regulation; (8) 576 hours of military training in the specific career area; (9) 576 hours post-secondary trade school training in the specific career area; (10) an industry recognized certification of technical competence or journeyperson status in the specific career area, or (11) DOE approved equivalents.

“Vocational Trade and Industry Area” means Skilled and Technical Sciences Area.

“Work Experience” means full time employment or work training experience in the specific Skilled and Technical Sciences career area of certification. An educator may substitute an Associate’s degree in the specific Skilled and Technical Sciences career area of certification for a maximum of one two years of work experience or a Bachelor’s degree in the specific Skilled and Technical Sciences career area of certification for a maximum of two four years of work experience.

3.1 In accordance with 14 Del.C. §1220(a) the Department shall issue a Standard Certificate as a Skilled and Technical Sciences Teacher of a specific career area to an educator who has met the following:

3.1.1 Holds a valid Delaware Initial, Continuing, or Advanced License; or a Limited Standard or Standard 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, with the exception of the requirement of a Bachelor’s degree in 3.1.5, including any subsequent amendment or revision thereto; and

3.1.3 Has satisfied the additional requirements in this regulation including holding a Bachelor’s degree or the completion of education and training equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree as specified in this regulation.

An educator shall also have met the following:

4.1 Satisfactorily completed nine (9) Career-Related Credits related to their area of certification and six (6) [Technical] Education Pedagogy credits; and

4.2 Bachelor’s Degree:

Holds a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in any content area or the equivalent of a Bachelor’s Degree as specified in subsection 4.3.

4.3 Equivalent of a Bachelor’s Degree:

Acquired the knowledge and training equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree by meeting one of the following:

4.3.1 Associate’s Degree and additional education:

4.3.1.1 Holds an Associate’s degree in any content area and has met the additional education requirements in 4.3.1.2.

4.3.1.2 Satisfactorily completed twenty-one (21) college credits or their equivalent in professional development or technical training in non-duplicated courses taken either as part of a degree program or in addition to it from a regionally accredited college or university or from a technical training or professional development provider in any combination of the following content areas with at least one (1) course in each of the required content areas:

4.3.1.2.1 Career and Technical Education Pedagogy (required)

4.3.1.2.2 Special Education (required)

4.3.1.2.3 Educational Psychology

4.3.1.2.4 Education Pedagogy

4.3.1.2.5 Science

4.3.1.2.6 Mathematics

4.3.1.2.7 English

4.3.1.2.8 Social Studies; or

4.3.1.2.9 Education in the specific career area of certification; or;

4.3.2 Two Years of College or Technical Training and additional education:

4.3.2.1 Satisfactorily completed Two Years of College or Technical Training and the additional education requirements in 4.3.1.2 and 4.3.2.2.

4.3.2.2 Satisfactorily completed fifteen (15) college credits in non-duplicated courses taken either as part of a degree program or in addition to it from a regionally accredited college or university, with at least one (1) course in each of the following required content areas:

4.3.2.2.1 Science (3 credits)

4.3.2.2.2 Mathematics (3 credits)

4.3.2.2.3 English (3 credits)

4.3.2.2.4 Psychology (3 credits).

An educator shall also have met the following:

5.1 Acquired a minimum of six (6) years of work experience in an area related to the Skilled and Technical Sciences specific career area, two (2) of which must be within the last five (5) years; or

5.2 Acquired a minimum of six (6) years of work experience by teaching in or direct supervision of educators in an area related to the Skilled and Technical Sciences specific career area, two (2) of which must be within the last five (5) years.

An educator shall also have met the following:

6.1 In skilled or technical sciences occupations where a state license or registration is required by law, all applicants for Skilled and Technical Sciences certification shall present a valid and current Delaware license or registration upon application for teaching credentials, pursuant to 14 Del.C. Ch. 12; and

6.2 The state license or registration shall be renewed as required by law.