DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Professional Standards Board

FINAL

REGULATORY IMPLEMENTING ORDER

1533 Middle Level Science Teacher

I. SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION SUBMITTED

Pursuant to 14 Del.C. §§1203 and 1205(b), the Professional Standards Board (“Board”), acting in consultation and cooperation with the Delaware Department of Education (“Department”), developed amendments to 14 DE Admin. Code 1533 Middle Level Science Teacher. The regulation concerns the requirements for a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate in accordance with 14 Del.C. §1220. The proposed amendments include adding defined terms to Section 2.0; clarifying the requirements for issuing a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate in Section 3.0; specifying the education, knowledge, and skill requirements for obtaining a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate in Section 4.0; specifying the application requirements in Section 5.0; adding Section 6.0, which concerns the validity of a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate; adding Section 7.0, which concerns disciplinary actions; adding Section 8.0, which concerns requests for the Secretary of Education to review standard certificate applications; and adding Section 9.0, which concerns recognizing past certification.

Notice of the proposed regulation was published in the Register of Regulations on July 1, 2020. The Professional Standards Board did not receive any written submittals concerning the proposed amendments.

II. FINDINGS OF FACTS

On August 6, 2020, the Professional Standards Board voted to propose 14 DE Admin. Code 1533 Middle Level Science Teacher, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, for adoption by the Department subject to the State Board of Education’s approval.

The Department finds that the proposed amendments to the regulation are necessary to implement 14 Del.C. Ch. 12 and are designed to improve the quality of the Delaware educator workforce and to improve student performance. Accordingly, the Department finds that it is appropriate to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1533 Middle Level Science Teacher.

III. DECISION TO AMEND THE REGULATION

For the foregoing reasons, the Department concludes that it is appropriate to amend 14 DE Admin. Code 1533 Middle Level Science Teacher subject to the State Board of Education’s approval. Therefore, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §§1203 and 1205(b), 14 DE Admin. Code 1533 Middle Level Science Teacher attached hereto as Exhibit “A” is hereby amended.

IV. TEXT AND CITATION

The text of 14 DE Admin. Code 1533 Middle Level Science Teacher adopted hereby shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit “A,” and said regulation shall be cited as 14 DE Admin. Code 1533 Middle Level Science Teacher in the Administrative Code of Regulations for the Department.

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 Register of Regulations.

IT IS SO ORDERED the 20th day of August, 2020.

Department of Education

Susan S. Bunting, Ed.D., Secretary of Education

Approved this 20th day of August, 2020.

State Board of Education

*Please Note: Electronic signatures ("/s/") were accepted pursuant to 6 Del.C. §12A-107(d).

1533 Middle Level Science Teacher

1.1 This regulation shall apply to the issuance of a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate, Certificate pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1220(a), for Middle Level Science Teacher. This certification Standard Certificate is required for grades 6, 7 and 8 in a a Middle Level middle level Delaware public school. Notwithstanding the above requirement, the Secondary Science Teacher Certification Standard Certificate may be used for grades 6, 7 and 8 in a Middle Level middle level school in lieu of this certification the Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate.

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 word words and term terms, when used in this regulation, shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

“Department” means the Delaware Department of Education.

“Educator” means a person licensed and certified by the State under 14 Del.C. Ch. 12 to engage in the practice of instruction, administration or other related professional support services in Delaware public schools, including charter schools, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the Professional Standards Board and approved by the State Board of Education. The term ‘educator’ does not include substitute teachers.

"Employing Authority" means any entity which employs educators, and includes, but is not limited to, school districts, charter schools, boards of directors, and management companies.

“Immorality” means conduct which is inconsistent with the rules and principles of morality expected of an educator and may reasonably be found to impair an educator’s effectiveness by reason of the educator’s unfitness or otherwise.

“License” means a credential which authorizes the holder to engage in the practice for which the license is issued.

“Major or Its Equivalent” means a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework in a particular content area.

"Passing Score" means a minimum score as established by the Professional Standards Board, Standards Board in consultation with the Department and with the approval of the State Board of Education.

“Regionally Accredited” means educational accreditation by a regional accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority concerning the quality of education offered by the institutions of higher education it accredits, including Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

“Standard Certificate” means a credential issued to certify that an educator has the prescribed knowledge, skill 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.

“Valid and Current License or Certificate” means a current full or permanent certificate or license issued by another state or jurisdiction. This means the educator is fully credentialed by having met all of the requirements for full licensure or certification in another state or jurisdiction and is in good standing in that state or jurisdiction. It does not include temporary, emergency, conditional certificates of eligibility or expired certificates or licenses issued from another state or jurisdiction.

3.1 In accordance with 14 Del.C. §1220(a), the Department shall issue a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate as a Middle Level Science Teacher to an educator applicant who has met the following:

3.1.1 Holds a valid Delaware Initial, Continuing, or Advanced License; License or a Standard or Professional Status Certificate issued by the Department prior to August 31, 2003; and, 2003 and meets the requirements set forth in Section 4.0 of this regulation; or

3.1.2 Has met the requirements as set forth in 14 DE Admin. Code 1505 Standard Certificate, including any subsequent amendment or revision thereto; and Has met the requirements for licensure and presents proof of a Valid and Current License or Certificate as a middle level science teacher.

3.1.3 Has satisfied the additional requirements in this regulation.

3.2 Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary herein, the Department shall not act on an application for a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate if the applicant is under official investigation by any national, state, or local authority with the power to issue educator licenses or certifications. The Department shall not act where the allegations include but are not limited to conduct such as Immorality, misconduct in office, incompetence, willful neglect of duty, disloyalty, or falsification of credentials until the applicant provides evidence of the investigation’s resolution.

4.1 An educator shall have also met the following:

4.1.1 achieved on the Praxis Subject Assessment - Middle School Science (ETS Test # 5440) a Passing Score of 150.

4.1 For an applicant who does not hold a content area Standard Certificate, the applicant shall have satisfied the requirements in subsections 4.1.1 and 4.1.2.

4.1.1 The applicant shall have:

4.1.1.1 Obtained and currently maintain a Science certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; or

4.1.1.2 Earned a bachelor’s degree from a Regionally Accredited college or university with a Major or Its Equivalent in middle level science education from an educator preparation program approved or recognized by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), or a state where the state approval body employed the appropriate standards; or

4.1.1.3 Satisfactorily completed an alternative routes for licensure or certification program to teach middle level science as provided in 14 Del.C. §§1260 – 1266; or

4.1.1.4 Satisfactorily completed a Department-approved educator preparation program in middle level science education.

4.1.2 The applicant shall have achieved a Passing Score on one of the following examinations:

4.1.2.1 A Passing Score of 150 on the Praxis Subject Assessment – Middle School Science (ETS Test Code # 5440); or.

4.1.2.2 A Passing Score of 152 on the Praxis Middle School Science (ETS Test Code #5442).

4.2 For an applicant who holds at least one content area Standard Certificate, the applicant shall have achieved a Passing Score on an examination as provided in subsection 4.1.2.

5.1 If an applicant is applying for an Initial License, a Standard Certificate must be applied for simultaneously with the application for the Initial License, and the applicant shall also provide all required documentation for the License.

5.2 For an applicant who does not hold a content area Standard Certificate, the following documentation is required with the application for a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate:

5.2.1 Evidence of obtaining and maintaining a Science certificate from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, if applicable; and

5.2.2 Official transcript from the applicant’s Regionally Accredited college or university.

5.2.2.1 Electronic transcripts may be submitted by the Employing Authority or by the applicant’s Regionally Accredited college or university; or

5.2.2.2 Sealed paper transcripts may be submitted.

5.2.2.3 The Department will not accept copies of transcripts; and

5.2.3 Official score on the Praxis as provided in subsection 4.1.2; and

5.2.4 Additional documentation as required by the Department.

5.3 For an applicant who holds at least one content area Standard Certificate, the following documentation is required in the application for a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate:

5.3.1 Official score on the Praxis as provided in subsection 4.2; and

5.3.2 Additional documentation as required by the Department.

5.4 For applicants who have met the requirements for licensure and hold a Valid and Current License or Certificate as a middle level science teacher, the following documentation is required in the application for a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate:

5.4.1 An official copy of the Valid and Current License or Certificate; and

5.4.2 Additional documentation as required by the Department.

6.1 A Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate is valid regardless of the assignment or employment status of the holder provided that the Educator’s License remains current and valid.

6.2 A Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate is not subject to renewal.

7.1 An Educator’s Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate may be revoked, suspended, or limited for cause as provided in 14 DE Admin. Code 1514 Limitation, Suspension, and Revocation of Licenses, Certificates, and Permits.

7.2 An Educator’s Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate shall be revoked if the Educator's Initial, Continuing, or Advanced License or Professional Status Certificate is revoked or the Educator made a materially false or misleading statement in the Educator’s application in accordance with 14 Del.C. §1222.

7.3 An Educator whose certificate is noticed for disciplinary action is entitled to a full and fair hearing before the Standards Board. Hearings shall be conducted in accordance with 14 DE Admin. Code 1515 Hearing Procedures and Rules.

The Secretary of Education may, upon the written request of a local school district or charter school, review credentials submitted in an application for a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate on an individual basis and grant such a Standard Certificate to an applicant who otherwise does not meet the requirements for a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate but whose effectiveness is documented by the local school district or charter school.

The Department shall recognize a Middle Level Science Teacher Standard Certificate that was issued by the Department prior to the effective date of this regulation. An Educator holding such a Standard Certificate shall be considered certified to teach middle level science.