16 KAR 8:030. Continuing education option for certificate renewal and rank change.

RELATES TO: KRS 161.020, 161.028, 161.030, 161.095, 161.1211

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 161.020, 161.028(1)(a), (f), (q), 161.030(1), 161.095, 161.1211

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 161.095 requires the Education Professional Standards Board to promulgate an administrative regulation establishing procedures for a teacher to maintain a certificate by successfully completing meaningful continuing education. KRS 161.028(1)(f), and 161.030 vest authority for the issuance and renewal of certification for all professional school personnel in the board, and KRS 161.028(1)(q) authorizes the board to charge reasonable certification fees. KRS 161.1211 establishes certificate ranks and requires the board to issue rank classifications. This administrative regulation establishes the procedures for the continuing education option for certificate renewal and rank change.

Section 1. Procedures for the first and second renewal of the professional teaching certificate established in 16 KAR 2:010 shall require completion of:

(1) The continuing education option established in this administrative regulation; or

(2) A planned fifth-year program established in 16 KAR 8:020.

Section 2. The continuing education option shall consist of four (4) phases:

(1) Building a plan for job-embedded professional development and completion of the on-line module, described in Section 3(2)(e) of this administrative regulation;

(2) Content exploration and research;

(3) Student instruction and assessment; and

(4) Professional leadership and publication.

Section 3. (1) A teacher who chooses the continuing education option for certificate renewal and rank change shall:

(a) Attend a program orientation meeting, conducted by the Education Professional Standards Board or its designee, prior to applying for this program; and

(b) Successfully complete a seminar on how to build a plan for the job-embedded professional development.

(2)(a) The seminar shall be approved by the Education Professional Standards Board for this purpose.

(b) A school district, group of districts, or any Kentucky postsecondary institution with an accredited educator preparation program may make application to the Education Professional Standards Board for approval to sponsor a seminar. The Education Professional Standards Board may sponsor a seminar in any district or group of districts in which a seminar is not otherwise offered.

(c) The seminar shall be led by a continuing education option coach approved by the Education Professional Standards Board.

(d) The seminar shall be a blend of:

1. Web-based instruction; and

2. Face-to-face cohort meetings.

(e) The web-based instruction shall be provided by the Education Professional Standards Board through an on-line module at www.KyEducators.org.

(f)1. The face-to-face cohort meetings shall be offered at least two (2) times per month during the plan building seminar.

2. Following completion of phase one (1) of the continuing education option, face-to-face cohort meetings shall continue on a monthly basis.

(g) Completion of the first phase of the continuing education option allows the candidate to receive first renewal of the candidate’s certificate beginning June 30, 2002.

(3) Payment of seminar tuition.

(a)1. Tuition for the on-line module provided by the Education Professional Standards Board shall be $150; and

2. The on-line module fee shall be paid to the Education Professional Standards Board at the time of enrollment as indicated in the on-line enrollment application.

(b)1. Tuition for the cohort meetings shall be $600; and

2. The cohort meeting fee shall be paid to the approved seminar sponsor.

2. A cohort meeting fee may be transferred to another seminar sponsor upon agreement between both sponsors.

(4) An individual job-embedded professional development plan shall be designed by the teacher and shall:

(a) Focus on a professional growth need identified by the teacher with consideration given to the needs identified in the school's consolidated plan, student assessment results, and community resources;

(b) Include goals correlated to each of the ten (10) experienced teacher standards established in 16 KAR 1:010 and directly related to the teacher’s individual professional growth needs established in paragraph (a) of this subsection;

(c) Include a timeline in which the candidate shall complete all phases of the continuing education option. The timeline shall not:

1. Be less than twelve (12) months; and

2. Be more than four (4) years; and

(d) Be reviewed by the continuing education option coach for the seminar cohort.

1. The continuing education option coach shall:

a. Review the plans using the scoring rubric approved by the Education Professional Standards Board;

b. Provide written feedback on each standard to the teacher regarding the quality of the plan; and

c. Notify the Education Professional Standards Board of all reviewed plans.

2. The teacher may resubmit the plan for an additional review if the continuing education option coach has provided evidence of a deficiency or deficiencies in the plan.

(5)(a) The teacher shall participate in a job-embedded professional development experience with documented outcomes that demonstrate the accomplishment of the established goals.

(b) A job-embedded professional development experience shall include a combination of:

1. Graduate college coursework;

2. Research;

3. Field-experience;

4. Professional development activities; or

5. Interdisciplinary networking and consultations.

(d) The experience may be:

1. A part of an approved school professional development plan; or

2. An experience specifically needed by the teacher.

(6)(a) The evidence of accomplishment of the goals identified in the plan shall be documented in a portfolio.

(b) The portfolio shall be presented to the Education Professional Standards Board for review and scoring.

1. That all experienced teacher standards have been met;

2. Of the effects on student learning; and

3. Of the professional growth over time in:

a. Content knowledge;

b. Instructional and student assessment practices; and

c. Professional leadership and publication skills.

(d) The portfolio shall be presented using a variety of mediums, which may include video recordings.

(e) The portfolio shall be submitted to the Education Professional Standards Board at least one (1) year in advance of the expiration date of the teacher's certificate.

(f) The portfolio shall be submitted in either:

1. A traditional paper format with videotape or digital video disc (DVD) hard copy; or

2. An electronic format.

(g) A portfolio shall not exceed three (3) four (4) inch binders in size or its electronic equivalent.

Section 4. (1)(a) Initial application for the continuing education option program shall be made through a seminar sponsor approved by the Education Professional Standards Board.

(b) The approved seminar sponsor shall report all enrolled applicants to the Education Professional Standards Board.

(2) An enrolled applicant shall register on-line at www.KyEducators.org for the on-line continuing education option plan building module established in Section 3(2) of this administrative regulation.

Section 5. (1) A team of two (2) readers approved by the Education Professional Standards Board shall review and score the continuing education portfolio.

(2) The readers shall be selected by the Education Professional Standards Board from a cadre of educators representing teachers, principals, central office instructional personnel, higher education faculty, professional organization representatives, and the Kentucky Department of Education staff.

(3) The two (2) person reading team shall:

(a) Include a teacher certified in the same grade range and content area as the continuing education option candidate;

(b) Use a scoring rubric that is based on the experienced teacher standards and indicators to review and score the portfolios;

(c)1. Recommend the teacher for certificate renewal to the Education Professional Standards Board prior to the expiration date of the certificate; or

2. Report results to the Education Professional Standards Board using the scoring rubric to indicate which standards were not met; and

(d) Be trained by the Education Professional Standards Board to score the portfolios in a consistent and reliable manner.

(4) If the two (2) person reading team cannot reach consensus in the review process, a chief reader employed by the Education Professional Standards Board shall score the portfolio and report results to the Education Professional Standards Board.

(5)(a) If the teacher’s portfolio does not show evidence that all ten (10) experienced teacher standards have been met, the teacher may resubmit a partial portfolio for rescoring, which shall contain documented evidence on the unmet standard or standards.

(b) The rescoring process shall follow the same procedures as the initial scoring process established in this section of this administrative regulation.

(c) The teacher shall receive feedback from the initial scoring regarding additional evidence that may be needed to show that goals were accomplished and that all experienced teacher standards were met.

Section 6. (1) A teacher following the continuing education option to the fifth-year program for certificate renewal and rank change shall complete the program by the end of the second certificate renewal period.

(2) For the first renewal, the teacher shall show evidence of completion of phase one (1) of the continuing education option.

Section 7. Payment of Fee for Scoring the Portfolio. (1) A scoring fee of $1200 shall be assessed to each continuing education option candidate.

(2) The fee shall be used to pay expenses for the actual cost of administration of the continuing education option program including the costs associated with the following:

(a) The evaluation of approved seminar provider programs;

(b) Training the continuing education option coaches who lead the seminars;

(d) The initial scoring of the portfolio.

(3) Payment shall be made to the Education Professional Standards Board.

(4) The full fee shall be due at the time that the portfolio, or parts thereof as stipulated in Section 6(2) of this administrative regulation, are submitted to the Education Professional Standards Board for scoring.

(5) The initial scoring fee shall provide for one (1) scoring of all parts of the portfolio.

(6)(a) A fee of $120 shall be assessed for each unmet standard that requires rescoring.

(b) The rescoring fee, if applicable, shall be paid to the Education Professional Standards Board at the time that the revised portfolio is submitted for rescoring.

Section 8. (1) A teacher who submitted a professional development plan prior to June 30, 2002 shall have until December 31, 2004 to complete the continuing education option program.

(2) If the teacher fails to complete the program by December 31, 2004, the teacher shall forfeit all fees and reapply to participate under the revised guidelines.

(3)(a) A continuing education option candidate who enrolled prior to June 30, 2002 shall be notified by the Education Professional Standards Board that his portfolio shall be completed by December 31, 2004.

(b) The notification shall be by registered mail.

(c) The candidate’s portfolio shall be scored using the rubric in effect when the candidate enrolled in the continuing education option program.

(d) A candidate under this section shall not be charged an additional fee for rescoring a previously submitted portfolio.

(e) The candidate shall be provided an opportunity to participate in a cohort established in Section 3 of this administrative regulation.

(f) The candidate shall be offered coaching by an approved continuing education option coach.

Section 9. (1) Portfolios shall be scored by the Education Professional Standards Board on a quarterly basis.

(2) A teacher shall have been enrolled in the continuing education option program for at least twelve (12) months prior to submission of the portfolio to the Education Professional Standards Board for scoring.

(3) A teacher shall submit a portfolio to the Education Professional Standards Board for initial scoring:

(a) Between January 1 and January 15;

(b) Between April 1 and April 15;

(d) Between October 1 and October 15.

(4) The date of portfolio submission shall be either:

(a) The day the portfolio is hand-delivered to the Education Professional Standards Board offices; or

(b) The date of the postmark.

(5) A portfolio that requires rescoring shall be resubmitted in accordance with the schedule established in subsection (3) of this section.

(6) All portfolios shall become the property of the Education Professional Standards Board.

(7)(a) The Education Professional Standards Board shall provide electronic tracking of all portfolios to identify cases of plagiarism.

(b) Instances of plagiarism shall be reported to the Education Professional Standards Board for disciplinary action. (24 Ky.R. 2040; Am. 2360; eff. 5-18-98; 25 Ky.R. 1712; 2152; eff. 3-1-99; 28 Ky.R. 2062; 2338; eff. 5-16-2002; recodified from 704 KAR 20:022, 7-2-2002; 30 Ky.R. 2326; 31 Ky.R. 27 eff. 8-6-04.)