Sec.10-145d-417. Professional educator certificate

(a) Conditions for issuance.

The professional educator certificate shall be issued to any applicant when the following conditions are met, except as otherwise provided in endorsement area requirements:

(1) The applicant who holds a standard or permanent certificate on July 1, 1989, shall, upon application, receive a professional educator certificate; or

(2) The applicant presents signed recommendations from the employing agent. Such recommendations shall state that while holding the provisional teaching certificate, interim educator certificate, or provisional educator certificate, the applicant completed at least 30 school months of successful teaching for one or more boards of education or approved nonpublic schools, or for purposes of obtaining adult education certification in accordance with Sections 10-145d-596, 10-145d-601 and 10-145d-606 of these regulations, in a cooperating eligible entity defined in Section 10-69 of the Connecticut general statutes, or for purposes of obtaining certification in accordance with Section 10-145d-532 of these regulations, three years of appropriate successful experience as a professional staff member of the Department; and

(3) The applicant has, except as otherwise specified for particular endorsements, completed course work at an approved institution or institutions, in accordance with the following:

(A) Prior to July 1, 2003, any applicant who holds or held a provisional educator certificate shall have completed not fewer than 30 semester hours of credit beyond the bachelor's degree. Such course work need not necessarily lead to a master's degree and may include graduate or undergraduate courses. Except as otherwise provided in endorsement area requirements, it shall consist of:

(i) A planned program at an approved institution, related directly to the subject areas or grade levels of the endorsement, or in an area or areas related to the teacher's ability to provide instruction effectively, or to meet locally determined goals or objectives; or

(ii) An individual program which is mutually determined or approved by the applicant and the employing agent of the board of education and which is designed to increase the ability of the teacher to improve student learning; or

(B) Prior to July 1, 2003, any applicant who holds or held a 10-year provisional teaching certificate shall have completed 30 semester hours of credit beyond the bachelor's degree. Such course work need not necessarily lead to a master's degree and may include graduate or undergraduate courses. Except as otherwise provided in endorsement areas, it shall consist of:

(i) A planned program at an approved institution; or

(ii) An individually planned program which is mutually determined or approved by the applicant and the employing agent of the board of education and which is designed to increase the ability of the teacher to improve student learning. Such an individual program may include course work taken at one or more approved institutions of higher education and may include registered in-service programs sponsored by a board of education or approved nonpublic school upon the approval of the joint subcommittee of the Board of Governors and the Board established pursuant to Section 10-155b of the Connecticut general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 1983; or

(C) Prior to July 1, 2003, any applicant who holds or held a five-year provisional teaching certificate shall have completed either a master's degree or not fewer than 30 semester hours of credit beyond the bachelor's degree. Such course work need not necessarily lead to a master's degree and may include graduate or undergraduate courses. Except as otherwise provided in endorsement areas, it shall consist of:

(i) A master's degree at an approved institution; or

(ii) An individually planned program consisting of at least 30 semester hours of credit beyond the bachelor's degree, which includes at least 15 semester hours of credit in general academic courses in addition to the credits offered for the requirements for the provisional certificate. Exceptions to the requirement of 15 semester hours of credit in general academic courses may be granted when a higher education institution or the Department determine that the applicant has in the combined program of undergraduate and post-baccalaureate preparation met this requirement.

(D) On and after July 1, 2003, except as otherwise provided, any applicant who holds or held a provional teaching or provisional educator certificate shall have completed, at an approved institution, either a master's degree or at least 30 semester hours of graduate credit.

(b) Continuation of professional educator certificate.

(1) Upon application, except as otherwise provided in subsections (v), (w) or (x) of Section 10-145d-427 and subsection (b) (4) of this section, the professional educator certificate shall be continued every five years after issuance upon the successful completion of not less than 90 contact hours of continuing education activities, during each successive five-year period. Such hours may include a combination of CEUs or CEU equivalents, or any successfully completed graduate course taken from an approved institution in an area related to the individual's endorsement area. One graduate credit used for the purpose of continuing the professional educator certificate shall represent 15 contact hours. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (w) of Section 10-145d-427, CEUs, CEU equivalents and graduate credit earned during one five-year professional educator certification period may not be applied toward the requirement for CEUs for subsequent five-year periods.

(2) Persons whose professional educator certificates are not continued due to failure to fulfill the continuing education requirement in subsection (b) (1) of this section, shall be subject to the provisions of Section 10-145d-427 (v).

(3) A person who holds or held professional educator certification in more than one endorsement area shall be eligible for continuation of professional educator certification in all endorsements held, provided the continuing education requirement in subsection (b) (1) is successfully completed, subject to the provisions of subsection (d) of this section.

(4) Full-time adult educators certified in accordance with Sections 10-145d-592 to 10-145d-606, inclusive, shall be required to complete 90 contact hours of continuing education during each successive five-year period. Part-time adult educators certified in accordance with Sections 10-145d-592 to 10-145d-606, inclusive, shall be required to complete 45 contact hours of continuing education during each successive five-year period. A part-time adult educator who holds a professional educator certificate in adult education and in other endorsements shall be eligible for continuation of the professional educator certificate in all endorsements held provided that the 90 contact hours of continuing education are completed during each successive five-year period.

(c) Responsibilities of boards of education.

(1) Each board of education shall make available annually, at no cost to its certified employees, not fewer than 18 hours of professional development activities for CEU credit. Such activities may be made available by a board of education directly, through a regional educational service center or cooperative arrangement with another board of education, or through arrangements with any CEU provider approved by the Board in accordance with subsection (d) (1) of this section.

(2) Boards of education shall grant CEU credit for CEU activities which the certified employees of the board of education are required to attend.

(3) Each board of education shall determine the specific CEU professional development activities to be made available. Such determination shall be made with the advice and assistance of the teachers employed by such board, including representatives of the exclusive bargaining unit for such teachers determined pursuant to Section 10-153b of the Connecticut general statutes. The time and location for the provision of such activities shall be in accordance either with an agreement between the board of education and the exclusive bargaining unit or, in the absence of such agreement or to the extent such agreement does not provide for the time and location of all such activities, in accordance with a determination by the board of education.

(4) Each board of education shall attest to the Department in such form and at such time as the Commissioner shall prescribe, that professional development activities for which CEUs are granted by the board of education:

(A) Are planned in response to identified needs;

(B) Are provided by qualified instructional personnel, as appropriate;

(C) Have the requirements for participation in the activity shared with participants before the commencement of the activity;

(D) Are evaluated in terms of their effectiveness and their contribution to the attainment of districtwide goals; and

(E) Are documented in accordance with procedures established by the Board.

(5) In the event the Department notifies the board of education that the provisions of subsection (c) (4) of this section have not been met and that specific corrective action is necessary, the board of education shall take such corrective action. The Department shall not invalidate CEU credit awarded prior to such notice.

(6) The board of education, as a CEU provider, shall meet all requirements in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) (1) of this section.

(d) Criteria for the CEU requirement for continuation of the professional educator certificate:

(1) Eligibility as a provider of CEUs:

To qualify as an approved CEU provider for purposes of fulfilling requirements for continuation of professional educator certification, an organization, institution, board of education or board, agency or company shall meet the following administrative and program criteria:

(A) Administrative criteria:

(i) The provider has identifiable staff having the authority to administer and coordinate an organized schedule of continuing education programs.

(ii) The provider, through its continuing education department or office, ensures that both the administrative and program criteria are followed for learning experiences offering CEUs.

(iii) The provider maintains an attendance system, a permanent record for each individual of each CEU awarded, and a syllabus for each course of study offered for CEUs. These records will be available to the Department upon request.

(iv) The provider provides a certificate of completion to participants who have successfully completed program activities, and produces a transcript or other appropriate evidence of completion when such evidence is requested by the individual or the Department.

(v) The provider provides or arranges for appropriate educational facilities, library or reference materials, instructional aids, and equipment consistent with the purpose, design and intended learning outcomes of each learning experience.

(vi) The provider makes available, at such time and in such manner as the Department shall require, documentation of compliance with the provisions of these regulations.

(B) Program criteria:

(i) Program activities are planned in response to identified needs.

(ii) Program activities are provided by qualified instructional personnel, as appropriate.

(iii) The requirements for participation in the activities are shared with participants before the commencement of the activity.

(iv) Program activities are evaluated in terms of their effectiveness and contribution to the attainment of program goals.

(v) Program activities are documented in accordance with procedures established by the Board.

(2) CEU equivalent:

(A) A CEU equivalent shall be preapproved and may be awarded by a board of education, the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee of the following state agencies: Education, Human Resources, Mental Retardation, Mental Health, Corrections and the Board of Education and Services for the Blind to its employees for successful completion of professional development activities based on 10 contact hours of participation in a planned continuing education experience for which CEU credit is not otherwise available.

(B) The CEU equivalent may be accepted in full or partial fulfillment of the requirement for the continuing education credit.

(3) CEUs and CEU equivalents:

(A) A record of CEUs or CEU equivalents awarded by the board of education, the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee of the following state agencies: Education, Human Resources, Mental Retardation, Mental Health, Corrections and the Board of Education and Services for the Blind to their employees who hold or held a professional educator certificate shall be maintained by the aforementioned agencies.

(B) The determination of the number of CEUs or CEU equivalents to be awarded shall be based upon time devoted to professional development content.

(C) A professional educator certificate holder who transfers to another board of education shall retain CEU or CEU equivalent credit earned for that current professional educator certification period, and those credits shall be applicable toward those required for continuation of the certificate.

(Effective July 1, 1995)