Certification History 101

• —Certification standards governed by the VI Board of Education (VIBE) and must followed by DOE
• —VIBE certifies teachers in “academic” disciplines
• —CTE Board was charged through legislation to oversee CTEC Programs and Certify Teachers in technical disciplines
• —Passing of No Child Left Behind Act forced re-examination of certification standards to meet mandates “highly qualified” status requirements
• —After 1992 all teachers are required to complete VI History (within 1 year of employment)
• —After 1995-1996 school term:
  • All teachers must take and pass PRAXIS I (both elementary and secondary)
  • All teachers must pass general education courses (elementary 36 and secondary 26)
  • General Education course areas are: Foundations, Psychology, Special Education, Curriculum Methods and Student Teaching
• —Prior to Highly Qualified requirements technical experience guided certification decisions
• —Certification were granted for extended period of time (typically 5 yrs.)
• —Highly qualified status included in VI Compliance Agreement
• —Number of “highly-qualified” teachers tied to federal funding – Driving the imperative to comply

The Present – Current Requirements

• VI History and Culture
• Foundations of Education
• Measurements &C Evaluation
• Methods Curriculum and Instruction
• Education Psychology
• Intro to Special Education
• Instructional Design and Technology
• PRAXIS I- all vocational teacher applicants
• Professional Development

The Present – Requirement Challenges

• —Teachers in system prior to requirements – grandfathering
• —Unavailability to access required courses in a structured and timely manner from UVI
• —No Prep Programs to prepare for PRAXIS exams
• —Cost of additional training to teachers
• —Lack of specificity in Professional Development requirements
• —Communication of new requirements to all

The Present – Response to Challenges

• —Grandfather Requirements established for seasoned teachers
• —Alternative State routes established by VIBE HOUSSE (based on experience and observations)
• — PRAXIS PREP courses underwritten by DOE
• —Mandatory courses underwritten by DOE at UVI
• —Condensed programs approved for VI History
• —On-line Programs Approved by VIBE and underwritten by VI DOE – DirectStep (3 courses)

The Present – More About DirectStep

• —On-line program that is nationally recognized and approved for teacher development
• —Format is self-paced designed to be completed in approximately 6 weeks
• —Three core course requirements are available:
  • Curriculum & Methods, Special Education, and Education Technology
  • Approved by VIBE and underwritten by VI DOE –
  • To register, contact your HR Representative for details

The Present – CTE Board Certification

• —Need to comply with current requirements
• —Certification periods shortened
  • 3 yrs. for teachers who meet requirements and engaged in Professional Development
  • 2 yrs. for teachers who made progress towards requirements and/or have some professional development
  • 1 yr. provisional certification for teachers who have not made progress toward requirements or engaged in professional development

The Present – Certification; A Partnership

Teachers need to adhere to WRA basics:

• Review files to ensure that they are current
• Work towards attainment of core requirements
• Access free alternatives

CTEB needs to:

• Communicate requirements and alternatives
• Seek additional routes to meet core requirements

Both need to:

• Monitor certification expiration dates

The Present – Process for Recertification

• Identify recertification due date (CTEB/Teacher)
• Ensure file is complete with all training/courses/ degree completions and transcripts (Teacher)
• Inform HR of certification review to access personnel file (Teacher/CTEB)
• File reviewed by CTEB HR Committee
• Certification recommendation made to full Board
• Review and recommendation sent to DOE for incorporation in personnel file
• Certificate issued and sent to DOE HR

The Future – CTE Certification Reform

• Document and broadly communicate certification process and procedures
• Review current requirements and make recommendations to better accommodate CTE Teachers
• Investigate replacement of PRAXIS general exam by technical competency exam
• Explore and seek approval of additional alternative routes to meet core requirements