CERTIFICATION IN GEORGIANASDTEC Conference

June 2015

Tiered Certification

Designed specifically for teachers

Offers increased opportunities for professional growth to teachers who remain in the classroom

Helps identify and recognize excellent teachers

Currently not tied to compensation

Tiered Certification

Tier 2: Induction

Tier 1: Pre-Service

Tier 3: Professional

Tier 4: Advanced & Lead Professional

Tier 1: Pre-Service

for educator candidates

completing field experiences or

student teaching in Georgia

Qualifications:• Enrollment in an initial

certification program• Criminal background check• Ethics pre-test

Not a prerequisite for any other tier

Tier 2: Induction

for teachers with fewer than 3

years of recent experience and some service

personnel

Four Pathways:1. for GA program completers2. for OOS program completers

who student taught in GA3. for OOS educators with less

than 3 years of experience4. for those who have not

completed a program

Tier 2: Induction

for teachers with fewer than 3

years of recent experience and some service

personnel

Valid for 3 years Conversion to Professional

requires:• 3 years of experience• Special Georgia Requirements (for

OOS educators)• Program completion (for Pathway

4)• Higher level score on content test

(to be implemented in 2017)

Tier 3: Professional

for experienced teachers and fully certified leaders and

service personnel

Two Types: Performance-Based:

For those teachers who have been evaluated on the statewide evaluation system

Standard:For leaders, service personnel, and teachers who are not evaluated on the statewide evaluation system

Tier 4: Advanced & Lead Professional

for expert teachers and

teacher leaders

Both certificates require: 5 years of experience No recent unsatisfactory

experience A minimum number of

exemplary evaluations A specific combination of

advanced degree(s), certification endorsements, and assessment

Why Pre-Service Pulls candidates under the Code of

Ethics

Offers data from the Ethics Assessment, Content Assessment, and edTPA to drive Induction

Identifies candidates completing student teaching/practicums in Georgia and holds them to the same state assessment requirements

Pre-Service Statistics

51open Ethics

cases

3,697

Pre-Service certificates

issued

1,037

pending background check

206on hold for documents

or assessments

Why Induction

Identifies the type of preparation of new teachers to support professional learning

Induction Certificates Issuedsince July 1, 2014

Pathway 1 (in-state)1,356 Certificates of Eligibility 571 Full Certificates

Pathway 2 (OOS prep, GA student teaching)120 Certificates of Eligibility125 Full Certificates

Pathway 3 (out-of-state)955 Certificates of Eligibility646 Full Certificates

Pathway 4 (non-professional)1,714 Full Certificates

Alignment of Reforms

• Several major reform initiatives in Georgia intersect by design– Tiered certification– Statewide evaluation system– Professional learning for certificate renewal– Development of new certification fields: teacher

leadership, curriculum & instruction, & instructional technology

– Redesign of Educational Leadership

Teacher Leader As Linchpin

Within the Georgia reform work, the teacher leader is a key figure in tiered certification, leads professional learning, assumes leadership roles, and generates evidence of expertise in the statewide evaluation system

Teacher Leader Skill Set

Lead Professional certificate holders– Demonstrate performance– Hold an advanced degree or National Board

Certification– Possess a specific skill set

• Teacher Leader Degree• Teacher Leader Endorsement• Coaching Endorsement• Teacher Support & Coaching Endorsement

Key Role of Teacher Leaders

• Pivotal role played by teacher leaders– Lead Professional tier recognizes skills &

performance of high-performing teachers– Support for Induction level teachers– Leadership of the school learning

community– Symbolic role – model for the profession

QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION