Revised Rule Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Education Personnel and Rule Chapter 180: Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth Systems have been provisionally adopted and will go to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.
Proposed rules are posted on the Proposed Rule web page of the Maine DOE website – rules can be found in order of chapter number.
Purpose of the rulemaking:
Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Education Personnel
Major Substantive
The changes made the language clear, more concise, logical, and sequential and reduced the number of pages in Part 1 from over 40 to under 30. Some of the specific changes include:
- Consolidation of the number of credentials available to three: (1) a clearance (formerly known as an approval), (2) a certificate, and (3) a conditional certificate;
- Changes to the credentialing of educational technicians Is and IIs to provide greater flexibility and discretion to school administrative units;
- Establishes an educational technician state certificate (for the former educational technician IIIs);
- Requires superintendents to certify credentials of employees every six months against the chart provided in the rule by Department of Education of the corresponding NEO position codes with the valid endorsements;
- Updated definitions, including the definition of “teaching experience” so it can now be accrued during long-term substitute teaching;
- Revised to fine-tune some of the endorsements; and
- Added a new pathway to bring people into the classroom based on work experience and other qualifications.
Chapter 180: Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth Systems
Major Substantive
Changes are contained in a new Section (11): Peer Support and Feedback, and accomplish the following:
- Retain a peer level of peer support and feedback for all teachers and principals.
- Establish a mentor/coach component for all newly hired and conditionally certified teachers.
- Differentiate peer support requirements to provide greater support for new and conditionally certified teachers.
- Provide greater, more structured support for conditionally certified special education teachers.
- Provide the school administrative unit with flexibility in establishing mentor and coach qualifications as well as assigning mentors and coaches to better target educator needs.
- Sharpen the line between peer support components and evaluation components
The proposed rules will be presented to The Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs in the current legislative session. Committee schedules for Public Hearings and Work Sessions can be found on the Maine State Legislature’s website.