PENNSYLVANIA Officials propose teaching reforms

Pa. Gov. Ed Rendell has insisted on funding expanded preschool and full-day kindergarten.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- State education officials are developing rules they say will ensure Pennsylvania's public schools are spending their dollars wisely now that some schools have added preschool classes and expanded full-day kindergarten programs with the state's help.
Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Board of Education began a series of public meetings on regulations that would set certain guidelines for prekindergarten programs -- such as a 2 1/2-hour minimum school day -- and create a new early-childhood education certificate that would be required for new teachers instructing students in prekindergarten through third grade.
Governor's initiative
The proposals are a natural extension of ongoing efforts by Gov. Ed Rendell's administration to improve youngsters' readiness for school, said Linda Warren, a state Education Department executive policy specialist.
"It's important that there's a framework for [early-childhood education] ... it's not baby-sitting or child care," Warren said.
Under a $200 million block-grant program initiated by Rendell and the Republican-controlled Legislature in the 2004-05 school year, school districts can receive state funding to implement any of 10 programs designed to help improve math and reading test scores.
During the program's inaugural year, more than $134 million in grants went toward three initiatives on that menu that Rendell insisted on funding during state budget negotiations: expanded preschool, full-day kindergarten and class-size reductions in kindergarten through third grade.
Setting expectations
Now that the state has begun setting aside money for early-childhood education, it must set clear expectations for schools to provide effective instruction, said Joan Benso, president and CEO of the nonprofit Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.
"With (schools) having limited resources and demand (for programs) exceeding resources, we're concerned that best practices won't always be followed," Benso said.
The proposed teacher certification requirements would not take effect until the 2007-08 school year at the earliest, and they would apply only to new teachers. Currently, an elementary-education certificate can be used by teachers in kindergarten through sixth grade; the department wants to limit its use to grades three through six and require and establish an early-childhood certificate for earlier grades and prekindergarten.
Teachers' concern
The Pennsylvania State Education Association worries the proposal would give elementary school principals less latitude to reassign teachers to different grades, particularly in small, rural districts where filling vacancies can be difficult, said Mark Wescott, PSEA's director of student standards and assessment.
"It would be basically splitting the certificate in half," Wescott said. "It will restrict what we believe districts can do as far as flexibility goes."
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association is also closely monitoring the regulatory process, lobbyist Tim Allwein said.
"A concern a lot of our members have is, is this all working toward mandating prekindergarten?" Allwein said.
The board hopes to adopt a first draft of the new regulations by March, said Ed Donley, who heads the board's early-childhood education committee.
XThis story was written by Martha Raffaele, who covers education for The Associated Press in Harrisburg.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.