Act 118 is an amendment to the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L. 30, No.14) entitled "An act relating to the public school system, including certain provisions applicable as well to private and parochial schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto," in certification of teachers, further providing for continuing professional development for program of continuing professional education and for charter schools.
Act 118 provides one year extensions beginning on its effective date of November 2, 2016 for the following:
- Each school entity shall have one additional year to submit to the Secretary for approval a three-year professional education plan. During the additional year, the school entity's current professional education plan may remain in effect.
- Each professional educator's current continuing professional education compliance period shall be extended by one year.
- The current continuing professional education compliance period of each uncertified teacher or administrator who is employed full time by a charter school shall be extended by one year.
Act 118 took effect November 2, 2016 and expires November 2, 2017.
Act 118 provides an extension of one year for all professional education plans effective November 2, 2016 until November 2, 2017.
Yes.
Yes. Whereas Act 118 provides a one-year extension for submission of professional education plans, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has determined that this extension will apply to the Comprehensive Plan which includes all plans currently required to be submitted.
No. After November 2, 2017, this extension will expire. Subsequent compliance periods for Act 48 and Act 45 PIL requirements will return to five years.
Yes.
Yes.
No. See examples below:
- If certificate status is currently active, an extension of one year will be applied to the current Act 48 and Act 45 PIL time period.
- If certificate status is currently inactivation pending, but is returned to active status by completing the hours required for Act 48 and Act 45 PIL prior to November 2, 2017, an extension of one year will be applied to the next Act 48 and Act 45 PIL time period.
- If certificate status is currently inactive, but is returned to active status by completing the hours required for Act 48 and Act 45 PIL prior to November 2, 2017, an extension of one year will be applied to the next Act 48 and Act 45 PIL time period.
- If certificate is currently voluntarily inactive, but is returned to active status by completing the hours, forms and fees that are required to remove voluntary inactive status prior to November 2, 2017, an extension of one year will be added to the current Act 48 and Act 45 PIL time period.
- If certificate is currently active under appeal, please contact the Division of Planning regarding your certificate status under Act 118 via email to: ra-edact48@pa.gov.
- If certificate remains on inactive, voluntarily inactive or inactivation pending status and is not returned to active status by November 2, 2017 when the extension period under Act 118 expires, then no extension will be applied either to the current or subsequent Act 48 and Act 45 PIL time periods.
To access current certificate status, please go to Teacher Information Management System and enter PPID# in box.
Please go to PERMS, if you do not have your PPID#, click on Get Professional Personnel ID, enter information required and click GET.
Act 118 extensions will be applied to those qualifying certificate holders' records automatically via PERMS (professional education record management system).
Yes.
It extends their initial time period requirement for Act 48 and Act 45 PIL by one year.
Yes. Individual educators should contact the Division of Planning regarding this option via email at: ra-edact48@pa.gov.
Applications for an additional extension of Act 48 and Act 45 PIL continuing education requirement time periods will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Educators should contact the Division of Planning regarding this option via email at: ra-edact48@pa.gov.
Yes.
No. It will only be applied to the Act 48 and Act 45 PIL continuing professional education requirement compliance time period.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Act 48 independent providers are not granted an extension by Act 118 and must follow guidelines established for the approval process to maintain approved provider status.
Please send specific questions regarding how the Act 118 extension will affect charter school employees via email to: charterschools@pa.gov.