Certification Standards and Practices Advisory Council

GOALS:

1. Study and make recommendations to the Board of Public Education on the status and efficacy of approved teacher educator programs in Montana.
   • Participate in the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation/Montana accreditation reviews, when possible.
   • Continued review of Chapter 58 – Professional Educator Preparation Program Standards.
   • Continue to work with the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) to encourage the implementation of mentor programs across Montana to facilitate the induction of beginning teachers into the profession of teaching.
2. Study and make recommendations to the Board of Public Education in the area of licensure renewal requirements and procedures.
   • Continued review of Chapter 57 – Educator Licensure Standards.
   • As funding permits, attend the following conferences: Western States Certification, National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), and National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future.
   • Meet annually with the Board of Public Education and the Montana Council of Deans of Education.
3. Study and make recommendations to the Board of Public Education on policies related to the denial, suspension, and revocation of teachers' licenses and the appeals process. 
   • Continued review of Chapter 57 – Educator Licensure Standards.
   • Attend NASDTEC Professional Practices Institute, when possible.
4. Study and make recommendations to the Board of Public Education regarding establishing standards of professional practices and ethical conduct. 
   • Work with OPI to develop a framework for professional development based on best practices. 
   • As funding permits, attend NASDTEC Professional Practices
   • Review the Professional Educators of Montana Code of Ethics every five years.
   • Continued review of Chapter 57 – Educator Licensure Standards to study the process utilized in Montana for reviewing cases of suspension, revocation, and denial of educator licensure. 
5. Study and make recommendations to the Board of Public Education on the status and efficacy of alternative and/or nontraditional teacher preparation opportunities. 
   • Complete reviews of Class 8 Dual Credit Post-Secondary Faculty License applications at regularly scheduled meetings.
   • Monitor and review non-accredited educator preparation programs to ensure they are not acting as diploma mills.
   • Reiterate that distance learning, dual enrollment, alternative certification models, etc. are multi-faceted and inter-related concepts that cannot be viewed in isolation from one another.
   • Continued involvement in the implementation of the Montana Content Standards.

Other CSPAC ACTIVITIES:

CSPAC will:

1. Monitor any teacher licensure issues that may emerge from the implementation of distance learning programs, like the Montana Digital Academy.
2. Continue to review Chapter 55 – Accreditation Standards.
3. Solicit input from the Board of Public Education and the Montana Council of Deans of Education regarding research priorities for CSPAC for the upcoming year.