PA HB1407

Restructures Pennsylvania teacher certification grade spans effective July 1, 2027: Primary certificates will cover prekindergarten through grade 6 (ages 3-11), Secondary certificates will cover grades 7-12 (ages 12-21), and Specialized areas will cover prekindergarten through grade 12 (ages 3-21).

Allows educators with Early Childhood certificates to teach grades 5 and 6, and educators with Secondary certificates to teach grade 6 in their endorsed subject area.

Requires educator preparation programs to mandate a minimum of 30 credit hours of early childhood coursework for Primary certificate candidates, covering topics including development stages, learning theories, curriculum development, and assessment methods.

Provides two pathways for current certificate holders to expand their certification scope: completing continuing education credits or attaining qualifying scores on Department of Education assessments.

Abrogates existing regulations at 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(c) and (d) insofar as they are inconsistent with the new certification structure, with changes applying beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year.