General Information
For an educator to transition from Level I to Level II permanent certification, the Chief School Administrator must affirm satisfactory service in the Level II application as required in 22 Pa. Code § 49.83(2). PDE does not collect any documentation for this affirmation. The Local Education Agency (LEA) or Private or Nonpublic Entity should maintain documentation in support of this affirmation on file. This should include observation forms, the PDE-427A form or PDE-427B form Level II recommendation, proof of induction completion (see NOTE below) and any documents in support of these. All LEAs, or Private or Nonpublic Entities where the educator served are included in a Level II application and should affirm the service provided so that PDE has a record of affirmations from all LEAs, private school entities, or nonpublic school entities before the Department issues Level II permanent certification. (Service is optional in Private and Nonpublic Entities. However, they should be prepared to affirm service for any educator who provides service to their students and holds public school certification.)
Note on Induction and Assessment Documentation: The Level I to Level II Assessment documentation and induction documentation are exclusive to the 1) LEA or Private or Nonpublic Entity where the educator completed induction and 2) the LEA or Private or Nonpublic Entity where the educator is serving when they become eligible for Level II. Once the Temporary Professional Employee or Professional Employee has three years of Satisfactory Service a Level II summative evaluation/recommendation should be done on a PDE-427A form or PDE-427B form. The educator should be given copies of the documents and originals should be kept on file by the LEA or Private or Nonpublic Entity. When the educator applies for Level II, they do not submit any documents. The LEAs or Private or Nonpublic Entities where the educator served affirm Good Moral Character (GMC) and satisfactory service in the application electronically.
The majority of service the LEA is affirming in a Level II application is service the LEA has already submitted to PIMS which the Chief School Administrator has already affirmed by signature. The LEA or Private or Nonpublic Entity has the opportunity to make corrections to the service in the affirmation it submits that is signed off on by the Chief School Administrator. All affirmations must be submitted for the application to be processed.
If a LEA or Public or Nonpublic Entity does not have documentation in support of service, it can and should affirm the service as satisfactory in the Level II application unless it has documentary evidence to the contrary. This includes the affirmation for GMC. An educator who has performed satisfactory service that is undocumented should not be penalized due to the lack of documentation supporting their service.
Special Considerations
- For purposes of transition to permanent (Level II) certification and as best practice, LEAs or Private or Nonpublic Entities should observe and document performance during the duration of service in the LEA or Private or Nonpublic Entity of any certified educator employed to serve in a professional capacity on their Level I certificate as a long-term substitute (as outlined in creditable service) or as certified contracted staff. This enables certified substitutes or contracted staff to obtain verified satisfactory creditable service from the Chief School Administrator, which is necessary for conversion to Level II.
- Educators who have completed the creditable service time requirements to convert to a Level II certificate, but who have not been evaluated using an approved PDE evaluation form (long-term substitutes, private school educators, etc.), may have their satisfactory creditable service time attested to by the Chief School Administrator of the approved public or nonpublic school entity in which the creditable service was performed.
The above guidelines apply to all professionals employed regular, full-time by LEAs or Private or Nonpublic Entities in addition to those called out in these guidelines.
Final Clarification
Affirmations are not affirming employment. They are affirming service provided to a LEA or Private or Nonpublic Entity in a certified (professional) capacity, whatever that service may be (instructional, educational specialist, or administrative/supervisory). The Chief School Administrator has the legal responsibility to verify service as indicated in 22 Pa. Code 49.83 and should take all necessary actions in the performance of this duty. Chief School Administrators should speak with their solicitors related to any concerns they may have with verifying service of personnel.
Summary of Changes
| Date of Revisions | Major Changes to CSPG #1 |
|---|---|
| 3/2026 |
|