- Primary Certificate: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Grades 1-6
- Secondary Certificate: Grades 7-12
- Specialized Areas: Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12
All previously issued certificates will remain valid for their full term. No certificates will be revoked or invalidated as a result of Act 47. Educators may continue teaching within the grade-level limitations of their existing certificates.
In addition, educators holding an Early Childhood (PreK–4) certificate are eligible to teach 5th and 6th grade and educators holding a Secondary (Grades 7-12) certificate are eligible to teach 6th grade under their current active certificates. Those who hold a PK-4 certificate have the option to formally expand their certificate to include Grades 5-6 through testing until July 1, 2028.
EPPs have until July 1, 2028 (2028–2029 Academic Year) to begin offering programs aligned to the new certificate grade spans.
EPPs should assess each student’s enrollment status and academic progress to determine whether the student can reasonably complete the required 48 credits and maintain a 3.0 GPA within the transition period. Based on this assessment, EPPs will determine whether a student may continue in the current program offering or should enroll in the new program prior to July 1, 2028.
*Below are recommended questions advisors should ask students to determine the appropriate program enrollment timeframe.
Yes. However, an EPP must receive approval from the PDE Division of Professional Education and Teacher Quality before offering any new program(s). The Division will notify EPPs when competencies are established for the new programs and they may begin applying for approval. The department estimates that competencies will be established by summer 2026, at which point EPPs can apply for program approvals.
No. Please note that once the initial review is completed, fees will apply to any future changes or reviews.
Candidates will be able to apply for the new PK-6 grade span once their EPPs are approved for the new PK-6 program. Before this occurs, it will take approximately 6-9 months for PDE to develop the new PK–6 competencies and 6-12 months to develop the new PK-6 assessment. Once both are completed, candidates can be approved for the new PK–6 grade span certificate.
Recommended questions for advisors to ask students to determine the appropriate program and enrollment timeframe:
Student success and planning:
- Are you aware that the PK-4 program is being phased out?
- Do you have any existing issues/challenges that might delay your completion of the PK-4 program? What are the issues/challenges, and what assistance do you need to address them?
- If you were to pause your enrollment and later return to resume your program, do you know who to contact for academic advising and program planning assistance?
- Do you understand how the PK-4 certification may differ from PK-6 in terms of employability and future certification or licensure requirements?
Continuous enrollment in a PK-4 program and time to completion:
- Have you been formally accepted into the Educator Preparation Program?
- Do you understand the requirements for continuous enrollment to remain eligible for the PK–4 program?
- Do you plan to remain continuously enrolled (as a full-time or part-time student) until you complete your program?
- Are you aware of the time required to complete the PK–4 program on a full-time or part-time basis?
- Do you anticipate needing to discontinue enrollment at this institution within the next year?
- Do you understand the implications of how discontinuing enrollment and returning at a later date impacts progression in and completion of the PK-4 program (particularly important for a PK-4 program with fixed course sequences, once-per-year offerings, and cohort structures)?