HARRISBURG, Pa. — There has been a significant reduction in processing time for Pennsylvania teacher certification.
- The state Education Department announced a reduction in processing times for teacher certification
- State Education Secretary Khalid N. Mumin is proud of the progress but acknowledges more work is needed to further reduce processing times
- A new website feature "certification clock" launched for real-time updates on the processing time
The state Education Department has announced that the In-State Level I Certificates now take two to four weeks to process, which is a 10-week reduction from last year.
Expected processing times for types of certificates (from shortest to longest) are:
- Add-On Certificates: 1-3 weeks
- In-State Level I Certificates: 2-4 weeks
- Emergency Certificates: 2-4 weeks
- Level II Certificates: 4-6 weeks
State Education Secretary Khalid N. Mumin said that while he's proud of the commitment to enhancing government processes, he acknowledges there's more work to do.
“We will continue to make progress and work to further reduce processing times so teachers can get their certificates as efficiently as possible,” Mumin said in a news release.
To expedite processing, the state Education Department hired more staff, including four new full-time employees, three temporary workers and one summer annuitant.
The certification process was evaluated, giving priority to Instructional I certificates. The team now operates around the clock to process certifications and handle more than 1,500 weekly email inquiries.
New website feature
To enhance transparency and responsiveness in the educator certification process, the Department has also launched a new feature on its website.
"By making our response times public, we are increasing transparency and accountability, and improving the services we provide to current and prospective educators across the Commonwealth.”Pa. Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin
The "certification clock" will provide real-time updates on the time required to process a certificate once all necessary information is submitted to the department.
"By making our response times public, we are increasing transparency and accountability, and improving the services we provide to current and prospective educators across the Commonwealth,” Mumin said.
Last year, the education department redesigned its website to improve accessibility to certification-related information for current and potential educators.
The restructuring, the department said, uses analytics and prioritizes the most frequently visited pages, including the certification page, which remains highly popular on the department's website.
