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OSSTF District 11- Thames Valley
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District 11 Office |
Certification Changes for 2007/2008
New Certification Regulations were passed by the Annual Meeting of the Provincial Assembly in March, 2007. Many members will see positive changes to the Group placements and others will see reductions in the requirements for movement to higher Groups. The full changes, which will take effect for September 1, 2007, are available for viewing on the provincial website at www.osstf.on.ca.
All teacher and occasional teacher members should review these changes to ensure familiarity with new opportunities for upgrading their Group placement.
Every member who is currently placed in Group 1, 2, or 3 should complete Certification Application Form # 2 in order to have his/her file re-evaluated under the new regulations for September 1, 2007. Some members who have Group 4 placements that use courses from a post-graduate degree may be able to "free" the degree and have a seal applied to make them eligible for an extra-degree allowance.
If you apply for a Certification Rating Statement before August 31, 2007 you will receive two (2) Certificates: one functional for the 2006/2007 school year and another with a September 1, 2007 date functional for the 2007/2008 school year. Members must ensure the appropriate certificate is provided to their board.
Large numbers of applications for re-evaluation are anticipated and members are advised that a 10 week response time should be expected. Your patience is appreciated.
The changes include, but are not limited to:
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Master's or PhD degrees used for placement in Group 4 |
- this new option for placement in Group 4 may be used in place of an Honour Specialist AQ
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New opportunities for upgrading for teachers with undergraduate degrees that have a pass standing |
- AQ courses can now be used for upgrading to Group 2 and 3 in addition to undergraduate university courses
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Recognition of Additional Qualification (AQ) courses from all Ontario Faculties of Education which may also be used for Group placement |
- all AQ courses (including those taken at OISE/U of T, Queen's, Western, or York) can now be used as acceptable courses to fulfill the requirements for higher Group placement
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Undergraduate courses in any "single subject area" used without the requirement for courses in "specified subject areas" |
- undergraduate courses in non-teaching subject areas such as Media, Women's Studies, and Arts & Sciences will now be recognized for Group placement
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The number of required "in-the-discipline" courses for Group Placement have been reduced for the Three-Session Specialist pathway |
- Group 2 now requires no courses "in-the-discipline", while Group 3 requires only two, and Group 4 only requires four (formerly it was 3, 5 and 7 respectively)
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Use of individual college courses for Group placement for technological studies teachers |
- the former regulation that required a completed college diploma has been removed
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Access to the Three-Part Specialist pathway for upgrading for technological studies teachers |
- this will allow technological studies teachers who do not have a full year of post-secondary education to have an alternative pathway to Group 4
Certification Regulation 5 states:
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It is the RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MEMBER to be cognizant of the latest changes in Certification Regulations and to submit, using the current application form, to the Certification Department for a re-examination of their academic record based on the announced changes. |