Staffing
The next six (6) sections of the application are all for staffing. Each section is meant for a different category of staff position:
Administrative & Other Staff - staff who serve administrative roles AND staff who do not fit in other categories (e.g. paraprofessionals, non-certified assistive staff, etc.)
Outside Contracted Staff - staff who are not employed by your program, but are contracted to provide services directly to students
Regular Education Teacher - teachers who provide regular instruction to students
Special Education Teacher - teachers who provide special education services and instruction to students
English Learner Teacher - teachers who provide English Learner services and instruction to students
Counseling Staff - counselors who provide group, individual, or other specialized counseling services to students
Q: If a staff member falls into multiple categories, should I list them more than once?
A: Yes - if they regularly serve in both positions. For example, if an administrator also provides direct special education services to students, they should be listed as both administrative and special education staff. However, if the dean of students, for example, serves in an administrative role but does not provide instruction to students, they should only be listed as administrative staff. If you list staff more than once, remember to update the dates of clearances and training (discussed below) in both locations.
Q: If a teacher holds multiple certifications, which one should I list?
A: List the certification that correlates to the responsibility noted on the staff page. For example, the English Learner teacher should always be listed as Program Specialist- English as a Second Language pK-12 and special education teachers should always be listed with their special education certification.
Q: Do our staff members need to hold valid PA Certifications?
A: Special education and English Learner services and instruction must be provided by an appropriately certified PA instructor. Counseling services must be provided by an appropriately certified, licensed, or credentialed counselor (see below). Read more in the AEDY Program Requirements section of the AEDY Guidelines and here on PA staffing guidelines and requirements.
Q: What credentials are required for a counselor?
A: The person(s) delivering the required 2.5 hours (or more) of counseling services per student per week must hold one of the following credentials and should have experience in providing services to students in the appropriate age range: certified school counselor, certified school psychologist, certified school social worker, certified drug and alcohol counselor (as appropriate), licensed social worker, licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, certified/licensed therapist, licensed psychologist or psychiatrist. Read more in the AEDY Program Requirements section of the AEDY Guidelines.
Q: In updating our application, some staff members are no longer employed by our program. How do we reflect this in the application?
A: If a staff member is no longer employed by the program, click "Deactivate" in the staff member's Action column (letter A in the image below) to inactivate them in the application. Once confirmed, the date and time of deactivation will show in the "Inactive Since" column (letter B in the image below).
How to add Staff Members
(Step 1) Navigate to the appropriate staff member page using the navigation panel on the left of your screen. Remember you can use the thumbtack in the top right of the bar to pin it in place.
(Step 2) Click the "here" button in the phrase "Click here to add a [Staff position]".
(Step 3) Enter the staff member's last name, first name, middle initial, and job title. Be sure to enter their name as it appears on their certification or license. Next, enter their phone number and email address. Then, check the Certification checkbox if the staff member holds a PA certification listed in TIMS.
Use the drop down menu to select their certification. If you are unsure of their certification(s) or how the teacher's name is listed in the database, use the TIMS Educator Search.
Check the License checkbox if the staff member holds a PA License. A staff member who is certified is unlikely to also have a license. You can search for and verify licenses using the BPOA Search tool, PA Certification Board search tool, and the National Board for Certified Counselors search tool. If the staff member holds a license, enter the License Area/Type in the last text box.
Q: What if a staff member does not have a middle initial?
A: If you have confirmed this with the staff member or by using the appropriate search tool, enter a period in the middle initial text box.
(Step 4) When the information is entered and correct, click the "Save Information" button at the bottom of the page.
(Step 5) Use the screen to add another staff member to the same section, or click the "click here" button in the phrase "You can add another staff member or click here to return to staff page."
(Step 6) Once the staff member's basic information has been entered, you will need to add the dates of background clearances and training. Begin by clicking on "Background Checks" in the Action column for the staff member's row.
(Step 7) Enter the dates of the teacher's background checks for PA Criminal Background Clearance, PA Child Abuse Clearance, and FBI Background check. Enter the dates the clearances were granted, NOT the dates they will expire. This section is marked letter A in the image below.
Next, you will enter the staff member's training information in the Professional Development section (letter B in the image above). Enter the date of the teacher's Act 126 training (enter the date the training was completed, NOT the date it will expire). Next, enter the most recent date the staff member received behavior management training.
You can also add training topics which are relevant to the staff member's AEDY work by clicking the "here" button in the sentence "Click here to add a training topic" (letter C in the image above). Examples include de-escalation and behavior management, social-emotional learning, or any training that would be relevant to their work with the AEDY Program.
If needed, upload a copy of the staff member's certificates using the file upload box at the bottom of the page (letter D in the image above).
Q: When do I need to upload copies of the staff member's certificates?
A: It's a good idea to make this standard practice in case something is unclear to the reviewer. You should always upload these documents if the staff member has a common name (meaning there will be multiple teachers in TIMS with the same information) or if the teacher has recently undergone a name change (which can also cause trouble when verifying using TIMS).
(Step 8) Click the "Save Information" button at the bottom of the page when all fields have been completed.
(Step 9) As you finish with each staffing page, click "Save & Go to Next Section" at the bottom of the page.
English Learner Teachers
The English Learner Teacher page also includes a text box. Your English Learner service plan should remain as an upload on the Contact Information page (as discussed earlier in this module), so use this box to make any needed clarifications on the provision of English Learner services in your program.
Q: What if our AEDY Program contracts with our Intermediate Unit to provide an English as a Second Language certified teacher?
A: Because the contract is between your program and the IU, your AEDY program is technically providing the English Learner teacher. Contact your IU to get all the required information about the English Learner teacher(s) they might provide. If the IU has several teachers and it's unclear which might be available when needed, you can list them all. When a student identified as an English Learner is referred, you will select the teacher from a drop-down list created from this page's information.
Q: What if our AEDY Program requires the sending LEA to provide the ESL-certified teacher for students identified as English Learners?
A: In this case, *only the sending LEA* needs to include the teacher's information in their application. Leave the EL Teacher page empty of staff members unless your program directly employs or contracts an ESL-certified teacher.
Counseling Staff
Counseling staff need to be entered with their last name, first name, license number, the LEA which employs them, agency name, contractor name, and type of certificate/credential. You can search for and verify educational certifications using the TIMS Educator Search Tool. You can search for and verify licenses using the BPOA Search tool. You can search for and verify professional certifications using the PA Certification Board Verification Search tool and NBCC Verification tool.
Q: What credentials are required for a counselor in an AEDY Program?
A: From the AEDY BEC: Individuals delivering counseling services must hold one of the following credentials and should have experience in providing services to students in the appropriate age range: certified school counselor, certified school psychologist, certified school social worker, certified drug and alcohol counselor (as appropriate), licensed social worker, licensed clinical social worker, certified/licensed therapist, licensed psychologist or psychiatrist.
Q: Our counselor the appropriate certification or license to be a counselor but is not showing in any of the systems - how do we include this?
A: Upload a copy of the counselor's documentation to their Professional Development page. This will assist the application reviewer in verifying the counselor's documentation.
Q: Our counselor holds a certification, not a license, but Leader Services requires a license number. What should we enter?
A: This case is common for counselors who hold a certified school counselor, certified school psychologist, or certified school social worker certification (listed in TIMS). In this case, enter a string of zeros (00000) in the license number box.