Appendix C

THE VERMONT STANDARDS BOARD FOR PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS (VSBPE)

Vermont's Standards Board for Professional Educators (VSBPE) is a twenty-three member, teacher majority board appointed by the State Board of Education. To support the continuing professional growth of every educator, the VSBPE has established sixty-six local standards boards for the re-licensing of teachers and six regional standards boards for the re-licensing of administrators. The work of the VSBPE is supported by the services of the State Department of Education Office of Professional Standards and Licensing.

Note: Excerpts from the Regulations Governing the Licensing of Educators and the Preparation of Educational Professionals, issued by the Vermont State Board of Education and effective August 8, 1998, are printed in italics for reference.

A. Purpose

The primary purpose of the VSBPE shall be to address issues of educator preparation, licensure, and re-licensure in order to attract, support, and develop the most effective teachers in the nation. (Vermont Licensing Regulation 5610.2)

In meeting its responsibilities, the VSBPE believes that:

B. Responsibility

The duties of the VSBPE include:

  1. defining standards for the licensing of educators for adoption by the State Board of Education;

  2. issuing interpretive policies regarding these rules;

  3. defining high quality, practical professional development that includes, but is not limited to, linking school practitioners and higher education;

  4. issuing licenses and endorsements to qualified educators and developing policies and procedures under which educator licenses and endorsements are issued;

  5. overseeing and monitoring the processes of educator licensing and re-licensing;

  6. recommending denial, suspension or revocation of a license and/or endorsement(s) as set forth in Section 5700 of these rules;

  7. examining issues in educator preparation, licensure and re-licensure;

  8. developing policies and procedures for the local and regional re-licensing process including the operation of local and regional standards boards and for re-licensing through the Licensing Office;

  9. approving local and regional standards boards’ plans of operation and subsequent amendments to the plans;

  10. monitoring, promoting, and supporting the effective operations of the local and regional standards boards and local and regional re-licensing procedures;

  11. evaluating and approving educator preparation programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels;

  12. approving and monitoring License by Evaluation Processes described in Section 5330 of these rules.

(Vermont Licensing Regulation 5610.8)

C. Relationship to Local and Regional Standards Boards

The Teacher Re-licensing Committee and the Administrator Re-licensing Committee of the VSBPE monitor and support the work of LSBs and RSBs. This support is provided by Department of Education Local and Regional Board Consultants, as representatives of the VSBPE, in the form of technical assistance, training and assistance in the development of IPDPs, re-licensure portfolios, and board operation and to bring concerns of the LSB/RSBs back to the VSBPE.

An annual report, including grant expenditures, is required of each LSB and RSB.