TO: BEST Program District Facilitators
FROM: Bureau of Educator Standards and Certification
SUBJECT: Process for the Full Exemption from the BEST Portfolio Assessment and
Partial Exemption from the BEST Elementary Education Portfolio Assessment
DATE: September 1, 2008
Enclosed are the following exemption application forms:
· The full exemption request application is to be completed by those individuals whose teaching assignments may not allow for the completion of a full portfolio assessment.
Teachers may only apply for a full or partial exemption if they are currently registered in the BEST Portfolio Induction Program as a second or third year BEST participant and their teaching assignment is in compliance with their certification endorsement(s). Exemptions are not considered for first year beginning teachers or for teachers whose teaching assignments are “out of compliance” with their certification endorsement(s).
Exemption applications should be completed for these two categories as follows:
Beginning teachers who have a unique or non-classroom teaching assignment to which the portfolio assessment may not be applicable, may be eligible for a full exemption of the portfolio assessment requirement. Examples of teaching assignments that may be considered for an exemption include: Direct Instruction Program, computer technology, a class of students with severe/profound disabilities, etc. Teachers of elementary and special education pre-kindergarten age students will be exempt but must file an exemption request form as the exemption is not processed without the required form.
Elementary certified teachers whose teaching assignments do not include both literacy (i.e., integrated language arts, developmental reading or remedial reading/language arts) and numeracy (i.e., mathematics or remedial mathematics), should apply for an exemption of the literacy or numeracy section of the elementary education portfolio as applicable.
Elementary certified teachers in a middle school setting who teach literacy and/or numeracy will be expected to complete the section(s) of the elementary portfolio that are relevant to their teaching assignment (e.g., literacy only, numeracy only or literacy and numeracy). Elementary certified teachers in a middle school setting, who do not teach any literacy or numeracy, but teach social studies and/or science, will be expected to complete a portfolio in the content area that represents the majority of their teaching assignment (i.e., science or social studies).
As liaisons to the BEST Program, district facilitators are asked to determine which beginning teachers may be eligible for a full or partial portfolio assessment exemption and forward copies of the enclosed materials to them for completion. The materials should be completed collaboratively by the beginning teacher and their mentor(s), principal or district facilitator. Please forward completed forms to Jane Gionfrido at the Connecticut State Department of Education.
Exemption request applications should be submitted on or before December 12, 2008. The BEST Review Committee will evaluate each exemption request. Beginning teachers and district facilitators will be notified in writing of the approval or denial of an exemption request.
If you have any questions regarding the exemption process, please contact Jane Gionfrido at the Connecticut State Department of Education at 860-713-6812 or via email at jane.gionfrido@ct.gov. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.