PA Dance Certification

Photo: Drexel University

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Direct Path Dance Teacher Certification is a reality in Pennsylvania! The certification framework guidelines for colleges and universities to apply for offering dance P-12 licensure programs is up on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. Congratulations to all who worked on this effort over the past 60 years! PaDEO is so grateful to all of you!

PaDEO joyously announces that after 60 years, PA created legislation that compelled the department of Education to create Direct Path Dance Teacher Certification. House Bill1642 (also known as the School Code Bill) was signed into law.

Language specific to Dance Teacher Certification:

SECTION 1220. PREKINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE DANCE CERTIFICATE.--(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DEVELOP AN INSTRUCTIONAL CERTIFICATE IN PREKINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE DANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL CERTIFICATE PROCEDURES FOR CREATION OF A NEW CERTIFICATE AREA.

(B) THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO:

(1) HAS A CURRENT DANCE TEACHING CERTIFICATE RECOGNIZED OR ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION;

(2) IS IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING A DANCE TEACHING CERTIFICATE FROM THE DEPARTMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION; OR

(3) IS TEACHING DANCE TO STUDENTS AS PART OF AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A MUSICAL OR DANCE TEAM.

It has taken generations of dedicated dance educators and advocates to make this a reality. Those of us who have worked on the most recent efforts stand on the shoulders of those who laid a path for us. And to all of those who have contributed, we say THANK YOU! We also thank PA State Representative Joe Ciresi who wrote the legislation and R. Lee James who co-sponsored the legislation along with Rep. Ciresi. We are grateful to all of the representatives who signed on to the legislation demonstrating their support and to the legislators who guided us along the way. We have also benefitted from the knowledge of arts education organizations and advocacy groups from across the state and country.

For more information on Direct Path Dance Teacher Certification in PA and PaDEO's efforts to make this a reality, please look at the information on this page. While we are incredibly excited about this development, our work is not done. Our next efforts will focus on working with the PA Department of Education to establish the certificate. A working group of experts in the field of Dance Education from Pennsylvania, including members of PaDEO has been formed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to finalize the competencies of the certificate. Next, colleges will have to develop certificate programs.

Current Programs Certified for Licensure: