HARRISBURG, PA — In a sweeping effort to cut red tape and strengthen Pennsylvania’s education workforce, the Shapiro Administration has rolled out major upgrades to college transfer tools and teacher certification resources, aiming to make higher education more accessible and ease the path into the classroom for aspiring educators.
One-Stop Transfer System Launched
The Pennsylvania Department of Education announced a redesigned CollegeTransfer.pa.gov, a comprehensive online platform showing how college credits move between participating colleges and universities across the Commonwealth. Long known as PA TRAC, the new site offers clear, side-by-side comparisons for students, parents, counselors, and career and technical education programs.
Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe said the platform is built to eliminate confusion that often delays or derails students trying to complete a degree. “Higher education should be accessible and affordable to every Pennsylvanian who wants to earn a degree or a credential,” Rowe said. “The new College Transfer website is one way we’re making government more accessible for Pennsylvanians.”
Students can now enter their completed coursework — from community college degrees to AP or dual-enrollment credits, or career and technical programs such as Welding Technology — and immediately see how schools across the state will accept those credits. PDE partnered with AcademyOne to modernize the system and extend transparency across both academic and technical pathways.
Teacher Certification Process Gets a Major Overhaul
Two days later, PDE unveiled a second major update: redesigned online guides to help aspiring educators obtain certification while continuing to work. The update is part of a broader initiative to strengthen Pennsylvania’s K-12 educator pipeline amid a statewide teacher shortage.
The new certification pages, developed with the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience Pennsylvania, offer step-by-step guidance for:
- Earning an initial teaching certificate
- Getting certified when already licensed in another state
- Obtaining a substitute teaching permit
- Returning to teaching after time away
“Clear, accessible pathways to teacher certification are essential to building a strong and sustainable educator workforce,” Rowe said. She said the improvements remove bureaucratic barriers and give prospective teachers a clearer route into the profession.
CODE PA Acting Executive Director Sara Hall said the redesign continues the Administration’s work to make state services more user-friendly. “This collaboration with PDE on teacher certification is helping educators navigate the process faster and get into the classroom where they are needed,” Hall said.
Early Results Show Teacher Pipeline Strengthening
State data shows significant gains. In 2024–25, Pennsylvania issued 555 experience-based certifications, up more than 45 percent from the previous year. These five-year certificates — formerly “intern certificates” — allow new teachers to work full time, earn a paycheck, receive mentorship, and complete their remaining coursework and student teaching before becoming fully certified.
PDE has approved 54 new experience-based preparation programs in the past 18 months. Traditional certifications are rising as well: the state issued 6,612 Instructional 1 certificates in 2023–24, continuing an upward trend.
The Act 82 Report shows additional statewide gains over the past two years, including 793 newly certified PK-4 educators and substantial increases in health, physical education, and special education certifications.
Major Initiatives Target Long-Term Workforce Growth
The Shapiro Administration has deployed a broad set of programs to combat the teacher shortage, including:
- Cutting teacher certification processing times by more than 10 weeks
- Offering free experience-based certificates
- Launching a statewide Career and Technical Education program in Education, now active in 25 counties
- Expanding the Accelerated Special Education Teacher Certification Program, with 110 students on track for certification in 2026
- Providing stipends to more than 2,000 student teachers through the expanded Student Teacher Support Program
- Launching the refreshed Teach in PA job portal
- Investing $7.76 million to expand earn-as-you-learn teacher apprenticeships
The 2025–26 state budget includes an additional $11.9 million to maintain the maximum state grant for college affordability and a $10 million increase for the student teacher stipend initiative, raising total funding for the program to $30 million.
State officials say the combination of streamlined digital tools, simplified certification paths, and targeted funding will help more Pennsylvanians finish degrees, transfer credits efficiently, and enter classrooms at a moment when schools need them most.
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