Quick Links

Renewal Requirements for Certificates Issued 1995-1998

Your certificate has considerable information regarding your license to teach. You are encouraged to review the certificate carefully and report any errors by calling the Office of Human Resources at 410-313-6813.

For the following certificates:

• Acceptable credit is defined as approved credit that is post baccalaureate coursework taken at a regionally accredited college/university or through Maryland State Department of Education credit (HCPSS CPD credit), related to a school assignment, earned within 5 years immediately preceding the date on which the certificate is issued.
• Individuals seeking renewal of certificates in specialist, administrator, or supervisor areas who do not have an (S) on their certificates, must complete an introduction to special education course or a course in the inclusion of special needs population for renewal of their certificates.
• The exception to the 36 semester hour APC is for trades and industry teachers who must complete a planned program of 34 semester hours of which a maximum of 6 Maryland State Department of Education Continuing Professional Development credits may be applied. Trades and Industry teachers are required to develop their programs in consultation with their building principals and the local director of career and technology education.
• Teachers seeking renewal of certificates in visually impaired education are required to have at least one course, continuing education unit, or professional development activity indicating maintenance of Braille proficiency as part of, or in addition to, the regular renewal requirements for educators.

Standard Professional I (SP-I)

You must complete all of the following by the end of the valid period (3 years) of this certificate. This will qualify you for the Standard Professional II (SP-II) certificate.

1. You must have on file an approved Professional Development Plan.

2. You must successfully complete at least six credits of your Professional Development Plan and official grade reports or transcripts must be on file in Human Resources.

3. You must have had three years of satisfactory school-related experience (annual satisfactory evaluations).

The superintendent or designee may request another three year SP-I for an employee who has not met the three-year satisfactory experience requirement. All other requirements must be met.

Standard Professional II (SP-II)

You must complete the following by the end of the valid period (7 years) of this certificate. This will qualify you for the Advanced Professional Certificate (APC).

1. You must complete all of the coursework in your Professional Development Plan (PDP). If a PDP is not on file because this is your first certificate under the new requirements, you must develop a PDP. You may include all courses completed for previous certification renewals as long as the complete plan meets the 21 graduate/15 MSDE requirement, including at least six hours related to your current assignment.

2. You must have had at least four years of satisfactory school-related experience (annual satisfactory evaluations), two of which must be consecutive, completed within seven years prior to the issuance of the APC.

A three-year Extended Professional II certificate may be requested for a holder of an SP-II who was unable to meet the experience requirement because of an interruption in service. To qualify, the certificate holder must have completed at least six credits applicable to the PDP during the valid period of the SP-II.

Advanced Professional Certificate (APC)

You must complete the following by the end of the valid period (5 years) of this certificate. This will qualify you for another five-year APC.

1. You must develop and submit an APC Professional Development Plan. (six credits or the equivalent.)

2. You must complete the plan that you have developed.

3. You must have had three years of satisfactory school-related experience (annual satisfactory evaluations) during the validity period of the APC.

Senior Teacher Waiver

The Superintendent has authorized the "senior teacher" waiver for the APC renewal requirements. "Senior teacher" means a certificate holder with 25 years of experience or 55 years or older by the end of the APC valid period. If you qualify for the "senior teacher" waiver (HR can verify this), complete the top portion of the Professional Development Plan and write across the form "SENIOR TEACHER WAIVER." You and your evaluator should sign the form and send the white copy to Human Resources.

Senior teacher waiver only applies when you are employed with a local school system that invokes it. Therefore, if you retire before the expiration of your certificate, you must meet all certification renewal requirements.

Keep Your Certificate in a Safe Place

Keep all documents pertaining to certification in one file in a very safe, but convenient, place (e.g., your certificate, this information document, CPD forms, grade reports, transcripts, etc). Please refer to this file if you have certification questions or have it with you if you need to call Human Resources.

Employment Termination

If you terminate employment with the Howard County Public School System before your certificate expires, you should retrieve official transcripts, grade reports, and CPD forms from your Howard County Public School System certification file for renewal of your certificate.

Documentation of Coursework for Certificate Renewal

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Course

When you complete a CPD course, the Staff Development Center will forward a 3-part form to Human Resources:

• Pink copy - HR will send to you and is your file copy
• Yellow copy - HR retains in your HCPSS certification file
• White copy - HR will forward to the MSDE upon certificate renewal and will become a part of your official State certification file

College/University Course

For all required coursework, official grade reports or transcripts must be on file in Human Resources.

• If you request tuition reimbursement for a course, the official grade report or transcript that you submitted will be placed in your HCPSS certification file.
  
  
• If you do not request tuition reimbursement for a course, submit an official grade report or transcript to HR to be placed in your HCPSS certification file.

Upon certificate renewal, it will be forwarded to the MSDE and will become a part of your official State certification file.

Questions

For more information contact Marianne Livesay at 410-313-6813 or marianne_livesay@hcpss.org or Lois Witte at lois_witte@hcpss.org.