Certification Renewal and Maryland Reading Requirement

Before beginning the renewal process, review your certification information. Certified HCPSS employees can view their personal certification information in Workday.

For educators who hold a Standard Professional I Certificate or Advanced Professional Certificate:

• Review the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) renewal requirements prior to completing this form.
• Review the Professional Development Plan (PDP) instructions and form. A completed PDP form must be submitted to your Certification Specialist, even if you are eligible for the Senior Teacher Waiver (see the PDP instructions).
• It is the educator’s responsibility to verify that all required renewal documentation is on file prior to the expiration date of your certificate.

For educators who hold a Standard Professional II Certificate:

Contact your Certification Specialist directly.

• Lasheda Young, Certification Specialist for Employees with Last Names A-K
  Office of Human Resources
  Lasheda_Young@hcpss.org
  410-313-6783
• Lindy Sims, Certification Specialist for Employees with Last Names L-Z
  Office of Human Resources
  Lindy_Sims@hcpss.org
  410-313-6813

All certified educators may need to meet the Maryland Reading Requirement for certification renewal.

Elementary Education, Early Childhood, Special Education Birth-Grade 3 and Grades 1-8:

Teachers certified in Elementary Education, Early Childhood, Special Education Birth-Grade 3 and Grades 1-8 can meet the reading requirement in one of two ways.

1. Complete 12 semester hours in reading in the following reading content areas:
• Materials for Teaching Reading.
• Assessment for Reading.
• Methods or Instruction of Reading.
• Processes and Acquisition for Reading.

If more than 6 semester hours in reading are needed to meet the Maryland Reading requirement, the educator must submit 6 semester hours in reading within the first validity period and the remaining semester hours during the second validity period. Educators needing 6 semester hours or less will have one renewal period to submit the requirement.

OR

2. Satisfy the Maryland reading requirement by successfully passing the PRAXIS II “Reading Across the Curriculum” assessment (test number 5203). NOTE: This test satisfies the Maryland reading requirement but does not replace the 6 semester hours of credit needed for renewal.

Secondary Content Areas (grades 7-12) and PreK-12 Content Areas:

Teachers certified in a secondary content area (example: Biology grades 7-12, Generic Special Education grades 6-Adult) and teachers certified PreK-12 (Art, ESOL, Health, Music, Physical Education, and Educational Media/Library Media Specialist) are required to have 6 semester hours of credit in reading in the following reading content areas:

• Methods or Strategies of Teaching Reading in the Secondary Content Area, Part I
• Methods or Strategies of Teaching Reading in the Secondary Content Area, Part II
• Children Literature and Adolescent Literature is accepted for educational media and library media science certification.

NOTE: There is currently not a PRAXIS test available to satisfy the Maryland reading requirement for secondary or PreK-12 educators.

School Guidance Counselor, School Psychologist, Speech Pathologist, and School Social Worker:

Educators certified in School Guidance Counselor, School Psychologist, Speech Pathologist, and School Social Worker are not required to complete the Maryland Reading requirement.