| Certificate
Renewal
District personnel
responsible for the Certificate Renewal Plan is Debbie Gregory,
Certification Portal System Analyst - dgregory@aiken.k12.sc.us
/ 641-2484
Renewal credits (120) must
be earned within the five year validity period of the certificate
as outlined in the Renewal Credit Matrix. They must support the
educator’s professional growth and development plan as outlined
in the Goals Based Evaluation documents and the Administrator’s
Annual Professional Development Plan. Any teacher who does not hold
a Master's Degree must take at least one three-hour graduate course
as part of certificate renewal.
The Aiken County
Public School District’s Certificate Renewal Plan, contains
information and forms to help guide the educator through the process
of renewing certification.
Introduction
The Certificate Renewal Plan guidelines apply to any person who
holds a valid South Carolina professional educator's certificate.
The current employment status of the educator determines the specific
steps the educator must complete to renew his/her professional educator's
certificate.
A South Carolina educator's professional certificate is valid for
five years and expires on June 30 of the expiration year. In order
to be eligible for certificate renewal, the educator must earn a
minimum of 120 renewal credits, as described in the renewal credit
matrix, during the five year validity period of the certificate.
Purpose
The purpose of the Certificate Renewal Plan is to provide a method
that certified educators employed by the district with a contractual
agreement can use to apply a broad range of relevant professional
development activities to meet their certification renewal requirements.
South Carolina state statute and State Board of Education regulations
require that a teacher have a valid certificate in the area(s) he
or she is teaching. It is the sole responsibility and the contractual
obligation of the employee to maintain a valid certificate. For
additional information about certification issues, please visit
State Department of Education Office of Teacher Certification website
(www.scteachers.org).
The certificate renewal plan is intended to encourage educators
to engage in meaningful, quality professional development activities
that are directed toward promoting student achievement, ensure that
educators are accountable for their continuous professional development,
and ensure that the process operationally efficient.
Explanation of
the Plan
An individual who is employed in
a position that requires South Carolina educator certification and
is employed in a South Carolina public school district must earn
renewal credits through professional development activities that
1. directly relate to the educator's professional growth and development
plan;
2. support the goals of the employing public school district; and
3. promote student achievement, as required by State Board of Education
Regulation 43-205.1, Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional
Teaching (ADEPT), and Regulation 43-165.1, Program for Assisting,
Developing, and Evaluating Principal Performance (ADEPP).
An educator who is employed
in a South Carolina public school district and holds a position
that requires South Carolina educator certification must:
- earn a minimum of 120 renewal
credits that meet the appropriate eligibility criteria for each
certificate renewal option/activity, as specified in the renewal
credit matrix;
- maintain all required verification,
as described in the renewal credit matrix;
- adhere to all district policies
related to the processing of renewal credit; and
- submit necessary verification
to the designated administrator for review, approval, and signature.
Any educator
who has not earned a Master’s degree must earn sixty (60)
renewal credits in graduate-level coursework to renew the current
certificate. Educators who hold a Career and Technology Education
Work-Based Certification only are not required to fulfill the graduate-level
coursework requirement.
All administrators employed in a South Carolina public school district
must complete a minimum of twenty (20) renewal credits (out of the
required 120 renewal credits) during each five-year validity period
in professional development activities that are designed to enhance
their skills in supporting and encouraging teachers as professionals.
(South Carolina Board of Education, Regulation 43-165.1, Program
for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Principal Performance
(ADEPP).)
Steps to Renewing
a Professional Certificate
- You must have a Professional
or Grade A Certificate to renew your certificate through the Aiken
County Public School District.
a. Teachers who have a One - Year Extension on their certificate
must contact Debbie Gregory in ACPS Human Resources in order to renew your certificate.
b. Teachers who have a Trade and Industry Career and Technology
Work-Based Experience Certificate must contact the State Department
of Education, Office of Teacher Certification in order to renew
your certificate.
- Professional development
activities that are eligible for renewal credit are above and
beyond normal job responsibilities and meet one of the options
in the Renewal Option Matrix. In the event an activity is not
accepted for renewal credit, the educator has the right to appeal
within six months using the appeal form. The appeal form must
first be submitted to the educator’s supervisor. The supervisor
must then submit the appeal to the Director for Human Resources.
- Review your professional
development plan and select activities for renewal credit.
- Complete activities for
renewal credit.
- At the completion of activities,
the educator obtains the appropriate verification form and/or
signature and required documentation as specified in the Renewal
Credit Matrix.
- After earning 120 renewal
credits, the educator completes the Recertification Computation
Sheet and attaches all verification forms and documentation.
- The Recertification Computation
Sheet and required verification forms and documentation, are submitted to the educator’s
supervisor, principal or designee. All forms must be approved
and signed by the educator’s supervisor, principal or designee.
- The approved and signed
Recertification Computation Sheet and all verification forms are forwarded to the Human Resources Dept. at Brookhaven,
ATT. Debbie Gregory. Official transcripts may be sent
to either Debbie Gregory or the State Department of Education.
- To insure that a certificate
is renewed prior to its expiration date, forms should be submitted
no later than February 1 of the expiration year.
- When renewal credits have
been entered into the state system, the state will change validity dates to reflect renewal of the certification. All certified employees are responsible for accessing the SCSDE website to print a copy of the renewed certificate for themselves and their school.
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