(1)
Summary: This rule outlines the requirements and procedures to
apply for Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)
certification/licensure, registering for a MyPSC account, and securing
eligibility to register for GACE assessments.
(2)
MyPSC Account.
(a) Registration
1. Application submission for individuals
applying for certification begins by registering for a MyPSC account at
https://mypsc.gapsc.org/Register.aspx.
2. A Certification ID is assigned to all
newly registered individuals and is used for certification identification
purposes. Educators holding a valid or expired GA certificate / license will
have an assigned number prior to registering for a MyPSC account. The number
may be obtained by registering for a MyPSC Account or visiting
www.gapsc.com/Certification/Lookup.aspx.
(b) Application
1. The application is available after logging
into MyPSC and selecting the Applications/
Documentation/Status tab. Once in the
Applications/Documentation/Status tab, click on the
Start button to complete the online application. Multiple
certification transactions may be requested with the submission of one
application.
2. MyPSC Personal
Affirmation Questions (PAQs) are required as part of a complete application.
Current PAQs must be on file for applications submitted during the fiscal year
beginning July 1 and ending June 30. There are certain transactions that only
require PAQs rather than a complete online application. These transactions are
outlined in Section (8)(a) 3 below on gapsc.com.
3. Online applications that are complete are
essential for timely processing. It is the responsibility of the individual to
ensure that a complete application is submitted. The application is considered
complete when all requirements for certification or licensure have been
completed, the online application has been submitted, and all required
documentation and fees have been received.
4. Incomplete applications will be placed on
hold for a period of up to forty-five (45) days, awaiting receipt of the
remaining documents. A letter outlining missing documentation will be posted to
the Correspondence/Notifications tab of MyPSC and an email
reminder sent to the email on file. If all documentation is not received by the
Certification Division during this time period, the application will close.
5. Once a case closes, an
individual must submit a new online application, as well as any missing or
updated documents. Documents previously submitted to the GaPSC will remain on
file even if a case is closed.
(c) Supporting Documentation
1. Supporting documentation will vary
according to the type of transaction and certificate or license being
requested. Individuals are responsible for submitting appropriate materials and
following the instructions made available in this rule and with the online
application process. Supporting documentation received without an application
will be placed in the individual's file, but will not open a case for
processing.
2. Documentation may be
submitted electronically to the GaPSC by the individual, or by a local unit of
administration (LUA) or Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) as outlined in
Section (3) below.
3. All
documentation submitted to the GaPSC must include the Certification
Identification Number. If the number is not included and the document does not
reflect ample information to identify the individual, posting documentation to
the file will be delayed. The number may be obtained by logging into MyPSC or
visiting
www.gapsc.com/Certification/Lookup.aspx.
4. All supporting documents must
be complete and official. The GaPSC will accept official documentation
submitted by applicants, LUAs, EPPs, college registrars' offices, Regional
Educational Service Agencies (RESAs) or other official sources in the manner
prescribed in Sections (7), (8), and (9) below.
5. Documentation has been received when
viewable in the View Submitted Documents tab of MyPSC. If the
documents submitted are not viewable, the GaPSC has not received the
documentation and individuals should continue to monitor this tab for
receipt.
(d) GAPSC Issued
Certificates and Correspondence
1.
Correspondence detailing missing documentation for incomplete applications is
posted to the Correspondence/Notifications tab in MyPSC.
2. Correspondence may accompany
issuance of a certificate/license outlining requirements. All correspondence is
posted to the Correspondence/Notifications tab in
MyPSC.
3. Official certificates and
licenses may be viewed/printed from the Certificate/License
tab in MyPSC. Certificates/Licenses will not be mailed.
4. Individuals must monitor their MyPSC
account for receipt of submitted documents and to check the status of an
application.
(e) GACE
Eligibility
1. Individuals must request and be
granted eligibility to test by the GaPSC before creating a GACE account and
registering for a test, with the exception of the GACE Paraprofessional
assessment.
(i) Login to MyPSC at
https://mypsc.gapsc.org/home.aspx.
(ii) Click on the
Assessments tab and follow the instructions to request
eligibility.
(iii) Once eligibility
is transferred, you may proceed to the GACE website to create an account and
register for a test.
2.
Questions regarding GACE registration, test preparation, and assessment score
reporting should be directed to GACE.
(3)
ExpressLane.
(a) ExpressLane must be utilized by a local
unit of administration (LUA) or a Georgia Educator Preparation Provider (EPP)
when submitting documentation to the GaPSC. LUA and EPP personnel must first
request and be approved for gapsc.org access. Once granted, ExpressLane is
available to LUAs and EPPs as part of the gapsc.org account.
1. LUAs and EPPs must monitor the
educator/candidate certification file in gapsc.org for receipt of submitted
documents, issuance of correspondence, and to check the status of an
application.
(4)
Traditional Program Management
System (TPMS).
(a) TPMS is a data
collection system utilized by EPPs to verify program admission and completion
for candidates enrolled in traditional (college/university) programs.
(5)
Non Traditional
Reporting System (NTRS).
(a) NTRS is a
data collection system utilized by EPPs to verify program admission and
completion for candidates enrolled in GaTAPP and alternative leadership
programs.
(6)
Documentation and Forms.
(a)
Personal Affirmation Questions
(b)
Online Application
(c) Verification
of Lawful Presence
(d) Official
Transcripts
(e) Foreign Credential
Report
(f) Approved Program
Completion
(g) Certificate or
License
(h) Experience
Verification
(i) Assessment Score
Reports
(j) Employer
Assurance
(k) Alternate Level Six
Certification Option
(l) Upgrade
Degree Approval
(m) Dramatic Writing
Verification
(n) Professional
Learning Verification
(o) Voluntary
Certificate Field Deletion
(p)
Verification of Degree Validation
(q) International Exchange
Verification
(r) Temporary
Certification ID Number
(a)
Personal Affirmation
Questions (PAQs) are a set of questions individuals applying for
certification must answer for processing of certification transactions. False
answers may be grounds for disciplinary action. A "Yes" response to any
question requires an attached explanation with supporting documentation and
will be investigated by the GaPSC Ethics Division. This documentation should
not be uploaded to the MyPSC account but sent directly to the Ethics Division.
All individuals applying for certification or planning to apply for
certification must complete PAQs through their MyPSC Account for the current
fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30.
(b) An
online application is
required to open certain certification transactions for processing by the
GaPSC. It is completed through an individual's MyPSC Account. The
online application is
required in addition to PAQs as outlined in Sections (7) and (8)
below.
(c)
Verification
of Lawful Presence is required by Georgia law, O.C.G.A.
50-36-1, and stipulates that
"every agency or political subdivision shall verify the lawful presence in the
United States of any applicant for public benefits." The documentation requires
a notarized affidavit, and the supporting document that was used to verify
status (Ex: Driver's license for US citizen). All US citizens must verify
lawful presence once, and individuals who are not US citizens will verify
lawful status prior to processing each certification transaction unless
previous verification is under 180 days. This documentation may be uploaded to
MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA or EPP though
ExpressLane.
(d)
Official
transcripts are unaltered transcripts embossed with the stamp or
signature of the college registrar, imprinted with a college or university
seal, or imprinted with a special seal used by the institution for
certification purposes. Transcripts must include course numbers, titles, grades
and credit earned. When a degree is awarded, transcripts must also bear a
degree statement and date that specifies the month, day and year the degree was
awarded. The GaPSC will accept electronic transcripts from institutions of
higher learning only if the transcripts are emailed directly to the GaPSC, a
Georgia LUA, or an EPP from the institution or by one of the GaPSC-approved
secure electronic transcript delivery services. GaPSC will reject any
transcript faxed, emailed, mailed, or uploaded by an educator to their MyPSC
account. Transcripts emailed directly to the candidate are not acceptable for
certification purposes.
1. Official Georgia
Professional Learning Unit (PLU) and Continuing Education Unit (CEU)
transcripts must reflect the name of the individual awarded credit along with
provider name, course title, completion date, and credit earned. PLU and CEU
transcripts may be uploaded to MyPSC by an individual unless CEUs are through a
college/university, which must be submitted as outlined above.
(e) A
foreign
credential report is required for individuals who have attended
colleges or universities outside the United States. Individuals must provide
the GaPSC with a detailed course-by-course credential report of college-level
credit completed unless a subsequent advanced degree was earned from a US
institution and the degree earned outside the country was not an educator
preparation program degree. The course-by-course evaluation must be prepared by
a
GaPSC-recognized
agency, and include English translation of such information as course
titles, grade, semester hours earned, and U.S. equivalency of degree(s). In
addition, if the equivalent of a GaPSC-approved educator preparation program
was completed, this must also be documented in the report. These agencies are
private enterprises who charge a fee for their services. Regardless of the
agency selected, should the report not be sufficiently detailed for processing
purposes, further information will be requested. See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.29 EVALUATION OF CREDIT EARNED
OUTSIDE OF THE U.S. This documentation may be uploaded to MyPSC by the
applicant or submitted by the LUA or EPP though ExpressLane.
(f)
Approved
program completion is required to verify program completion for
teaching, service and leadership fields unless an out-of-state professional
certificate is submitted and accepted by the GaPSC based on reciprocity. The
form must be completed by a certification official at a
GaPSC-accepted
college with a state-approved educator preparation program in the field
requested. This form is also required when an individual completes a leadership
degree and the GaPSC must determine if a leader level is applicable, even if
the individual is not applying for leadership certification. See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.02 CLASSIFICATION for more
information on the leader level. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the
applicant or submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane.
1. The NTRS completion form will be
electronically generated and posted to the candidate's certification file once
a program provider verifies all requirements for program completion have been
met.
2. The TPMS completion form
will be electronically generated and posted to the candidate's certification
file once a program provider verifies all requirements for program completion
have been met.
(g) A
professional certificate or license is required as supporting documentation for
a transaction request from individuals applying by reciprocity, renewing a GA
certificate based on out-of-state experience, for certain service fields, or
Career and Technical Specialization fields, See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.90 CAREER AND TECHNICAL
SPECIALIZATIONS. The GaPSC will accept copies of official certificates.
However, an unofficial printout from a personal online account is not
acceptable unless the information is publically verifiable. The GaPSC maintains
a record of all valid and expired Georgia educator certificates, so Georgia
educator certificates should not be submitted to the GaPSC unless specifically
requested. This documentation may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or
submitted by the LUA or EPP though ExpressLane.
(h)
Experience
verification is required to verify educational work experience for
certification purposes. Experience for other purposes such as salary
determination is handled by the LUA. Experience in Georgia public schools is
reported electronically and should not be verified on this form. Georgia
accredited private schools without access to ExpressLane may use this form to
verify experience. This form may be used to verify out-of-state educator
experience for initial certification by reciprocity and renewal for educators
working outside the state. Experience must indicate performance ratings to be
accepted for certification purposes. Otherwise, performance documentation must
accompany the form. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or
submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane.
1.
This form is not accepted to verify occupational work experience for Career
& Technical Specializations, Healthcare Science, and the following Permit
fields: Art, Dance, Drama, Music, and Superintendent. Experience to qualify for
these fields must be submitted on official letterhead from previous employers
to include a signature.
2. If the
form is updated to indicate missing information, a new signature and date must
be reflected on the form.
(i)
Assessment
score reports are required as supporting documentation for certain
certification transactions. The GaPSC will accept copies of official
out-of-state score reports. However, an unofficial printout from a personal
online account is not acceptable. If an out-of-state applicant is unable to
obtain an official score report copy, the GaPSC will accept verification by
official correspondence from the certification/licensure office in the state
for which the assessment was required. GACE scores must be received
electronically by the GaPSC. GACE assessments with more than one test will not
reflect on the file until both tests are passed. GACE score reports should not
be submitted to the GaPSC by an individual unless specifically requested.
Official non-GACE assessment score report copies may be uploaded to MyPSC by
the applicant or submitted by the LUA or EPP though ExpressLane.
(j)
Employer
assurance is required to verify employment in a Georgia LUA, document
transaction requests made by Georgia LUAs, and waive certification fees for
certain transactions. Georgia LUAs must submit the form electronically to the
GaPSC. Georgia private schools without access to ExpressLane may use this form
to verify employment for upload to MyPSC by an individual. The ExpressLane
cover page may serve as the Employer Assurance form when a transaction is
requested in ExpressLane.
(k)
Alternate
level six certification option is required to verify completion of a
minimum of thirty-six (36) semester hours of course work required for a level
seven (7) doctoral degree and successful completion of the oral and/or written
comprehensive examinations in order to determine if an individual qualifies for
the alternate level 6 certificate upgrade. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC
by the applicant or submitted by the LUA or EPP though ExpressLane.
(l)
Upgrade
degree approval is required to determine the acceptability of an
advanced degree program for a certificate level upgrade when the program of
interest is not listed in the Certificate Upgrade Advisor. This form should be
submitted prior to enrollment in a prospective advanced degree program and
should not be submitted with an upgrade application request.
(m)
Dramatic
writing verification is required to document completion of the Georgia
Film Academy (GFA) Dramatic Writing Film, Television, and Theatre I training
course for the purpose of adding the Dramatic Writing Micro-Endorsement. This
form is available from the GFA and may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or
submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane. See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.187 DRAMATIC WRITING
MICRO-ENDORSEMENT.
(n)
Professional
learning verification is required to document completion of a
Professional Learning Plan or Professional Learning Goals during or after the
FY 2018 school year for educators no longer employed by a Georgia LUA at the
time of certificate renewal. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the
applicant or submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane.
(o)
Voluntary
certificate field deletion is required to request deletion of a
certificate field held by an educator. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by
the applicant or submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane. See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.35 VOLUNTARY FIELD
DELETION.
(p)
Verification
of degree validation is required to validate a bachelor's degree from
non GaPSC-accepted institutions upon successful completion of nine (9) semester
hours of graduate level coursework at a GaPSC-accepted accredited institution.
This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA or
EPP though ExpressLane. An official transcript of the coursework used to
validate the degree must also be submitted using procedures outlined in (6)(d)
above. See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.31 GaPSC-ACCEPTED ACCREDITATION
FOR CERTIFICATION PURPOSES.
(q)
International
exchange verification is required for educators seeking the
International Exchange certificate to verify that all eligibility requirements
have been met at the time of application. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by
the applicant or submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane. See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.11 INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
CERTIFICATE.
(r) Temporary
Certification ID Number is required for certification applicants without a
social security number issued by Social Security Administration. A temporary
number is generated by the GaPSC in order to create a certification file and
for GACE testing only. Upon issuance of a social security number by the Social
Security Administration, the individual must upload a copy of the social
security card to their MyPSC account and request to have the information
updated. Individuals requiring a Temporary Certification ID Number must contact
the GaPSC by
email for the
form and procedures.
(7)
Applying Independently.
(a)
Georgia Educators: The online application is required for individuals who hold
or previously held Georgia certification and are applying for certification
without the support of a LUA.
1. Georgia
Educators may apply independently for the transactions identified in the GaPSC
Guidance
Common
Documents Required for Each Transaction Type.
(b) Out-of-State Educators: The online
application may be submitted by individuals applying for initial certification
by reciprocity or based on completion of out-of-state educator preparation
programs. If an out-of-state educator becomes employed prior to submission of
an application for certification, the LUA may submit documentation in support
of the educator. Educators should always communicate with their employer to
coordinate submission of documentation. Common certificate types and required
documentation are available on the GaPSC website as indicated below.
1. Individuals applying by reciprocity may
apply independently for the transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance
Common
Documents Required for Each Transaction Type.
2. Individuals applying based on completion
of out-of-state educator preparation programs may apply independently for the
transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance
Common
Documents Required for Each Transaction Type.
(8)
Applying with Employer
(LUA) Support.
(a) Applying with
Employer (LUA) support is required for processing certain certification
transactions for licenses like the Paraprofessional license, certificates like
the Provisional and One-Year Induction certificate that are issued prior to an
individual meeting requirements for full certification, or certificate renewals
for those employed. Common licensure and certificate types and required
documentation are available on the GaPSC website.
1. The initial
licensure
transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance
Common
Documents Required for Each Transaction Type require employment and
request submitted by the LUA through ExpressLane.
2. The initial
certificate
transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance
Common
Documents Required for Each Transaction Type require employment and
request submitted by the LUA through ExpressLane.
3. The transactions identified in the GaPSC
Guidance
Common
Documents Required for Each Transaction Type are available for Georgia
Educators and only require PAQs and a request submitted by the LUA through
ExpressLane.
4. The transactions
identified in the GaPSC Guidance
Common
Documents Required for Each Transaction Type are processed
automatically by the GaPSC and no action is required on the part of the
individual or LUA.
(9)
Educator Preparation Program
Application.
(a) Individuals enrolled
in initial GaPSC-approved programs must be entered and completed in TPMS or
NTRS by the program provider before applying for the transactions identified in
the GaPSC Guidance
Common
Documents Required for Each Transaction Type.
(b) Individuals completing GaPSC-accepted
out-of-state/online teaching programs who are completing student
teaching/practicums in GA schools must be entered and completed by the EPP in
TPMS before applying for the transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance
Common
Documents Required for Each Transaction Type.
(10)
Restrictions.
(a) All documents submitted become the
property of the GaPSC, and the GaPSC will not retrieve or return original
documents or copies to the sender or to any other destination on behalf of the
sender.
(b) Mailed, faxed, or
emailed documentation will not be processed by the GaPSC.
(c) Employed educators are encouraged to
check with their employing LUA before submitting documents directly to the
GaPSC.
(d) "Yes" answers to PAQs
require submission of the online application and appropriate documentation to
the Ethics Division.
1. Educators with
Property Rights will be processed once the online application and supporting
documentation are received by the Ethics Division.
(e) Individuals may not withdraw an
application with a "Yes" answer on PAQs or pending with the Ethics Division.
All other withdrawals may be requested in writing at
https://www.gapsc.com/Certification/EmailPSC.aspx