Current through Rules and Regulations filed through March 20, 2024
(1)
Summary.
Georgia's renewable certificates are the Standard Professional,
Performance-Based Professional, Advanced Professional, Lead Professional and
Life certificates. Renewable licenses are Adjunct, Educational Interpreter,
Non-Instructional Aide, Paraprofessional and Support Personnel. These
certificates and licenses are valid for a five (5)-year period (except for the
Life certificate), during which time the requirements outlined below must be
met unless the most recent certificate or license issued is exempt from
professional learning as outlined in section (8)(a) below.
(2)
Educators who work in schools,
agencies, or other education organizations in Georgia.
(a) Individuals employed by a Georgia LUA:
certificate and license holders who are employed by a Georgia LUA in a position
requiring certification at the time of renewal application must satisfy
professional learning requirements as outlined below, with the exceptions noted
in section 3 below. Employing LUAs shall document fulfillment of these
requirements and verify their completion as part of the renewal application
package:
1. A criminal record check, unless
exempted in section (4) below.
2.
Engaging in professional learning on a continuing basis by fully participating
in the LUA's professional learning community as documented by the individual's
supervisor and described in GaPSC Guidelines accompanying this rule.
3. The following individuals employed by a
Georgia LUA in a position requiring certification may renew their certificates
without meeting the professional learning requirements outlined in this
section:
(i) Individuals who also hold valid
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification at the
time of renewal in a field comparable to one held on their Georgia educator
certificate.
(ii) Individuals
certified in the service fields of Speech and Language Pathology, Audiology,
School Psychology, School Counseling and School Social Work who meet optional
requirements associated with GaPSC-accepted state or national credentials as
outlined in the appropriate GaPSC field rules as long as this is approved by
the supervisor as appropriate for professional learning.
(iii) Non-Instructional Aide, Support
Personnel License, and Adjunct License holders shall complete professional
learning as determined by the employing LUA.
(b) Faculty of Georgia colleges/universities,
and individuals who are no longer employed by Georgia LUAs in positions that
require certification but are employed in Georgia education agencies or
organizations, may renew certificates as described in Section (2)(a)(2)
above.
(c) Individuals employed at
Georgia private schools may renew their certificates by completing the
requirements outlined in Section (2)(a) above or by completing the requirements
outlined in Section (3) below.
(3)
Educators who are not employed in
schools, agencies, or other education organizations in Georgia.
(a) Renewal requirements for certificates
that are currently valid must have been completed during the validity period
established on the certificate. Renewal requirements for expired certificates
must have been completed within the five (5)-year period preceding the date of
renewal application. Individuals may qualify for renewal through completion of
one of the following:
1. For individuals who
have been employed by a Georgia LUA in a position requiring certification for
at least one (1) school year during the most recent validity period of their
certificate, and within five (5) years of the date of renewal application,
submit documentation of completion of the professional learning requirements
outlined in Section (a) above during at least one (1) qualifying year of
employment beginning with the 2017-18 school year.
2. Complete any combination of the following:
(i) Six (6) semester hours of college course
work.
(I) College course work must be earned
at an institution that meets the accreditation standards outlined in GaPSC Rule
505-2-.31 GaPSC-ACCEPTED
ACCREDITATION; VALIDATION OF NON-ACCREDITED DEGREES. Final course
grades must be "B" or better. Developmental/Remedial studies courses and course
work that is audited and/or exempted without credit shall not be
accepted.
(ii) Ten (10)
Georgia Professional Learning Units (PLUs).
(I) PLUs must be awarded by a State of
Georgia education agency, a Regional Educational Services Agency (RESA), a
Georgia LUA or a GaPSC-approved college or university. Only LUAs offering
GAPSC-approved programs may offer PLUs for renewal purposes.
(iii) Ten (10) Continuing
Education Units (CEUs).
(I) CEUs must be
issued by a GaPSC-accepted accredited college or university or a provider
authorized by the International Association for Continuing Education and
Training (IACET). Ten (10) contact hours are the equivalent of one (1) CEU.
These credits must be reflected on CEU transcripts or "certificates of
completion" which include the name of the organization issuing the credits, the
name of the educator receiving the credits, the title of the course, the date
the course began and date of completion, and the number of CEUs being
authorized.
(iv) One
hundred (100) hours BFTS-approved trainings.
(I) BFTS-approved trainings may be found on
the BFTS website at
http://decal.ga.gov.
(v) Hold valid National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification at the time of renewal in
a field comparable to one held on their Georgia educator certificate.
3. Have at least one (1) year of
successful educator experience, as outlined in GaPSC Rule
505-2-.25 EXPERIENCE
REQUIREMENTS, while working in another state on a valid
certificate issued by that state, or while working outside of the United States
on a valid Georgia certificate in a position in which it is utilized.
4. For individuals certified in the service
fields of Speech and Language Pathology, Audiology, School Psychology, School
Counseling and School Social Work, meet optional requirements associated with
GaPSC-accepted state or national credentials as outlined in the appropriate
GaPSC field rules.
5. Re-take and
pass the content assessment approved by the GaPSC at the time of renewal for
the field(s) being renewed. This is not an option to renew fields for which
there is no GaPSC-approved content assessment at the time of renewal. Only the
field(s) for which the educator passes the appropriate assessment will be
renewed.
(4)
Criminal Record Check.
(a) The
employing Georgia LUA is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate criminal
record check is completed during the school year in which the certificate
expires pursuant to O.C.G.A.
20-2-211.1 and GaPSC Rule
505-2-.42 CLEARANCE
CERTIFICATE. The employer may apply for renewal after the criminal
record check or FBI background check has been completed. Criminal record checks
are subject to the following:
1. A criminal
record check shall be required for renewal of all certificates held by
educators employed in a Georgia LUA including state chartered special schools
and commission charter schools. This requirement does not apply to employees of
state agencies.
2. If the
individual has not had an FBI background check (fingerprint) while employed in
the present public school system, the FBI background check (fingerprint) is
required for renewal. If the individual has satisfactorily completed an FBI
background check (fingerprint) at the present public school system of
employment, then a Georgia criminal history check will satisfy the renewal
requirement. The Georgia criminal history check will satisfy the renewal
requirement for private school, chartered special school, and commission
charter school employees that do not require certification.
3. A satisfactory criminal record check shall
be denoted by the issuance of a Clearance certificate upon the request of an
employing Georgia LUA with the exception of private schools (see GaPSC Rule
505-2-.42 CLEARANCE
CERTIFICATE).
(b) If an individual is not employed in a
Georgia public school, private school, chartered special school, or commission
charter school at the time of renewal, the individual is exempt from the
background check requirement until such time as Georgia public or private
school employment is resumed.
(5)
Renewal Cycle.
(a) Georgia certificates usually have a
beginning date of July 1 and an ending date of June 30. Valid certificates may
be renewed from December 1 of the calendar year preceding the ending validity
date to June 30 of the calendar year in which the certificate expires.
1. To renew an expired certificate, the
individual must meet all applicable renewal requirements outlined above,
including any remaining Special Georgia Requirements, and submit an application
packet with appropriate documentation to the GaPSC. Specific renewal
application procedures for educators may be found on the GaPSC web site at
www.gapsc.com.
2. At the request of an employing Georgia
LUA, an individual who meets the applicable requirements outlined above but has
not met applicable professional learning requirements may be issued a one
(1)-year Non-Renewable Professional certificate to allow the individual time to
complete all remaining renewal requirements.
3. Individuals who hold more than one
certificate field and/or type will be eligible to renew all certificate
fields/types by completion of the renewal requirements for the field of
placement during the renewal period.
(6)
Renewal Application Process.
(a) Renewal of certificates held by
individuals employed by a Georgia LUA in a position requiring GaPSC
certification must be submitted electronically by the employing LUA according
to procedures established by the GaPSC. Information about the online procedures
is available to authorized school system personnel on the GaPSC web site at
www.gapsc.org.
(b) Individuals not employed by a Georgia LUA
in a position requiring GaPSC certification may apply for renewal according to
procedures outlined on
www.gapsc.com.
(7)
Restrictions.
(a) An individual who has received any
combination of two (2) Unsatisfactory, Ineffective or Needs Development annual
performance evaluations during the previous five (5)-year validity cycle that
have not been satisfactorily remediated by the employing Georgia LUA shall not
be entitled to any certificate except for a Waiver in any field (See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.43 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION). Waiver certificates must be requested by an employing
Georgia LUA and are issued at the discretion of the GaPSC (See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.13 WAIVER
CERTIFICATE).
(b)
Performance-Based Professional certificate requirements:
1. To maintain the Performance-Based
designation an individual must earn a minimum of three (3) Proficient or
Exemplary annual performance ratings on the Teacher Assessment on Performance
Standards (TAPS) component of the statewide evaluation system, Teacher Keys
Effectiveness System (TKES), within five (5) years of the renewal date.
(i) Performance-Based Professional
certificates will be renewed as Standard Professional certificates if the
educator has earned fewer than three (3) Proficient or Exemplary TAPS
performance ratings within five (5) years of the renewal date, and has no more
than one (1) unremediated unsatisfactory, needs development, or ineffective
performance rating(s).
(c) Advanced Professional and Lead
Professional certificates may be renewed as Standard Professional certificates
if the educator received one (1) annual performance rating below the
Satisfactory or Proficient level during the most recent five (5) year validity
period of the certificate.
(d)
Standard Professional certificates shall be renewed as Standard Professional
should an educator not meet experience and/or other requirements for
Performance-Based, Advanced, or Lead certification.
(8)
Renewal Credit Exemption.
(a) For individuals whose most recent
renewable certification and/or licenses expired between June 30, 2011, and June
30, 2017, renewal credit is not required for reinstatement. This does not apply
to any outstanding Special Georgia Requirements (See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.24 SPECIAL GEORGIA
REQUIREMENTS).
(9)
Retired Georgia Educators.
(a) Retired Georgia Educators, as verified by
the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) or other retirement systems utilized by
private Georgia LUAs, who do not wish to meet the renewal requirements may
apply for a Retired Educator Certificate as outlined in GaPSC Rule
505-2-.44 RETIRED EDUACATOR
CERTIFICATE.
O.C.G.A. §
20-2-200.