Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 3, March 22, 2024
I. For
the purposes of this regulation an educator is defined as any person who holds
a professional certificate issued by the South Carolina Department of
Education.
II. An educator's
professional certificate is valid for five years and expires on June 30 of the
expiration year.
III. The total
number of years an individual has held any type of temporary credential issued
by the South Carolina Department of Education will be deducted from the normal
five-year period of the professional certificate at the time of
issue.
IV. To renew a professional
certificate, educators must comply with all applicable guidelines relative to
certificate renewal options and criteria, renewal credits, and verification
requirements, in accordance with the current Certificate Renewal Plan, as
developed by the teacher certification office and approved by the State Board
of Education, as follows:
(A) An applicant who
is employed in a position that requires educator certification must maintain
verification of having earned a minimum of 120 renewal credits during the
certificate's five-year validity period. Renewal credits may be earned through
professional activities that directly relate to the educator's professional
growth and development plan, support the goals of the employing educational
entity, and promote student achievement, as required by Regulation
43-205.1,
Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT), and
Regulation
43-165.1,
Program for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Principal Performance
(PADEPP).
(B) An applicant who is
not employed in a position that requires educator certification but who chooses
to maintain a current certificate must submit verification of having earned a
minimum of 120 renewal credits during the certificate's five-year validity
period. Renewal credits may be earned through professional activities that
directly relate to the educator's current area(s) of certification or to a
formal program of study (master's, specialist, or doctorate) in a certification
area in which the educator is officially enrolled.
V. Renewal credits earned in state-identified
areas of critical needs may be applied toward certificate renewal.
VI. Applicants must comply with current State
Department of Education approved Certificate Renewal Plan guidelines relative
to obtaining, verifying, and submitting renewal credits. Applicants also are
responsible for paying any required fee for credential renewal to the teacher
certification office.
VII. Credit
will not be allowed for a renewal activity that is repeated unless the activity
has received prior written approval in writing from the teacher certification
office.
VIII. Regulations governing
effective dates of renewed certificates will be the same as those for initial
and revised certificates, as specified in State Board of Education Regulation
43-52.
IX. A South Carolina professional teaching
credential that has been expired
(A) for less
than five (5) years may be extended upon written request from the educator to
the teacher certification office. This nonrenewable extension is valid for one
(1) year, during which time the school district or educator must submit
verification that the educator has fulfilled all current requirements for
renewal of the Professional Certificate. Upon verification that all
requirements have been met, the Professional Certificate will be renewed for
the remainder of the validation period (i.e., four additional years).
(B) for more than five (5) years, but less
than ten (10) years, may be extended for a maximum of one (1) year at the
written request of the school district that intends to employ the educator.
During this one-year extension, the school district or educator must submit
verification that the educator has met all current requirements for renewal of
the Professional Certificate. Upon verification that all requirements have been
met, the Professional Certificate will be renewed for the remainder of the
validation period (i.e., four additional years).
(C) for more than ten (10) years will require
that the educator either reapply for initial certification under the current
requirements or satisfy current interstate reciprocity requirements.
