Staff Development :: Continuing Professional Education Requirements

 

All educators should model the philosophy of life-long learning and participate in professional development activities that focus on the need to continually update knowledge in content, best practice, research, and technology that is relevant to the individual’s role as an educator. The State Board of Educator Certification’s (SBEC) renewal and continuing professional education requirements are flexible enough to allow each educator the opportunity to identify the professional activities that will satisfy the Boards requirements as well as those activities that fulfill the specific personal interests of the educator. Each individual who holds a Standard Certificate is responsible for renewing the certificate and paying the application fee. The rules adopted by the Board for renewing certificates are codified at Title 19, Part VII, Texas Education Code, Chapter 232, Subchapter R, and are available through the “SBEC Rules” link on the SBEC web site (http://www.sbec.state.tx.us).

STANDARD CERTIFICATE

Effective September 1, 1999, SBEC began issuing the Standard Certificate to individuals who complete educator preparation and certification examination requirements. The standard Certificate must be renewed every five years to remain valid and replaces the Provisional and Professional Lifetime Certificates previously issued by the Board.

STANDARD CERTIFICATE RENEWAL CYCLE

The renewal cycle will be every five years at the end of the educator’s birth month. For example, an educator born in March who is issued a certificate in December 1999 would be subject to renewal requirements on March 31, 2005. Educators holding lifetime certificates issued prior to September 1, 1999, are exempt from the renewal process. However, current educators adding certificates after September 1, 1999, will be issued the Standard Certificate for the new field, and must renew the certificate at the end of the five-year renewal cycle.

PROVISIONAL OR PROFESSIONAL LIFETIME CERTIFICATE HOLDERS

Individuals holding valid Provisional or Professional lifetime certificates may opt in to a Standard Certificate version of that certificate. Holders of Provisional or Professional Certificates who opt in to the Standard Certificate would complete 150 clock hours (Provisional) or 200 clock hours (Professional) of continuing professional education every five year.

STANDARD CERTIFICATE RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS

All certified educators seeing to renew a certificate must:
• successfully complete a criminal history review;
• not be in default on a student loan or in arrears of child support
• complete the appropriate clock hours of continuing professional education; and
• pay the renewal fee.

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (CPE) REQUIREMENTS

The CPE requirements for each class of certificate are as follows:
• classroom teachers must complete 150 clock hours every five years;
• counselors must complete 200 clock hours every five years;
• learning resource specialists must complete 200 clock hours every five years;
• educational diagnosticians must complete 200 clock hours every five years;
• master teachers must complete 200 clock hours every five years; and
• superintendents, principals, assistant principals must complete 200 clock hours every five years. Principals and assistant principals are also required to complete an assessment process designed to assist in the development of a professional growth plan (see 19 TAC Chapter 241).

An educator must complete a total of 150 or 200 clock hours of continuing professional education every five years, regardless of the number of certificates being renewed. For example, a classroom teacher who also holds a principal certificate would need a total of 200 clock hours to renew both the teacher and principal certificates. Please note that educational aides are not required at this time to complete any CPE hours for certificate renewal.

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

To allow maximum flexibility for educators to identify appropriate CPE activities to meet their individual needs, CPE clock hours can be accrued through the following:
• workshops, conferences, and in-service or staff development given by an approved registered provider;
• undergraduate and graduate coursework through an accredited institution of higher education with one semester credit being equivalent to 15 CPE clock hours;
• interactive distance learning, video conferencing, or on-line activities;
• independent study, not to exceed 20% of the required clock hours;
• development of curriculum or CPE training materials;
• presenting CPE activities, not to exceed 10% of the required clock hours;
• serving as a mentor, not to exceed 30% of the required clock hours; and
• serving as an assessor for the principal assessment, not to exceed 10% of the required clock hours.

Written documentation and verification of the completion of all activities applied toward CPE requirements for Standard Certificate renewal must be maintained by each educator. Worksheets developed to assist educators in tracking their CPE clock hours can be found on the SBEC website through the “Certificate Renewal Requirements” link.

CONTINUING PROFESSINAL EDUCATION PROVIDERS: All persons or organizations providing CPE activities to educators for Standard Certificate renewal purposes must be registered with SBEC. Upon successful completion of each CPE activity, providers must furnish each educator with written documentation to include:
• provider’s name and ID number;
• educator’s name;
• date and content of the activity completed; and
• number of clock hours awarded.

GISD is a registered CPE provider. The MY CREDITS record on the GISD Staff Development System provides printable documentation for CPE.


Only those CPE activities from SBEC-approved registered providers will be recognized for Standard Certificate renewal purposes. All CPE providers approved by SBEC are listed in the “Certificate Renewal Requirements” link on the SBEC website.