Certificate Renewal - Hot Topics
If you have your Master’s degree, you will need 120 staff development points to renew your professional teaching certificate. These points can be earned in a variety of ways - - attending workshops, conferences, taking college courses, and other methods - - and all points have to be earned within your five-year certificate period. See the SDE Renewal Matrix all 11 certificate renewal options, and check out a sample of Horry County Schools’ allowable staff development activities. One clock hour of workshop attendance equals one renewal point. Three college credit hours are equal to 60 renewal points. Be sure that your principal or supervisor has approved the staff development or graduate coursework you plan to take, and that all activities are aligned with your ADEPT Goals-Based Evaluation. If you choose to take college courses, they must be from a university accredited by one of the regional agencies listed on this site. To check a school’s accreditation, go to the CHEA website. Scroll down, click “I agree”, and begin search by entering in the institution’s name and state. If the institution is listed as being regionally accredited by one of the agencies listed on this site, the South Carolina State Department of Education (SDE) accepts it as a source for college credit. Educators are encouraged to check with the SDE to make sure their desired coursework is acceptable, particularly before pursuing an entire degree.
If you do NOT have your Master’s degree, you will need 120 staff development points to renew, and at least 60 of those need to be from graduate coursework. Three graduate credit hours are equal to 60 renewal points. Graduate coursework must be from a university accredited by one of the regional agencies listed on this site. To check a school’s accreditation, go to the CHEA website. Scroll down, click “I agree”, and begin search by entering in the institution’s name and state. If the institution is listed as being regionally accredited by one of the agencies listed on this site, the South Carolina State Department of Education (SDE) accepts it as a source for college credit. Educators are encouraged to check with the SDE to make sure their desired coursework is acceptable, particularly before pursuing an entire degree. Your other 60 points can be earned from attending workshops, conferences, taking college courses, and other methods, and all points have to be earned within your five-year certificate period. One clock hour of workshop attendance equals one renewal point. Be sure that your principal or supervisor has approved the graduate coursework or staff development in which you plan to participate, and that all activities are aligned with your Professional Growth Plan. See the State Renewal Matrix for all 11 of the allowable certificate renewal options in South Carolina, and check out a sample of Horry County Schools’ allowable staff development activities.
A good place to start is the State Department of Education (SDE) website. Every certified educator in South Carolina can check his/her certification status by starting at the SDE certification website. Follow the on-screen security instructions (enter the displayed text by typing it inot the white box). Click "Submit". Type the first five letters of your first and last name, and the last five numbers of your SSN. Click "Submit". To view and/or print your certificate, click on the printer icon beside the word "Academic". Under "Renewal Credits" at the left, you will be able to view how many staff development points have been posted on your account, and in which categories. If you believe that you’ve turned in some certificates that are not reflected, please contact Ms. Tammy Kidman by email or phone: 488-6757.
Procedures / reminders for submitting certificates:
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Write your social security number or employee ID number on the staff development certificate.
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Sign and/or initial the certificate.
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Obtain your principal's signature.
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Choose ONE of the following options for delivering the certificate:
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Scan the original, completed certificate and email it to Mrs. Tammy Kidman at the District Office; OR
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Deliver the original certificate, in person, and allow Mrs. Kidman to scan it while you wait. She'll then return the original copy to you. (If you choose this option, please call ahead to make sure Mrs. Kidman is in the office: 488-6757); OR
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If you do not have access to a scanner or are unable to bring the signed certificate(s) to Mrs. Kidnman, please put a copy of the signed original certificate(s) in interoffice mail to Mrs. Tammy Kidman in Human Resources.
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Conference/workshops can be taken during a work day as long as your principal approves.
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In some cases, you may have to add information to the certificate, especially when a staff development certificate comes from outside HCS.
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Mrs. Kidman will enter your points into the SDE website, provided you have a continuing, professional educator certificate, and she has access to enter your data into the SDE system (because you have a full-time educator position in HCS). She can only enter up to 120 points during your five-year renewal period, so there is no need to send in certificates that exceed this total.
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If you have enough points to renew, fill out a Change Action Form and send it in to Mrs. Kidman. This can be done from January to June of the year that your certificate expires.
Questions? Call Mrs. Tammy Kidman at 488-6757, or e-mail her.
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Yes. Staff Development has moved away from one-shot presentations by “experts” and toward the valuable, ongoing, job-embedded work that is taking place in schools. Teachers can earn up to 12 points per school year for participating in required school-wide staff development activities, and 12 points annually for required grade-level or departmental staff development meetings focused on instruction. See the HCS allowable activities document for details about these and other allowable staff development activities in HCS. In addition, some schools offer optional staff development opportunities in which their educators can participate in areas such as technology, literacy, or other topics. Educators can earn points for these activities, as well. School-level activities need to be approved by your principal, and verification and certificates for these activities need to come from your school’s Professional Development Committee (PDC) member at the end of each school year. Click to access a list of School PDC members and a certificate template.
You will always need to request two (2) official transcripts from your college/university when documenting coursework. One of these should be sent to Ms. Donna Durant at the District Office for certificate renewal. You also need to complete and submit to Ms. Durant the Graduate Coursework Approval form which requires your principal's signature to verify that the course is part of your professional growth and development plan. Complete and submit to Ms. Durant the Change Action Form and request that your certificate be renewed.
The other official copy of your transcripts should be sent to the State Department for add-on certifications or upgrades. The State Department of Education address is: South Carolina Department of Education; Division of Educator Quality and Leadership- Office of Educator Certification; 3700 Forest Drive, Suite 500; Columbia, SC 29204.
Questions for Ms. Donna Durant? Email her or call her at 488-6909.
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SD Online provides a certificate for each staff development activity which you have completed since the program was developed in September 2007. To access your certificates, login to SD online:
1. Go to the Horry County Schools website. Under the Staff tab at the right- hand side of the page, click on Staff Development.
2. Under the links at the left side of the webpage, click on Access SD Online. 3. Login with your full HCS email address OR your six-digit employee ID
(including the zeroes). Password is the last four digits of our SSN. Click Enter.
4. Click on the SD Online icon at the bottom.
5. The My Sessions tab at the left side of the webpage will enable you to print out certificates sessions you’ve attended.
6. Click on the orange scroll icon below each workshop to print that session’s certificate. (This only applies to courses which have been posted on SD Online since September 2007). For activities prior to September 2007, you should have received a certificate from the presenter.
Yes and no. A professional employee may use the SafeSchools online courses prior to July 1, 2009 for renewal credit by submitting ONE comprehensive report for the renewal period that shows the initial credit and the length of the training. Credit is not allowed for primer or refresher courses. To print out a transcript, go to the Safe Schools website. Type in your six-digit employee ID (including the zeroes). Click on Log Me In! if your name/position displays correctly. Click on My Training History at the top-center of the screen. Type in the appropriate date range at the top of the screen to display your training history for that period. Once the proper courses are displayed, print that transcript page out for Ms. Tammy Kidman. She does NOT want individual certificates from each Safe Schools training and instead prefers one transcript from the entire year, or from your entire five-year renewal period. Be sure to write your social security number of educator certificate number on the transcript, and get a signature from your principal or supervisor. This option will not apply to Safe Schools sessions taking place July 2009 or later because these activities are not approved by the State Department of Education.
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Yes, conferences are allowable under option 10 in the state’s Certificate Renewal Plan, provided they align with your Professional Growth Plan and you have principal approval. See plan for maximum allowable credits and other details. For verification, please get a certificate from the conference organizers or have them sign your conference program indicating their affiliation / contact information. Along with the verification, please copy the conference agenda/schedule, and add up the hours you actually spent in keynote and breakout sessions. Please write this total number of hours on your copies, along with your name and SSN or South Carolina educator certificate number, on the certificate. Obtain a principal/supervisor signature and send all documentation to Ms. Tammy Kidman at the District Office.
Yes, you may earn Staff Development Points for teaching adults in a college or staff development setting, provided these duties EXCEED your normal job requirements. The instruction has to be related to education, and it has to be the first time you have offered that couse or staff development content. Educators can earn 20 credits per semester hour of instruction at the college level, and/or three (3) credits per hour of presentation at district staff development sessions, state conferences, etc. For verification, you must submit a copy of the course syllabus, or staff development agenda indicating number of hours/days spent teaching. See Option 5 on the state’s Certificate Renewal Plan for maximum allowable hours and other details.
Yes, you may earn Staff Development Points for publishing an article or book, provided the publication is related to education and is a first-time publication. Educators can earn 60 credits as the primary author of a book or refereed journal article, 30 credits as the primary author of a non-refereed journal article, or 15 credits as the secondary author of a book or article. For verification, you must submit a synopsis of the publication and official, dated verification from the publisher of the work’s acceptance for publication. See Option 4 on the state’s Certificate Renewal Plan for maximum allowable hours and other details.
Start by filling out a Change Action Form indicating which action you are requesting with your certificate (renewal, upgrading to Master’s + 30, etc.) Submit this to Ms. Tammy Kidman if you are renewing with certificates alone. Submit it to Ms. Donna Durant if you are renewing with at least some graduate coursework.
You only need 120 staff development points to renew, so begin with your largest chunks of points. For instance, if you’ve taken two, 3-hour graduate courses during your five-year renewal period, those two courses equal 120 renewal points, so those transcripts are all you’ll need to submit (one goes to Donna Durant in Personnel accompanied by a Graduate Coursework Approval form and a Change Action Form, and the other one goes to the State Department of Education). Any hours above and beyond the minimum of 120 hours are just for your own personal growth. Feel free to save any extra certificates for your professional records. If you need to also submit staff development certificates, add up your hours to be sure you’ve reached 120 renewal points, make sure your name and SSN or certificate number are printed on the certificates, and obtain your principal/supervisor’s signature. Send your certificates to Ms. Tammy Kidman at the District Office using one of the following options:
1. Scan the completed, original certificate, and e-mail it to Tammy Kidman at the district office.
OR
2. Deliver the original certificate, in person, and allow Tammy to scan it while you wait. She will then return the original copy to you. (If you choose to hand-deliver the certificate, call ahead to make sure that Tammy is in the office.
OR
3. If you do not have access to a scanner and are unable to bring in the signed certificate(s), please put a copy of the signed original certificate(s) in interoffice mail to Tammy Kidman in Human Resources.
Along with these certificates, you'll need to submit your Change Action Form. Teaching certificates can be renewed no earlier than January of the year they expire. Also, once a new renewal cycle begins, new credits cannot be posted until June of that year. For example, if your renewal period is 2006-2011, you can renew your certificate beginning in January 2011. New staff development activities and coursework will need to take place in June of 2011 and after in order to count toward your next (2011-2016) renewal period.
Horry County Schools provides a variety of Staff Development opportunities to meet your needs, all of which offer staff development points. Check out SD Online to see what staff development opportunities the district has planned. To login to SD online:
1. Go to the Horry County Schools website. Under the Staff tab at the right- hand side of the page, click on Staff Development.
2. Under the links at the left side of the webpage, click on Access SD Online.
3. Login with your full HCS email address OR your six-digit employee ID
(including the zeroes). Password is the last four digits of our SSN. Click Enter.
4. Click on the SD Online icon at the bottom.
5. Click on Signup at the left to access upcoming staff development sessions.If you do not yet have your Master’s degree, remember that at least half of your renewal credits need to come from graduate coursework (3 credit hours = 60 credits). We recommend that you consider the Coastal Carolina University/Horry County Schools partnership for discounted graduate courses. You can explore these options at the partnership website.
There are also number of other university degrees and other programs available to educators. Talk with colleagues and explore the internet to investigate the right fit for your needs. Some options include online graduate courses at the University of LaVerne, the University of Phoenix, or both professional development and graduate online courses through the State Department of Education staff development opportunities website (click on Teachers Tab at top of screen). If you’re working on college coursework, your classes must be taken at an accredited university. Graduate coursework must be from a university accredited by one of the regional agencies listed on this site. To check a school’s accreditation, go to the CHEA website. Scroll down, click “I agree”, and begin search by entering in the institution’s name and state. If the institution is listed as being regionally accredited by one of the agencies listed on this site, the South Carolina State Department of Education (SDE) accepts it as a source for college credit
Additional staff development and graduate coursework opportunities can be found here.
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Educators with an Initial or Annual Certificate are NOT able to submit their staff development certificates to Ms. Tammy Kidman for certificate renewal. These educators are more than welcome to participate in staff development opportunities for their own professional growth and can save certificates and other documentation for their own personal records if they wish. Teachers with an initial certificate need to fulfill all requirements outlined for them through the ADEPT / SAFE-T process, including working with their mentor, attending required meetings, etc. These educators also need to take and pass the PRAXIS PLT exam. For questions related to this process, check out the ADEPT / SAFE-T website, or contact June Overton via e-mail or phone: 488-6898. Once they gain professional status, they will be able to submit staff development certificates for recertification.
You can only earn staff development through Options 1 or 2 on the state’s Certificate Renewal Matrix - either College Credit or State Department of Education Certificate Renewal Courses. If you do not have your Master’s you must earn half of your 120 renewal points from graduate college credit. Graduate coursework must be from a university accredited by one of the regional agencies listed on this site. To check a school’s accreditation, go to the CHEA website. Scroll down, click “I agree”, and begin search by entering in the institution’s name and state. If the institution is listed as being regionally accredited by one of the agencies listed on this site, the South Carolina State Department of Education (SDE) accepts it as a source for college credit. Some SDE Certificate Renewal and Graduate Courses can be found at this website (click on Teachers tab at top of screen).
While we encourage you to participate in HCS Staff Development opportunities for your professional growth, Ms. Tammy Kidman is not able to enter your certificates/points into SDE’s website for your certificate renewal. You must use one of the two options mentioned above – college credit or SDE-approved certificate renewal courses - and certificates / transcripts must be submitted directly to the SDE. To be sure a staff development activity will be accepted for recertification, call the SDE Certification Hotline - Monday - Friday from 1:00-4:30 p.m., toll free: 877- 885-5280.
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You only need 120 staff development points to renew, so begin with your largest chunks of points. For instance, if you’ve taken two, 3-hour graduate courses during your five-year renewal period, those two courses equal 120 renewal points, so those transcripts are all you’ll need to submit (one goes to Donna Durant in Personnel with a Graduate Coursework Approval and a Change Action Form, and the other one goes to the State Department of Education). Any hours above and beyond the minimum of 120 hours are just for your own personal growth. Feel free to save any extra certificates for your professional records. If you need to also submit staff development certificates, add up your hours to be sure you’ve reached 120 renewal points, make sure your name and SSN or certificate number are printed on the certificates, and obtain your principal/supervisor’s signature. Send your certificates to Ms. Tammy Kidman at the District Office with your Change Action Form. Teaching certificates can be renewed no earlier than January of the year they expire. Also, once a new renewal cycle begins, new credits cannot be posted until June of that year. For example, if your renewal period is 2005-2010, you can renew your certificate beginning in January 2010. New staff development activities and coursework will need to take place in June of 2010 and after in order to count toward your next (2010-2015) renewal period.
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I have a question about:
*Upgrading my certificate to Bachelor’s + 18, Master’s, Master’s
+30, or Doctorate,
*A specific certification I’m pursuing, OR
*Obtaining Highly Qualified status.
Please contact Ms. Donna Durant in Personnel by Email or phone: 488- 6909. She is our district’s Certification Specialist, and she can answer all these questions and more!
For questions regarding certificate renewal, please contact:
Ms. Tammy Kidman – Email– phone: 488-6757.
Ms. Gretchen Almeida - Email - phone: 488-6746.
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