Ohio Teacher Certification Renewal
Learn how to renew a Professional Educator Certification or reinstate a Professional Educator Certification in Ohio
Teaching Certification Renewal
In order to transition your initial Four-Year Resident Educator License to a Professional Educator License (Five-Year), you must complete the state’s mandatory Ohio Resident Educator Program. This program provides mentoring and support for new teachers. After one year, you will undergo a Formative Progress Review. If at the end of four years, your mentor(s) determine that you are prepared, you may apply for the Five-Year Professional Educator License.
To renew your Professional Educator License, you must meet certain professional development requirements based upon your area of licensure. If you currently work in an Ohio school district, you will draw up an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP), which is approved by the Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC). This IPDP will outline how you will fulfill the following professional development requirements:
- 6 semester hours of coursework related to classroom teaching and/or your area of licensure
OR
- 18 continuing education units (180 contact hours)of equivalent activities approved by the LPDC
If you are not currently employed in an Ohio school district, you must complete 6 semester hours of coursework.
All coursework must be completed by September 1 of the year your license expires. Otherwise, the semester hour requirement will increase to 9. Acceptable professional development activities are listed here. You may renew your license using this form.
When you have attained nine years of teaching experience, with at least 5 of those years under a professional license, earned a master’s degree, and completed the Master Teacher portfolio showing that you have achieved an accomplished or distinguished level of performance, you may apply for the Senior Professional Educator License.
If you wish to go further and achieve the Lead Professional Educator License, you must attain a master’s degree, nine years of teaching experience, of which at least 5 years are under a professional or senior professional license, and demonstrate distinguished performance by becoming Nationally Board Certified or completing the Master Teacher portfolio and gaining the Teacher Leader endorsement.
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Reinstatement of Certification
Has your Ohio teaching license lapsed, and do you wish to have it reinstated? You must pay an additional $20 on top of the $200 renewal fee to have the lapsed license reinstated to a five-year license and meet the professional development requirements outlined above. The renewal application form above may be used to reinstate your license.
