Pennsylvania Teacher Certification Renewal
Learn how to renew a Professional Educator Certification or reinstate a Professional Educator Certification in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Teaching Certification Renewal
Your Level I teaching certificate is valid for six service years and is not renewable. Once you have been teaching on a Level I certificate for at least three years, completed your school district’s induction program for new teachers, and have completed 24 post-baccalaureate credits, you may be eligible for a Level II certificate. Credits must include 6 semester hour credits in Inclusive Classrooms and/or Standards Aligned Systems.
Once you have your Level II certificate, it is considered to be permanent. However, to maintain certification, you must complete continuing education requirements via one of the following methods:
- 6 post-baccalaureate college credits
- 6 Pennsylvania Department of Education-approved in-service credits
- 180 continuing education hours
- A combination of the above; each college credit equals 30 continuing education hours
PA providers will submit your credits electronically to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. If you earn college credits outside of the state, mail the transcripts to the Department.
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Pennsylvania Reinstatement of Certification
If you do not complete the continuing education requirements as listed above, your certificate will become inactive. If you are not currently working in a state school but wish to maintain your certificate, you can request a voluntary inactive status by submitting form PDE 338R to the Bureau of Teacher Certification and Preparation. (Contact them at 717-787-3356 to obtain this form). This will allow you to work up to 90 school days per school year as a substitute teacher.
If you wish to reactivate your certificate, you must have completed 30 continuing education hours or one college credit during the past year. After your certificate is activated, you must complete the remaining continuing education requirements during the first five-year validity period of your re-activated certificate.
