Rhode Island Teacher Certification Renewal
Learn how to renew a Professional Educator Certification or reinstate a Professional Educator Certification in Rhode Island
Teaching Certification Renewal
Your Initial Rhode Island Teaching Certificate is valid for three years. You must complete the Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Induction Program, consisting of mentoring and individualized support, during this period. You will be assessed on your professional practice and your impact on student achievement and growth. In order to apply for your Professional Certificate, you must have received local school district annual assessment ratings of “Highly Effective” or “Effective.” The Professional Certificate is valid for five years.
Renewing your Professional Certificate requires five assessment ratings (one for each year), one of which must be at the “Developing” level or higher. If you have four ratings at the “Highly Effective” level and no ratings below the “Effective” level, you may apply for an Advanced Certificate. The Advanced Certificate is valid for seven years. Receiving “Ineffective” assessment ratings every year of the life of your certificate would make you ineligible for renewal.
Professional development is not mandatory for certificate renewal at this time. However, school districts usually require some professional development of their teachers.
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Reinstatement of Certification
If your certificate has expired, or you were not able to renew it due to poor performance assessments, you may be able to have it reinstated.
Did your teaching certificate expire less than five years ago? If so, you may apply for reinstatement. Contact RIDE for a reinstatement application at [email protected]. If it expired more than five years ago, you must re-apply for an Initial Certificate.
Was your certificate not renewed due to poor performance assessments? You must submit evidence of completing the retraining you were instructed to participate in, consistent with concerns related to your poor performance, as well as evidence of supervised practice. Submit this to RIDE, along with an application for reinstatement.
