Certification Instructions

Professional Learning Website

Download Instructions for Accessing Professional Learning (PDF)

Visit the SCDE's page about Certificate Class Level Advancement

IT IS THE EDUCATOR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP TRACK OF THE CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED FOR SALARY CLASS UPGRADES. All documentation for class upgrades (BA+18, MA, MA+30) must be sent to transcripts@ed.sc.gov at the time the upgrade is completed. If you have just completed your Master's degree and never requested the upgrade to BA+18, your upgrade will be from Bachelor's to Master's and no retroactive pay will be applicable for the BA+18.

All college transcripts must be official and in their original sealed envelopes mailed to Office of Educator Services, South Carolina Department of Education,8301 Parklane Road Columbia, SC 29223 or via an eTranscript service (such as Parchment) from the college to transcripts@ed.sc.gov. After you order the transcript, submit a request for your class upgrade directly from your account in your SC Educator Portal. The State Department of Education (SDE) will notify you of the change to your Certificate. The district does NOT get a notification. You must notify Personnel as soon as the upgrade is on your Certificate. Failure to notify Personnel regarding your salary class changes may result in the forfeiture of salary upgrades.

All non-graduate documentation for adding certification Areas and/or Endorsements must be uploaded directly into your account, in PDF format in your SC Educator Portal, at the time the requirements have been completed. The district does NOT get a notification of any changes to your certification. You must notify Personnel as soon as the added Area/Endorsement is on your certificate.

If you are a first-year teacher or an out-of-state teacher with less than 3 years of experience, you will be issued an Initial Certificate from the SDE. If you applied for Alternative Certification (i.e. PACE, ABCTE) you will be issued a one-year Alternative Certificate from the SDE. One original Certificate will be mailed to you from Columbia. This is the only time you will be mailed a Certificate from Columbia. Future unofficial upgraded Certificates can be printed directly from your SC Educator Portal. Official copies may be requested for $10.00 from SDE. Renewal credits do not apply to Initial or Alternative Certificates. When you have passed ADEPT and the PLT or completed your Alternative Program, you will be issued a Professional Certificate. Requirements including renewal credits for professional certification are below.

Instructions

1. Your Professional Certificate will be valid for 5-years unless otherwise noted on your Certificate.
    
2. During the 5-year validity period, you will be required to earn 120 renewal credits. Please refer to the Renewal Credit Matrix which outlines the many ways in which to earn renewal credits and the required documentation needed by the renewal coordinator.
    
3. PowerSchool Professional Learning (PL) keeps track of all your training applicable for renewal credits. Go to Clever.com and find the PowerSchool Professional Learning link. You can also access the link from the staff development page of the District website. If not logged in automatically, use your Microsoft 365 credentials to login in. PL creates a Transcript (PL Transcript) of all training taken by you. Training facilitated by the district that has a course code and section in PL will automatically be added to your Transcript when the presenter marks you attended. Training taken outside the District such as conferences, online vendors, etc., require documentation to be uploaded in PL in an Out of District Transfer Request. These requests go through an approval process, if approved, it will be added to your PL Transcript. You can reference your Transcript anytime in PL by clicking on the Transcript tab that is found on the homepage of PL. You still should print/download a certificate of completion for each training you take and keep a “My Certification” folder on your computer for all your training certification documentation.
    
4. The SDE has eliminated the graduate requirement for renewal. Graduate level course work is still encouraged and can be applied towards renewal. Graduate renewal credits require you to send an official college transcript by mail, Attention: Jean Nettles, to the District Office or sent via an eTranscript service (such as Parchment) to Jean Nettles. After the transcript is received, it must go through an approval process in Staff Development. If approved, a signed copy for upload will be sent back to you by email. Take this document and upload as an Out of District Transfer Request in PL. The renewal credits only apply if they were earned during the validity period of your current certification.
    
5. You are asked to still complete 30 hours of Technology Proficiency training during the renewal validity period, however this is not a requirement from the SDE any longer.
    
6. All personnel are required to complete the Signs Matter-Early Detection training. Once logged in to PL, find the Required Training section and if you have not yet completed this training, it will be listed here. You need to complete this required training during your current renewal period. Certificates of completion must be sent to Jean Nettles at the District Office.
    
7. All holders of Professional Certificates are required to earn the Read to Succeed Endorsement (R2S). Be careful to determine which Endorsement you need because the requirements for each type of Endorsement is different. The Endorsement is requested through your SC Educator Portal with the SDE. R2S courses can count for 60 renewal credits.

The District Office renews Professional Certificates. You will be notified of the updated Certificate by District staff.              Educators can print unofficial copies of their Certificates from their SC Educator Portal account. Official copies may be requested from SDE for $10.00. If you have questions about professional certification, please contact Jean Nettles, Personnel Secretary, at 843-695-5383 or email Jean Nettles.