Certifications

About

We are conveniently located near colleges and universities that offer opportunities for professional growth. Some nearby colleges are McDaniel College, University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins, Loyola College, Morgan State, Towson University, Hood College, and Carroll Community College.

The certification staff within our Human Resources Department plays a key role in providing resources and support for our teaching and supervisory personnel, by serving as a conduit between our professional staff and Maryland State Department of Education officials, we ensure that all students in Carroll County are served by a staff who demonstrate essential preparation, knowledge and skills needed to achieve outcomes declared by our local and state Boards of Education.

Praxis: http://www.ets.org/
MSDE: http://www.mdcert.org
U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/

FAQ

I'm a new hire for Carroll County Public Schools. How do I request my certificate from MSDE?

Congratulations and welcome! Kelly Keith will communicate with all new hires regarding your specific certification requirements.

How do I renew my MSDE Educator Certificate?

You will receive an email from Human Resources prior to the expiration date of the certificate with directions about your renewal. We ask that you do not submit your renewal requests prior to communication from us.

Help! I'm confused on how to use the TEACH portal through MSDE?

MSDE has provided an applicant guide that may be helpful if you are going through this for the first time or need a refresher. It includes step-by-step instructions and screenshots. If you are still having issues with your application and/or account, please contact the HR staff member that is working with you on your certification.

I have questions about my MSDE certificate. Who handles certification in Human Resources?

Kelly Keith - Conditional Certificates, Standard Professional Certificates, Movement to an APC, Adding an Administrator / Supervisor or Specialist Endorsement Area.
Kristi Reppe - APC Renewals, Adding an Endorsement Area by Test
Kim Mahle - APC Renewals, Adding an Endorsement Area by Test

Handbook

Updated Handbook Coming Soon!

If you are a current employee of Carroll County Public Schools and have questions regarding your certification, please feel free to contact the Department of Human Resources at 410-751-3070. Non-CCPS employees should contact Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) directly at 410-767-0412 or access the MSDE website at www.mdcert.org

Renewal Chart

Conditional Certificate	Standard Professional Certificate I	Standard Professional Certificate II	Advanced Professional Certificate	Advanced Professional Certificate (Senior Exemption)
Valid 2 Years	Valid 5 Years	Valid 5 Years	Valid 5 Years	Valid 5 Years
Complete all appropriate course work & Praxis I & II tests to meet SPC I Requirements Praxis tests to be completed in first year of validity.	Present 6 credits of acceptable course work.	Complete approved Master's Degree Program or complete Master's equivalency ( 36 credits of educational course work ) 6 credits completed during validity period.	Present 6 credits of approved course work or MSDE In service or CCPS Renewal Credits taken during validity period of certificate	Be 55 years old or older or have 25 years of acceptable school experience
	Verification of 3 years satisfactory professional experience
Submit certification fee (via payroll deduction)	Submit certification fee (via payroll deduction)	Submit certification fee (via payroll deduction)	Submit renewal fee (via payroll deduction)	Submit renewal fee (via payroll deduction)
Can be renewed only upon request by local Superintendent	Can be renewed only upon request by local Superintendent	May not be renewed	Renewed every 5 years	Renewed every 5 years
Teachers may not receive tenure under this certificate				This continues at the discretion of our local Superintendent
To move to >>	To move to >>>	To move to >>>>	To renew	To renew

Reading Requirement : Effective January, 1999 MSDE passed regulatory amendments that increase the amount of reading course work teachers must have. Regular and Special Education teachers at elementary and early childhood levels must complete 12 semester hours in specific reading course work. Regular and special education teachers at secondary level, as well as teachers with N-12 certification, have to complete 6 semester hours in specific reading course work. These course work requirements are consistent for teachers applying for initial certification and those seeking renewal.

* Validity date changes were made as of January 1, 2003.

Professional Development Chart

Six (6) semester hours of college course work, MSDE credits, renewal credits (RC), or any combination thereof must be earned during validity period of current certificate.

College Courses "C" or Better MSDE Credits - Must be approved through the Staff Development Office		Semester Hour (SH) or MSDE credits 1 - 6
All acceptable credits earned by way of renewal credit (RC) will be maintained by the certificate holder and noted on the white and pink copies of the PDP. RC documentation is not to be sent to the Department of Human Resources until requested. RC may be approved by the principal or supervisor and should be noted under Section II of the PDP. Keep in mind that RC cannot be used for salary purposes.
Approved Activities In Lieu of College Courses or MSDE Credit In areas 1-15, a maximum of three (3) RCs may be applied per area to the PDP.		Renewal Credit (RC) MIN÷MAX
1	Teaching college/inservice courses. RC based on semester hour credits earned by student.	1-3
2	Auditing college courses. RC based on semester hours allowed for credit earning students.	1-3
3	Authorship (Articles must relate to content area or educational issues and be published in a state or national professional publication.)	3
4	Curriculum development or revision. RC to be determined by content area supervisor.	1-3
5	Attending planned lecture series related to content area. 15 hrs lecture = 1 RC. Use published hours for series to compute RC.	1-3
6	Serving as chairperson or officer of state, regional, or national professional organization. RC based on documented hours. 15 hrs = 1 RC.	1-3
7	Supervising a student teacher.	3
8	Mentoring or peer coaching. One (1) RC per year.	1-3
9	Serving on committees such as school system committees, national conferences, Middle States Evaluation Committees, etc. 15 hrs = 1 RC. (Must be relevant to position or school issues.)	1-3
10	Internships and non-credit bearing courses. (Private industry included) 15 hrs = 1 RC.	1-3
11	CCPS or MSDE Steering or Planning Committees or Boards. 15 hrs = 1 RC.	1-3
12	Attendance at state/national conferences. Accumulate hours at a single conference to maximum of 45 hrs = 3 RC.	.5-3
14	School Leadership Licensure Assessment	1
15	Consultant activities. 15 hrs = 1 RC. (Must be relevant to position or school issues.)	1-3
16	Activities that have been approved by principal/supervisor in advance and are noted on professional development plan	1-3

Tuition Reimbursement

Tuition reimbursement is one of the benefits extended to contractual employees of Carroll County Public Schools. This benefit allows employees to continue in professional and academic growth activities while reducing or eliminating the cost of course work. Tuition reimbursement is available for graduate or undergraduate level credits on an official transcript from an accredited college or university. The stipulations for tuition reimbursement vary between employee groups. Therefore, please refer to your Master Agreement for the specific guidelines and eligibility requirements applicable to your circumstances.

Please see the information below for more information about which colleges / universities offer discounts and / or direct billing with CCPS.

How can I submit for pre-approval?

When is the fiscal year?

The fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.

The fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30. Reimbursement requests for course work taken in the fall must be received in Human Resources by June 30 of the same fiscal year. We allow until October 1 to receive tuition reimbursement requests for course work taken from January 1 through June 30 of the same calendar year. **The course ending date on the official transcript determines the fiscal year in which the course falls.**

How much money is allotted for tuition reimbursement?

The tuition reimbursement allotment is dependent upon the employee's bargaining unit. For more information about Bargaining Unit Agreements, please visit the Master Agreements section of the website.

AFSCME	Up to $2,000 per fiscal year in course reimbursement for college, adult education, and/or trade classes. Reimbursement is limited to tuition, course-related fees and course related materials.
A&S	Up to $2,770 per fiscal year in course reimbursement that aligns with the curriculum.
ATSP	Up to $2,770 per fiscal year in course reimbursement that aligns with the curriculum.
CCEA	Up to $2,700 per fiscal year in course reimbursement that aligns with the curriculum.
CASE	Up to $2,520 per fiscal year in course reimbursement that aligns with the curriculum.
Food Services	Up to $100.00 per credit hour for college level courses and $20.00 for adult education courses for six credit hours per fiscal year.

College/University	Offer to CCPS Staff	Links to Additional Information
American College of Education	Partnership Grants to assist in reducing the cost of tuition.	Ace Partner Information
Carroll Community College	CCPS teachers who are not Maryland residents can receive the in-state tuition rates. Please note - this discount is only for contractual teachers and a letter from Human Resources is required to verify employment.
Hood College	Direct Billing feature available through cohort participation.
McDaniel College	Direct Billing feature available. No special forms required for direct bill - simply complete course pre-approval process in the tuition reimbursement portal. Cohort courses are also discounted from the regular tuition rates.	McDanielDirectBillingFAQ.pdf Tuition Rates 24-25
Mount Saint Mary's University	Direct billing feature available.	CCPS-MSMreleaseform.pdf
Stevenson University	Direct Billing feature available through cohort participation.
University of Phoenix	Contact Nicole Berkebile nicole.berkebile@phoenix.edu regarding tuition discounts for CCPS employees
Walden University	10% discount on Online courses and grants for MS, EdD & PhD programs.	Flyer for CCPS employees

**Additional Information on continuing education and Cohort programs is available through the Continued Professional Development/Course Offerings page.

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FAQ

Handbook

Renewal Chart

Professional Development Chart

Tuition Reimbursement

How can I submit for pre-approval?

When is the fiscal year?

How much money is allotted for tuition reimbursement?

How do I find out how much reimbursement funds I have left for the fiscal year?

Are tuition reimbursement funds taxed?

What college/universities extend discounts or offer Direct Billing through cohort participation?

Licensed Staff Reimbursement