Continuing Professional Education
The Standard Teaching Certificate issued by the Texas State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) must be renewed every five years to remain valid. An educator may apply for renewal as early as six months prior to the expiration date of the standard certificate. (Individuals who were certified before 9/1999 were issued a lifetime certificate and will not be subject to the same renewal requirements. However, if a lifetime certificate holder adds new certification areas after 9/99, s/he will be required to complete the renewal process). To learn more about CPE requirements / certificate renewal, please visit the SBEC website.
Educators are responsible for maintaining a record of their CPE credits, and will not need to submit evidence of completion of CPE credits unless specifically requested by SBEC for audit purposes. Program graduates are advised to keep their original teaching certificate with all of their CPE documentation in an organized place.
What is required for renewal every five years?
All certified educators seeking to renew a certificate(s) must:
- hold a valid Standard Certificate that has not been, nor is in the process of being, sanctioned by SBEC;
- successfully complete a criminal history review;
- not be in default on a student loan or in arrears of child support;
- complete the required number of clock hours of CPE; and
- pay the appropriate renewal fee.
The CPE requirements for each class of certificate are as follows:
- classroom teachers must complete 150 clock hours every five years;
- counselors must complete 200 clock hours every five years;
- learning resource specialists and school librarians must complete 200 clock hours every five years;
- reading specialists must complete 200 clock hours every five years;
- educational diagnosticians must complete 200 clock hours every five years;
- master teachers must complete 200 clock hours every five years ; and
- superintendents, principals, and must complete 200 clock hours every five years.
- Candidates currently assigned as a principal or assistant principal are required by law to complete an assessment process designed to assist in the development of a professional growth plan . Professional development credit earned as a part of the professional growth plan can also be used to fulfill requirements for renewal of the principal certificate.
What activities count toward the required CPE clock hours every five years?
To allow maximum flexibility for educators to identify appropriate CPE activities to meet their individual needs, CPE clock hours can be accrued through the following:
- workshops, conferences, and in-service or staff development delivered by an approved registered provider ;
- undergraduate and graduate coursework through an accredited institution of higher education, with one semester credit being equivalent to 15 CPE clock hours;
- interactive distance learning, video conferencing, or on-line activities;
- independent study, not to exceed 20% of the required clock hours ;
- development of curriculum or CPE training materials;
- presenting CPE activities, not to exceed 10% of the required clock hours;
- serving as a mentor, not to exceed 30% of the required clock hours; and
- serving as an assessor for the principal assessment, not to exceed 10% of the required clock hours.
Only those CPE activities from SBEC-approved registered providers will be recognized for Standard Certificate renewal purposes. All CPE providers approved by SBEC are listed under the “Certificate Renewal Requirements” link on the SBEC website.
Important things to remember
Take a moment to update your personal information in your educator profile on the SBEC website to reflect any name / address changes. Even if you living (and working) outside of Texas, keeping this information current will insure that you receive any important notices regarding your certification in a timely fashion.
The above information has been collected to help educators better understand the CPE / certification renewal process. However, please be cognizant of the fact that these requirements are subject to change at any time and it is the responsibility of each certified educator to affirm that she/he has fulfilled the current requirements. When in doubt, please contact a representative at your employing district or SBEC.
To learn more about Continuing Professional Education, please visit the SBEC website: http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/certinfo/certren.asp?width=1024&height=768
A graduate of the M.A.T. program who holds a Standard Teaching Certificate must complete 150 hours of CPE every five years. For CPE purposes, a “Master Teacher” is defined as an individual who has passed a TEXMAT subject examination and has been issued a Master Teacher Certificate from SBEC.
Independent study hours can be earned as an educator conducts any research or study related to pedagogy or content. Candidates should maintain a bibliography of print/audio-visual/web-based or other sources used for CPE credit. For renewal purposes, classroom teachers may claim a total of 30 hours of independent study.
