Certification
Information and Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Level I to Level II – Permanent Certification
You have six (6) years to teach on your level I certificate. This time is calculated as time used on your certificate, not the issuance date. Each LTS assignment of 70 days or longer is counted against one semester on your instructional I.
In the 6 years, you need to complete the PA Induction program, earn 24 credits past your Bachelor’s degree, and have 6 satisfactory evaluations.
You can apply in TIMS for your level II certificate any time after your third complete year of teaching. You cannot apply before you have taught 3 full years.
CSPG 7 – Level II (Permanent) Certification
Pennsylvania Teacher Information System (TIMS)
- Applying for initial certification
- Applying for add-on certification areas
- Applying for level II certification
- Name changes
- Demographic information changes
Act 48 - Continuing Professional Education Requirements
Act 48 of 1999 requires all Pennsylvania educators holding Pennsylvania public school certification (including Instructional I and II, Educational Specialist I and II, Administrative, Supervisory, Letters of Eligibility, and all vocational certificates) to participate in ongoing professional education.
Educators must earn six credits of collegiate study; or six credits of PDE-approved continuing professional education courses; or 180 hours of continuing professional education programs, activities or learning experiences; or any combination of the above every five years to maintain active certification status. The five year “clock” starts on the day your certificate is issued. You are required to earn 180 hours of professional development every five years whether you are using your certificate (i.e. teaching) or not.
If a certificate holder does not complete the requirements of Act 48, the certificate(s) will become inactive after the five-year compliance period and the holder will be disqualified from being employed by a Pennsylvania public school entity as a professional (tenured) or temporary professional (prior to gaining tenured status) employee until all Act 48 requirements have been met.
Visit the Professional Education Record Management System (PERMS) where you can find/review:
- your Professional Personnel ID and continuing education progress
- current course offerings
- approved providers
Free Online SAS Course website for ACT 48 hours
Tenure – Professional Employee Status
To be granted tenure, you must serve three full years as a Temporary Professional Employee in the same school district, have gone through PA Induction, and have 6 satisfactory evaluations. Long-term substitute time does not count towards tenure.
At the time of tenure, Human Resources will place your name on the Board agenda for approval and you will be issued a new Professional Employee contract.
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