Georgia Teacher Certification

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) is responsible for Georgia teacher certification. Georgia offers two basic categories of certificates: renewable, and non-renewable.

Within the categories, Georgia certificates have titles. The only currently active renewable title is the Clear Renewable Certificate. Titles for non-renewable certificates include: Non-Renewable Professional (N), Intern (I), International Exchange (X), and Waiver (W).

Georgia offers the following types of certificates for its renewable and non-renewable titles:

• Teaching (T) - These are issued in fields allowing an individual to teach the subject matter named.
• Service (S) - These are for individuals who provide support services to students, school personnel and school operations.
• Leadership (L) - These are issued to individuals who administer or supervise a school system or program.
• Paraprofessional (Para) - These are issued to individuals hired as paraprofessionals.
• Technical Specialist (TS) - These are issued to individuals to teach Technology and career education areas.
• Permit - These are issued to individuals with specific experience to teach fields such as the performing arts, foreign language, and certain education leadership positions.

All certificates have fields that indicate the specific teaching subject, service function, or leadership function authorized by that certificate. The remainder of this article will focus on the certification necessary to teach at the elementary and secondary school levels.

The Clear Renewable Certificate is Georgia's full, professional educator certificate allowing individuals to teach elementary or secondary school. It is valid for five years and may be renewed. It is issued at levels that are indicative of the level of education attained by the certificate holder. The levels available are:

• Level one and Level two - These indicate less than a bachelor's degree of education and are for selected Technical/Career education fields only.
• Level Four - Completion of a Bachelor's degree or the PSC's determined degree equivalent.
• Level Five - Completion of a Master's degree or the PSC's determined degree equivalent.
• Level Six - Completion of an education specialist's degree, or all of the requirements for a Ph.D. except the dissertation, or the PSC's determined degree equivalent.
• Level Seven - Completion of a Ph.D. or Ed.D. degree, or the PSC's determined degree equivalent.

Other, non-renewable certificates that allow individuals to teach elementary or secondary school include:

• Non-Renewable Professional Certificate. This certificate allows an individual who has not yet met all of the requirements for a Clear Renewable Certificate to teach in a Georgia School System. This would be common for out-of-state certificate holders as well as individuals moving into a new teaching field. It is also issued to former Georgia teachers who do not meet current requirements for a Clear Renewable Certificate. During the period of this certificate's validity, an individual must meet all of the necessary requirements for a Clear Renewable Certificate.
• Intern Certificate - This certificate is issued to individuals in the Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (TAPP). This certificate is issued for two years. It may be issued for a third year at the request of the employing school system.
• International Exchange Certificate - This certificate allows an individual trained and certified in another nation to teach in a Georgia School System. It is issued at the request of an employing school system and is valid for up to three years.
• Waiver - At the request of an employing school system, and at the discretion of the PSC, a waiver may be granted allowing an individual who has not met all certification requirements to teach.

In addition, permits are issued that allow individuals to teach performing arts and foreign languages.

Georgia certificates also have endorsements. Endorsements are issued in specific areas to recognize additional expertise.

The Process for Georgia Teacher Certification

The process to obtain a Clear Renewable Certificate is relatively straightforward. To obtain such a certificate, an individual must:

• Have a Bachelor's degree or higher.
• Complete an approved education preparation program from a Georgia college or university. An individual may also graduate from an out-of-state program in a state that participates in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement.
• Receive a recommendation form the preparing college or university.
• Meet all of Georgia's testing requirements by passing the appropriate PRAXIS Tests.
• Meet the recency of study or experience requirement by having completed study or have relevant experience within the last five years.
• Individuals certified in the fields of early childhood education, middle grades, mental retardation, learning disabilities, behavior disorders, or interrelated special education will have to meet the teaching of reading and writing coursework requirements.
• Starting in June 30, 2006, all individuals will have to meet the Computer Skill Competency requirement. Holders of NBPTS certification will satisfy this requirement.

Georgia also offers an Alternative Preparation Program allowing an individual to obtain their Clear Renewable Certificate. Such an individual will still have to meet all of Georgia's special requirements.

All individuals who wish to be employed in a Georgia public school, must submit to and pass an FBI criminal background check.

Certification for Teachers Certified in Other States

Individuals who hold valid out-of-state teaching certificates from states that are a party to the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement may obtain certification in Georgia by meeting Georgia requirements. An individual may be exempt from Georgia's requirements, except the Computer Skill Competency requirement, if they have 3 full years of acceptable, relevant, teaching experience in another state in the last five years. Applicants may be exempt from the content knowledge assessments if they have to pass an appropriate content knowledge test as part of their out-of-state certification process. Individuals who hold an appropriate National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certificate are also exempt from the testing requirement, with the exception of NBPTS Middle Grades Generalist certificate. Individuals who hold that NBPTS certificate will still have to take the Georgia test.

Individuals who meet all certification requirements, except special Georgia requirements, may be issued a Non-Renewable Professional Certificate allowing them to teach if requested by the employing school system. They must fulfill the Georgia requirements during the valid period of their non-renewable certificate.

The Georgia certificate issued must be comparable in type and field to the out-of-state certificate.

All individuals who wish to be employed in a Georgia public school, must submit to and pass an FBI criminal background check.

Georgia Certificate Renewal

Individuals with a Clear renewable Certificate or an older Performance-Based (PB) Certificate may renew their certificate by fulfilling the continuing professional learning activity requirement. To meet this requirement, an individual must complete 6 semester hours of college coursework, or 10 credits of Georgia Professional Learning Units (PLUs) or 10 continuing education unit credits. A criminal record check is also required for renewal.

Starting in June 30, 2006, all individuals will have to meet the Computer Skill Competency requirement to renew their Certificate.