S.C. Code Regs. § 43-55 - Renewal of Credentials

I. For the purposes of this regulation an educator is defined as any person who holds a professional certificate issued by the South Carolina Department of Education.

II. An educator's professional certificate is valid for five years and expires on June 30 of the expiration year.

III. The total number of years an individual has held any type of temporary credential issued by the South Carolina Department of Education will be deducted from the normal five-year period of the professional certificate at the time of issue.

IV. To renew a professional certificate, educators must comply with all applicable guidelines relative to certificate renewal options and criteria, renewal credits, and verification requirements, in accordance with the current Certificate Renewal Plan, as developed by the teacher certification office and approved by the State Board of Education, as follows:

(A) An applicant who is employed in a position that requires educator certification must maintain verification of having earned a minimum of 120 renewal credits during the certificate's five-year validity period. Renewal credits may be earned through professional activities that directly relate to the educator's professional growth and development plan, support the goals of the employing educational entity, and promote student achievement, as required by Regulation 43-205.1, Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT), and Regulation 43-165.1, Program for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Principal Performance (PADEPP).

(B) An applicant who is not employed in a position that requires educator certification but who chooses to maintain a current certificate must submit verification of having earned a minimum of 120 renewal credits during the certificate's five-year validity period. Renewal credits may be earned through professional activities that directly relate to the educator's current area(s) of certification or to a formal program of study (master's, specialist, or doctorate) in a certification area in which the educator is officially enrolled.

V. Renewal credits earned in state-identified areas of critical needs may be applied toward certificate renewal.

VI. Applicants must comply with current State Department of Education approved Certificate Renewal Plan guidelines relative to obtaining, verifying, and submitting renewal credits. Applicants also are responsible for paying any required fee for credential renewal to the teacher certification office.

VII. Credit will not be allowed for a renewal activity that is repeated unless the activity has received prior written approval in writing from the teacher certification office.

VIII. Regulations governing effective dates of renewed certificates will be the same as those for initial and revised certificates, as specified in State Board of Education Regulation 43-52.

IX. A South Carolina professional teaching credential that has been expired

(A) for less than five (5) years may be extended upon written request from the educator to the teacher certification office. This nonrenewable extension is valid for one (1) year, during which time the school district or educator must submit verification that the educator has fulfilled all current requirements for renewal of the Professional Certificate. Upon verification that all requirements have been met, the Professional Certificate will be renewed for the remainder of the validation period (i.e., four additional years).

(B) for more than five (5) years, but less than ten (10) years, may be extended for a maximum of one (1) year at the written request of the school district that intends to employ the educator. During this one-year extension, the school district or educator must submit verification that the educator has met all current requirements for renewal of the Professional Certificate. Upon verification that all requirements have been met, the Professional Certificate will be renewed for the remainder of the validation period (i.e., four additional years).

(C) for more than ten (10) years will require that the educator either reapply for initial certification under the current requirements or satisfy current interstate reciprocity requirements.

Notes

S.C. Code Regs. § 43-55

Amended by State Register Volume 23, Issue No. 6, eff June 25, 1999; State Register Volume 26, Issue No. 6, Part 1, eff June 28, 2002; State Register Volume 27, Issue No. 6, Part 1, eff June 27, 2003; State Register Volume 44, Issue No. 06, eff. 6/26/2020.