Upcoming Conferences

2007 Teacher Leadership Conference

Renewal Credit Ruling

For certified staff with advanced certification or degrees, including National Board Certification, masters degrees, specialist degrees, and doctoral degrees, documentation of the following hours must be provided for certificate renewal: six semester hours or nine quarter hours from an accredited postsecondary institution; or six renewal credits approved by the department; or ninety hours of continuing education units (CEUs); or a combination of the above, equivalent to six semester hours.

Complete ruling:

24:15:03:06. Renewal process. The department may renew a certificate for a five-year period upon receipt of the following:

(1) A completed application form provided by the department;

(2) The appropriate fee as provided in § 24:15:03:05; and

(3) Official documentation verifying completion of six semester credit or nine quarter credit hours. A minimum of three semester credit or five quarter credit hours of the six hours must be transcripted hours from a postsecondary institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency. The remainder of these hours must include one of the following options:

(a) Three semester credit or five quarter credit hours transcripted from a postsecondary institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency; or

(b) Three renewal credits approved by the department; or

(c) Forty-five clock hours of continuing education units (CEUs); or

(d) A combination of credits from a postsecondary institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency, renewal credits, or CEUs equivalent to three semester credit hours.

For certified staff with advanced certification or degrees, including National Board Certification, masters degrees, specialist degrees, and doctoral degrees, documentation of the following hours must be provided for certificate renewal: six semester hours or nine quarter hours from an accredited postsecondary institution; or six renewal credits approved by the department; or ninety hours of continuing education units (CEUs); or a combination of the above, equivalent to six semester hours.

Applicants with continuing professional development plans must submit verification of completion of any requirements in excess of six semester hours as established in the plan. Professional development plans must be updated to establish remaining requirements for subsequent renewal before the certificate is reissued. Renewal requirements must be related to preparation standards in article 24:16 and be completed between the date of issuance of the current valid certificate and the application for renewal. Applicants renewing an initial five-year certificate must verify completion of a three semester-hour course in human relations and a three semester-hour course in South Dakota Indian studies approved by the department, if not previously verified. Applicants renewing an updated certificate must submit verification of completion of any deficiencies identified at the reissuance of the lapsed certificate in excess of six semester hours.

Three of six renewal credits may be granted toward renewal, based on private or public sector experience that was not obtained through academic coursework, if the experience is related to the applicant's teaching field. The credit may be granted upon department review and approval of a completed application form.

Source: 24 SDR 160, adopted May 8, 1998, effective September 1, 2000; 30 SDR 26, effective September 3, 2003; 30 SDR 58, adopted October 16, 2003, effective October 1, 2005; 32 SDR 41, effective September 11, 2005.

General Authority: SDCL 13-1-12.1, 13-42-3.

Law Implemented: SDCL 13-42-1 to 13-42-4.