Office of Accreditation & Teacher Quality

Certification Renewal Changes

New administrative rules for teacher certification in South Dakota (effective Sept. 1, 2000) resulted in some changes in renewal requirements.

Six semester hours of credit are still required for renewal, but they no longer need to include three semester hours of college or university credit from an accredited four-year institution. Instead, any combination of six semester credits from an accredited postsecondary institution (including community colleges or postsecondary technical institutes), renewal credits approved by the Department of Education and Cultural Affairs (called DOEs) or CEUs (continuing education units) is accepted for renewal.

Renewal credits must be related to teacher preparation standards (found in Article 24:16) and be completed between the date the current certificate was issued and the application for renewal. These renewal requirements are also applicable to any five-year certificates issued before Sept. 1, 2000, if the certificate expires after Sept. 1, 2000, and is still valid (not lapsed) at the time of application for renewal. This means that certificates issued as early as Jan. 1, 1996, with an expiration date after Sept. 1, 2000, may be renewed using any combination of six semester credits related to teacher preparation standards.

Expired certificates that have lapsed will not be renewed without one of the following:

• completion of either six semester credit hours from an approved teacher education program within the five-year period immediately preceding application, or
• an updated professional development plan verifying coursework and experiences completed within the five-year period immediately preceding application.

Expired certificates cannot be updated or renewed using DOEs, CEUs, or credit from community colleges or technical institutes. In addition, subsequent renewals of lapsed certificates may require completion of identified program deficiencies, not to exceed 15 semester credits over a five-year renewal period. New certification rules define a lapsed certificate as "a certificate which has been allowed to expire without making application that establishes eligibility for renewal by October 1 of the year of expiration."

Certificates may be renewed at any time during validity rather than waiting until after Jan. 1 of the year of expiration, but certificates still will be reissued for no more than a five-year period.

Certificates for instructors who are on Professional Development Plans (current/former limited certificates and new areas of certification for instructors) may require more than six semester hours of credit for renewal or completion of specific study and experiences set up in the professional development plan.

Out-of-state graduates or any other applicants who have not completed three-semester-hour courses in human relations and South Dakota Indian studies will need to complete those courses for renewal of an initial five-year certificate issued after Sept. 1, 2000. Any requirements stipulated on a two-year or one-year certificate issued before Sept. 1, 2000, must be completed before additional certification is issued.

Credit from advanced degrees in education earned by Aug. 31, 2000, may apply to certificate renewal for a 10-year period, provided that proper application is made and the certificate has not lapsed. Credit from advanced degrees cannot replace other specific requirements that may have been stipulated for reissuance of the certificate.