....Act 48....





Beginning July 1, 2000, Act 48 of 1999 requires persons holding Pennsylvania professional educator certification to complete continuing education requirements every five years in order to maintain their certificates as active. The law applies to ALL public school certificate holders no matter where they are what they are doing or when their certificates were issued. Inactive certification will prevent an educator from serving in a professional position in the public schools of the Commonwealth.

Educators must maintain their certificates as active by earning 6 collegiate credits or 6 PDE-approved in-service credits or 180 continuing education hours or any combination of the above every five calendar years. The first five-year period begins on July 1, 2000 and will include the 600,000-plus educators whose records are maintained by the Bureau of Teacher Certification and Preparation at the Department of Education. For those individuals who are issued their certificates in August 2000 and thereafter, the five-year period begins with the effective date of issuance of the initial certificate.

Educators who are not employed as professional or temporary professional employees by public school entities may elect to maintain their certificates as active by meeting the continuing education requirements or they may request voluntary inactive certification status from the Department to suspend the requirements. Individuals who wish to request voluntary inactive certification status must complete an application form supplied by the Department and submit the form to the Bureau of Teacher Certification and Preparation. Those forms will be available by July 1, 2000 and may be downloaded from the Department's Website at [ www.pde.psu.edu ] or by calling the Bureau at (717) 787-3356.

Information regarding your continuing education status and total credits/hours earned may be accessed through the Department's Website at [ www.pde.psu.edu ] or by calling the automated Voice Response Unit at the Bureau of Teacher Certifiction and Preparation at (717) 787-2967. This information will be accessible after July 1, 2000. At least 12 months prior to the end of the five-year period, the Bureau of Teacher Certification and Preparation will notify educators and public school entities regarding the continuing education status and the remaining credits/hours, if any, to be completed. The Bureau will again notify the educator and school entities at the end of the five-year period.

If an educator does not meet the Act 48 requirements within the five-year period, the certificate will become inactive. The Act does permit educators with inactive certification to serve as substitute teachers for up to 90 days during a school year. Provisions were made in the Act for an extension of the five-year period when an educator documents extenuating circumstances which prevented the completion of the requirements and for an opportunity to appeal a notice of inactive certification.

The Bureau of Curriculum and Academic Services in the Department will provide guidelines and oversight for the continuing education plans, the approval of continuing education providers and courses/activities and the submission of the continuing education credits and hours to the Department's database.

To keep your certificate from being rendered inactive, it will be very important for you to do the following:




Continuing Professional Education - PA Act 48


Free Online Courses for Act 48 hours




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