Laws/Regulations
Maintaining and Renewing an Initial Educator Certificate and FAQs
By submitting an application before the expiration of your certificate, the certification is considered in process, pending materials and final evaluation. As long as the application includes the original signature of the applicant and the minimum fee of $50 in the appropriate form, the application is considered timely, and additional signatures or application forms, supporting documents and final fee may be submitted later by US mail. Please allow 10-12 business days for mail to reach our office.
In general, for most teaching endorsements, to advance from an Initial to a Provisional level educator certificate, you must successfully complete the Teacher Education and Mentoring (TEAM) program, which is the state’s current teacher induction program, and at least 10 school months of appropriate experience under your Initial educator certificate. OR, you may serve successfully for at least 30 school months within the last 10 years in an approved nonpublic school or in a public school in another state under valid authorization from that state. For administrative, special services and other endorsements for which TEAM is not required, to advance from an Initial to a Provisional level certificate, you must document at least 10 school months of successful appropriate service in a Connecticut public school or 30 school months in an approved nonpublic school or in a public school in an¬other state under valid authorization from that state.
Am I eligible for reissuance of my current Initial educator certificate if I have not served under it?
Yes. Generally, applicants who have not served under a three-year Initial educator certificate that is about to expire may renew their certificate. You should apply online after creating an account on the Connecticut Educator Certification System (CECS), and pay with a credit card (Visa or MasterCard only). Or you may submit an ED 183 Application for Renewal (pages 1 and 2 only) and a certified bank check or money order for $200. Initial educator certificates may be renewed up to five times before educators are required to meet current coursework and testing requirements, provided applications are received prior to each expiration date.
Am I eligible for reissuance of my Initial educator certificate if I have not served sufficient time to complete the teacher induction/mentoring (TEAM) program and/or 10 school months of successful employment?
Yes. If you served for a portion of the three-year certificate, but are not eligible to advance to the Provisional level, you should apply online to renew your Initial educator certificate and pay the $200 fee with a MasterCard or Visa. Or you may complete pages 1 and 2 of the paper ED 183 Application for Renewal and submit it with an ED 126 Statement of Professional Experience and a certified bank check or money order for $200. Initial educator certificates may be renewed up to five times before educators are required to meet current coursework and testing requirements.
If you may be eligible to advance your Initial level certificate, you should apply online to “upgrade” and pay the $250 fee with a MasterCard or Visa. Or you may submit an ED 170 General Application, an ED 126 Statement of Professional Experience, and submit at least the nonrefundable $50 application review fee in the form of a certified bank check or money order only. Other forms or documentation may be requested for full evaluation. Eligibility, level of certification (initial or provisional) and final fee are determined upon completion of a full evaluation.
What is different about applying for the sixth reissuance of my Initial educator certificate?
Applicants not serving for a Connecticut board of education at the end of the fifth reissuance must meet all preparation and eligibility requirements in effect at the time of application. If the application is submitted to the Bureau of Educator Standards and Certification before the expiration date, transcripts and possibly other credentials will be evaluated to determine if all current requirements have been met. If the application is received after the expiration of the certificate, both coursework and testing requirements must be met before another certificate can be issued.
If my credentials are evaluated after my fifth reissuance and I do not meet the current coursework and eligibility requirements, will I be eligible to renew my Initial educator certificate?
No. If all current coursework and eligibility requirements have not been met, the certificate will lapse. A new Initial educator certificate cannot be issued until all current requirements have been met.
Can a lapsed Initial educator certificate be reissued?
If you apply within five years of the expiration date of the first Initial educator certificate, you may be eligible for reissuance provided all testing requirements in effect at the time of application are met. If you apply after five years of the expiration date of your first Initial educator certificate, you must meet not only current testing, but also all coursework requirements, including three semester hours of credit in education technology, and in either alternative student assessment or child/adolescent development (except certain endorsements such as occupational subjects, as listed in educator certification regulations).
Details of the renewal process of an Initial Educator Certificate
Maintaining, Renewing & Upgrading a Provisional Certificate and FAQs
By submitting an application before the expiration of your certificate, the certification is considered in process, pending materials and final evaluation. As long as the application includes the original signature of the applicant and the minimum fee of $50 in the appropriate form, the application is considered timely, and additional signatures or application forms, supporting documents and final fee may be submitted later by US mail. Please allow 10-12 business days for mail to reach our office.
Provisional certificates are generally effective for eight years to allow educators time to meet additional course work requirements. Provisional level certificates are not renewable except in specific circumstances. For most teaching endorsements, to advance from a Provisional to a Professional level educator certificate, you must complete at least 30 semester hours of credit beyond your bachelor’s degree at a regionally accredited college or university, as well as 30 school months of successful teaching experience under your provisional certificate. Please note, educators issued a first-time certificate, on or after July 1, 2018, will be required to obtain a Master’s degree in your teaching content or a closely related subject major, as part of the eligibility requirements for obtaining a Professional educator certificate.
There are also advanced coursework requirements for maintaining most administrative and special services certificates. For example, for intermediate administration or supervision (#092) at least 18 semester hours of credit beyond the master’s degree is required to obtain the endorsement, but to maintain it beyond the Provisional level, you must have earned at least 30 semester hours of credit beyond your master’s degree, as well as serving for at least 30 months under the Provisional level certificate.
Am I eligible for a Connecticut educator certificate if I hold a valid Provisional educator certificate and have served under it for fewer than three years for a Connecticut board of education?
Yes. (1) If you served for a Connecticut board of education for at least 10 months and completed the Teacher Education And Mentoring (TEAM) program (if available for your endorsement), you may be eligible for another Provisional educator certificate. (2) If you served for a Connecticut board of education for the school year immediately preceding the date of application, you may be eligible for a Provisional educator certificate valid for 96 months, minus the time served for Connecticut boards of education. (3) If you did not complete TEAM, and did not serve for at least 30 school months in the past 10 years or serve for a Connecticut board of education in the school year preceding your application, you may be eligible for issuance of an Initial educator certificate once you meet all coursework and eligibility requirements in effect at the time of application.
Am I eligible for a Connecticut educator certificate if I hold a valid eight-year Provisional educator certificate and have served under it for three or more years but have not completed the required coursework necessary for issuance of a professional educator certificate?
If you successfully served for a Connecticut board of education for three or more years, you may be eligible for a Provisional educator certificate, valid for 96 months minus the time served. You must complete all coursework necessary to advance the certificate by the expiration of this “balance of time” certificate. No further extension is available. Note that administrators who served in 12-month positions for all eight years of their Provisional level certificates are not eligible for a “balance of time” certificate.
Am I eligible for a Connecticut educator certificate if my Provisional educator certificate has lapsed?
If your certificate has lapsed, you may be eligible for a certificate once you meet all coursework, testing and eligibility requirements in effect at the time of application. The certificate level will be determined upon evaluation of your application and supporting documentation.
Upgrading from a Provisional Certificate to a Professional Certificate
Continuation of a Professional Education Certificate & FAQs
By submitting an application before the expiration of your certificate, the certification is considered in process, pending final evaluation, and issuance. As long as the application includes the original signature of the applicant, the application is considered timely. Please allow 10-12 business days for mail to reach our office.
The Connecticut General Assembly passed legislation, PA 12-116, Sec. 36(i), which repeals all language regarding continuing education units (CEUs). Therefore, as of July 1, 2012, CEUs are no longer required to maintain Connecticut Professional educator certificates. However, as of July 1, 2013, Connecticut school districts will be responsible for offering at least 18 hours of professional development per year to the educators they employ. This professional development will be tailored to the needs of individual educators. It will be the responsibility of the school districts to offer and track this professional development. Educators must be sure they receive appropriate professional development and keep careful records of completed activities.
When do I apply to continue my Professional educator certificate?
You should apply to continue your certificate no earlier than six months and no later than six weeks before the date of expiration of your professional educator certificate. You should apply online after creating an account on the Connecticut Educator Certification System (CECS). Or you may submit a paper ED 179. There is no fee for continuation of a professional certificate. The application must be received in our office BY the expiration date.
Renewal of a Professional Educator Certificate
Retired Teachers
Should I continue to keep my certificate active after I retire?
Although this is a personal decision, remember that it is much easier to maintain active certification than it often is to regain certification after a lapse, which may involve additional coursework or testing. It is sometimes hard to envision the opportunities and circumstances that may later lead to work in a school district, even as a substitute or a tutor. Most educators find that keeping their certificates active is simple and worthwhile. There is currently no fee or CEU requirement for holders of Professional-level certificates.
How do I keep my certificate valid?
If you have a Professional educator certificate, you must apply online or submit a completed paper ED 179 Application for Continuation of Professional Educator Certificate, before the expiration date. You may submit the application up to six months before the expiration date. Currently there is no fee to renew a Professional educator certificate, and you are no longer required to submit an ED 126 to a district for signature.
If you hold any other level certificate and are unsure how to maintain your certificate, you should apply online from your account on the Connecticut Educator Certification System (CECS) or submit an ED 170 General Application and a certified bank check or money order for $50 before the expiration date on the certificate. If you apply online, you may pay with a credit card (Visa or MasterCard only). You will be contacted with additional instructions.
Do I need to complete CEUs?
Holders of Professional educator certificates are no longer required to complete CEUs to maintain their certificates.