Certificate Reinstatements
Certificate Reinstatement - To reinstate a certificate is to make an expired certificate valid.
CERTIFICATE REINSTATEMENT THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2024
Apply through the new ACE online application system.
•Background clearance based on a fingerprint review. If a valid certificate is not held, a NEW Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (ASBI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal history background check through the ALSDE must be conducted. The results must be on file in the Educator Certification Section within 30 days prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.
•NOTE: If another valid Alabama certificate, license, or permit is held on the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section, a NEW background check is NOT required.
For Computer Science: The applicant must hold a currently valid passing score(s)/license(s) on an available ALSDE-approved ENTRY LEVEL or MASTER LEVEL occupational proficiency assessment.
For Cosmetology: The applicant must hold a currently valid Alabama Cosmetology Instructor license. The currently active license must have been attained prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.
For Health Science: The applicant must hold a currently active Alabama license in a registered nursing, paramedical, or approved allied health specialty. The currently active license must have been attained prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.
CERTIFICATE REINSTATEMENT EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2025
General Information
Apply through the new ACE online application system. Documentation must be provided verifying ONE of the reinstatement options was met within 2 years (24 months) immediately prior to receipt of the application in the Educator Certification Section. All requirements to reinstate a certificate must be completed within 2 years (24 months) immediately prior to receipt of the application in the Educator Certification Section.
Meeting the requirements to reinstate a Professional Educator Certificate in an area other than administration and/or supervision or a renewable Career and Technical Certificate WILL NOT meet the requirements to reinstate a Professional Leadership Certificate and/or Professional Educator Certificate in an area of administration and/or supervision.
Meeting the requirements to reinstate a Professional Leadership Certificate and/or Professional Educator Certificate in an area of administration and/or supervision WILL MEET requirements to reinstate a Professional Educator Certificate in an area other than administration and/or supervision or an expired Career and Technical Certificate. This WILL NOT apply to certificate reinstatement after 2025.
Background clearance based on a fingerprint review. If a valid certificate is not held, a NEW Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (ASBI) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal history background check through the ALSDE must be conducted. The results must be on file in the Educator Certification Section within 30 days prior to the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section.
•NOTE: If another valid Alabama certificate, license, or permit is held on the date the application is received in the Educator Certification Section, a NEW background check is NOT required.
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR CERTIFICATE REINSTATEMENT REQUIREMENTS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2025
Educator Continuation Option 1: 100 Clock Hours of Allowable Professional Development
100 allowable clock hours must be documented in the applicant’s PowerSchool Professional Learning account. All allowable clock hours must be under the correct ALSDE ID in PowerSchool Professional Learning. AND/OR 100 allowable clock hours must be documented on Supplement VPD by an APPROVED PROVIDER.
Educator Continuation Option 2: SIX (6) Semester Hours of Allowable Coursework Credit documented on transcripts.
Allowable credit must be completed at a regionally accredited senior institution or an institution that was accredited by the Distance Education Association Commission (DEAC). If the institution is not accredited by either of these entities, please consult with the Educator Certification Section PRIOR TO completing the coursework.
Educator Continuation Option 3: Initial Issuance or Renewal of NBPTS Certification
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certificate must have been initially issued or renewed within 2 years (24 months) immediately prior to receipt of the application in the Educator Certification Section. The NBPTS certificate will be verified on the NBPTS website. The Educator Certification Section will verify NBPTS certification. No additional documents must be submitted.
PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP CERTIFICATE REINSTATEMENT REQUIREMENTS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2025
This is for the following certificate areas: Educational Administrator, Instructional Leader, Superintendent, Principal (any grade level), Superintendent-Principal, Supervisor (general or specific subject area and/or grade level), and Career and Technical Administrator. These guidelines will NOT apply to certificate reinstatement after 2025.
Leadership Continuation: Option 1: THREE (3) Professional Learning Units (PLUs) must be documented in the applicant’s PowerSchool Professional Learning account. Of the required 3 PLUs, at least 2 PLU MUST have been earned through the Alabama Council for Leadership Development (ACLD)-approved Professional Studies AND/OR By submission of an official transcript verifying coursework that has been approved for use as an ACLD-approved PLU. A PLU is a content-driven, long-term unit of professional study for individuals who hold certification in an area of administration/supervision.
Leadership Continuation: Option 2: Passing score(s) on the Alabama-prescribed Praxis subject-area test for Educational Leadership.
Must take and pass the Praxis subject area test (in effect at the time of application submission) within 2 years (24 months) prior to reception of the application in the Educator Certification Section. Praxis subject area test requirements are subject to change.
Paper score reports will not be accepted. Only official Praxis score reports, electronically submitted with the applicant’s complete social security number directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to this Department, will be accepted.
CAREER AND TECHNICAL CERTIFICATE REINSTATEMENT REQUIREMENTS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2025
Career and Technical Continuation: Option 1: 100 allowable clock hours must be documented in the applicant’s PowerSchool Professional Learning account. Before submission, the applicant should ensure that allowable clock hours are under the correct ALSDE ID in PowerSchool Professional Learning. AND/OR 100 allowable clock hours must be documented on Supplement VPD by an APPROVED PROVIDER.
Career and Technical Continuation: Option 2: Career and Technical Education Teacher Certification Program (CTE TCP)
Completion of CTE TCP Level 1 or CTE TCP Level 2 is documented in the applicant’s PowerSchool Professional Learning account. Before application submission, the applicant should verify the appropriate training is under the correct ALSDE ID in PowerSchool Professional Learning. The Educator Certification Section will verify clock hours in PowerSchool, no additional documents must be submitted.
Note: This does not include CTE 101.
The Educator Certification and Career and Technical Education Sections reserve the right to request additional information regarding verification of the CTE TCP Level 1 or CTE Level 2. The Educator Certification Section reserves the right to deny any professional development submitted if it is not related to educational advancement in the classroom. CTE TCP is a year-long professional development program designed to support Career and Technical Educators with funding, teacher resources, student organizations, advisory committees, program evaluation, equipment lists, and professional development opportunities.
All applications for continuation or reinstatement of Type, Level, and Specialty Area certificates will be reviewed by the Office of Career and Technical Education of the Department. Upon the review and recommendation, these certificates will be converted to the appropriate Degree Equivalent 2, 3, 4, or 5 certificates endorsed in technical education and/or in the technical education program area(s) for which the applicant has met requirements or the appropriate Degree Equivalent 2, 3, or 4 certificates endorsed in health science.
ALLOWABLE CLOCK HOURS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ALABAMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION POLICY
The Educator Certification Section reserves the right to request additional information regarding the professional development submitted. In addition, the Educator Certification Section reserves the right to deny any professional development submitted if it is not related to educational advancement in the classroom or area of instructional support.
Clock hours of allowable professional development submitted for continuation shall be:
- Consistent with the Alabama Standards for Professional Development and based on the individual’s professional growth needs as identified through performance evaluations, if employed; or related to professional education with consideration given to the sponsoring organization, the professional qualifications of the presenter and the purposes, goals, and evaluation of the activity.
- Professional development activities must include the specific title, date, and number of clock hours. Example: Communicating with Parents; January 12, 2024; 1.5 clock hours. Activities with generic titles such as “faculty meetings,” “grade-level meetings,” “teacher in-service,” “institute,” “clinic,” “data meetings,” “professional development,” etc., are not specific titles of professional development activities. If titles such as these are used, a detailed explanation of each activity must be included.
The following activities are only accepted if verified by the employer as allowable professional development (see APPROVED PROVIDERS) below for allowable employers).
For certificate continuation, no more than 10 clock hours of each of the following activities may be counted as allowable professional development: Auditing of courses, Book Study, Journals/publications, Presentations, Supervising of Student Interns, or Educational Travel.
College course credit cannot be utilized as clock hours of professional development.
Certificates of completion will not be accepted.
ALLOWABLE CLOCK HOURS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – APPROVED PROVIDERS
The allowable clock hours of professional development MUST be verified by one of the entities listed below. NO exceptions will be made regarding these providers.
• A state or local public school (grades P-12);
• A church-related/parochial school (grades P-12);
• Alabama State Department of Education sponsored initiatives (e.g., AMSTI);
• A State Department of Education;
• A professional education association;
• A college/university that was regionally accredited or accredited by DEAC when the professional development was earned;
• An Alabama nonpublic/private school (grades P-12);
• An Alabama charter school (grades P-12);
• A nonpublic/private school or charter school (grades P-12) outside of Alabama
The school must have been regionally accredited or approved by the State Department of Education where the school was geographically located when the professional development was earned. The school MUST SUBMIT documentation of their accreditation or approval by that State Department of Education, during the school year(s) the professional development was earned;
• A federally operated grades P-12 school (e.g., Department of Defense Education Activity);
• A Head Start Program under the legal jurisdiction of a public school system when the professional development was earned;
• A childcare facility below Kindergarten (Age 5) that was accredited by the National Association for the Education of
Young Children (NAEYC) when the professional development was earned;
• eLearning for Educators-Alabama;
• Alabama Regional Inservice Centers;
• Alabama State Department of Education sponsored initiatives (e.g., AMSTI);
• State Departments of Education;
• Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education (e.g., Office of School Readiness);
• Professional education associations (e.g., Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools / State Affiliates of the National
Education Association / American Federation of Teachers);
• Professional content area associations (e.g., National Council of Teachers of Mathematics);
• Alabama Public Television (APT);
• Regionally accredited college/university / accredited by DEAC; OR
• Continuing education courses completed at a regionally accredited college/university