Requirements to Renew a Teaching License in Ohio

<p>Educators in Ohio may renew their resident educator, professional, associate, or substitute licenses. The requirement for renewal of the first three includes completion of coursework approved by the Ohio Department of Education. General requirements and career information are summarized in the table below. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td>Education Required</td><td> Bachelor's degree</td></tr> <tr><td>Certification Renewal Period </td><td>Four years (resident educator/initial certification); five years (professional and associate); one or five years (substitute)</td></tr> <tr><td>Requirements for Renewal </td><td> Lacking sufficient progress, may renew with 3-6 semester hours of coursework (resident educator); six semester hours of coursework or 18 CEUs (professional or associate); continued employment in school (substitute)</td></tr> <tr><td>Average Salary (2018) </td><td> $29,020 (preschool teachers in OH) <br /> $59,750 (kindergarten teachers in OH) <br /> $62,430 (elementary school teachers in OH) <br /> $62,130 (middle school teachers in OH) <br /> $61,930 (high school teachers in OH)*</td></tr> <tr><td>Estimated Job Growth (2016-2026) </td><td>8% (preschool, primary, secondary, and special education school teachers, nationally)*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---ProfessionalAndAssociateLicenses">Professional and Associate Licenses</h3> <p>A professional teaching license is granted to an educator who holds a valid resident educator (initial) license and has satisfied the requirements stated by the Ohio Department of Education to progress. An associate license is given to educators who teach kindergarten or those who cater to students with special needs. Both of these licenses are valid for five years. In order to renew these licenses, educators must design an Individual Professional Development Plan which has to be approved by the Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC). This plan must be in line with the professional educator standards adopted by the State Board of Education and address the needs of the educator as well as the students they are assigned to teach. As stated in the plan, the educator must complete one of the following in order to renew their license: </p> <ul><li>Six semester hours of coursework related to the area of licensure </li><li>18 continuing education units (CEUs) which is equivalent to 180 hours </li><li>Other activities related to the area of licensure as approved by the LPDC </li></ul><p>These options can be combined in order to attain the number of semester hours or CEUs required. </p> <h3 id="section---SubstituteLicenses">Substitute Licenses</h3> <p>The Ohio Department of Education offers one-year and five-year substitute teaching licenses. The renewal of substitute licenses is handled by the school in which the teacher is employed. Educators who hold substitute teaching licenses must continue to secure employment at their school and inform employers of their intention to continue employment as a substitute teacher. </p> <h3 id="section---BackgroundClearance">Background Clearance</h3> <p>In order to renew their teaching certificate, educators must ensure that their background check is still valid. Background checks are valid for five years and can be re-done through a local education center or local law enforcement. Educators can find out if their background check is valid by logging into their online educator account. Educators must ensure that their background check results are sent to the Ohio Department of Education so they can be logged into the educator's account. </p> <h3 id="section---ApprovedCourseworkForRenewal">Approved Coursework for Renewal</h3> <p>The Ohio Department of Education does not offer the pre-approval of coursework before educators undertake the coursework needed to renew their licenses. Instead, it maintains a list of institutions that are approved to offer programs that are in line with the Ohio Educator program. This list may be found on the Department's website. </p> <h3 id="section---ApplicationProcess">Application Process</h3> <p>Educators who hold a license other than that of substitute can complete the renewal process by logging into the Connected Ohio Records for Educators (CORE) system which is available on the Ohio Department of Education website. The educator is able to upload any documentation evidence of the coursework or CEUs they have achieved on the system. Substitute teachers cannot complete the renewal application online without first verifying employment with their school, as the application has to be electronically signed by a representative of the employing school.</p>