Fees
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| In-State – Program completed through a PA Approved Provider Instructional, Career and Technical, Intern, Educational Specialist, Administrative/ Supervisory, Letter Of Eligibility (LOE), Commission Qualification Letter (CQL) | $200 |
| Out-of-State – Program completed outside PA Instructional, Educational Specialist, Administrative/Supervisory/LOE/CQL | $260 |
| Act 48 Extension Request | $0 |
| Certificate of Preliminary Education (Nurse, Funeral Director) | $50 |
| Charter School Teacher Designation (for HQT purposes only) | $0 |
| Deletion of Certificate Area | $75 |
| Emergency Permits (Type 01, 04, 08) | $100 |
| Emergency Permits (Type 06: day-to-day) | $5 |
| Endorsement | $100 |
| Instructional Add-On | $200 |
| Level II | $200 |
| MEQs/BEQs | $100 |
| Out-of-State Reactivation | $75 |
| Private Academic | $175 |
| Program Specialist | $200 |
| Public Librarian | $0 |
| Resource Specialist | $100 |
| TTP & TTP Conversion | $200 |
| Veteran's Preference | $35 |
| Voluntary Inactivation/Removal | $75 |
Application fees are non-refundable. The fee will be retained by the Commonwealth whether or not the transaction results in the issuance of a certificate.
Payment may be made:
- Online via credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card) through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS) or,
- By mailing to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) a U.S. money order for the appropriate fee made payable to the "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," along with the coversheet printed at the end of the TIMS application process.
Forms
Most forms below are to be used for documentation/verification purposes only. All applications for certification must be submitted online through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS).
For educator evaluation forms including Instructional I to Instructional II see Educator Effectiveness.
- ABCTE Application Addendum (PDF)
- Chapter 49 Exceptional Application Process (PDF) | Chapter 29 Exceptional Case Policy
- Documentation Worksheet for Determining Certificate Validity (Word) - Educators are required to convert a Level I (provisional) certificate to a Level II (permanent) certificate. This worksheet is to be submitted by individuals requesting an actual time frame in which a certificate will lapse. Sample Worksheet (PDF)
- Health Certificate (PDF) - Only required when applying for a Private Academic certificate.
- Locally Issued Career and Technical Emergency Permit Renewal Request (PDF)
- PDE 338 A (PDF) - Used by out-of-state graduates to obtain a college/university verification when applying for Pennsylvania certification.
- PDE 338 CAC (PDF) - Used by applicants who have been denied Pennsylvania certification and wish to appeal the decision.
- PDE 338 ES (PDF)- Used only if specifically requested by your reviewer when applying for a Career and Technical Education Emergency permit.
- PDE 338 G (PDF)- Used for collection of background information for re-issuance of emergency permits.
- PDE 338 P (Word) - Used by school entities to verify service for Level II.
- PDE 338 R-4 (PDF) - Used to file an appeal of the Department's Notice of Inactive Certification for failure to meet Act 48/Act 45 Professional Development requirements. Email the completed form to ra-a48apps@pa.gov.
- PDE 338 V (PDF) - Used by school entities to verify any professional experience.
- PDE 338 VB (PDF) - Used to verify business work experience when applying for a Superintendent's Commission or Commission Qualification Letter.
- PDE 427 (PDF) - Level I to Level II Summative Evaluation Form
- PDE 430 (PDF) - Student Teacher Assessment
- PDE 430A (PDF) - Student Teacher Assessment Attachment
- PDE 5529 - Application for Commission for Superintendent (PDF)
- Resource Specialist Permit Request (PDF) - The form contains instructions for completion. It may be uploaded into a TIMS application or mailed in with the coversheet provided in the online application.
- Safety and Driver Education Teacher Certification Assessment - Testing information, dates, and registration form
Chapter 49.95(f) Exceptional Case Policy
Pursuant to 22 Pa. Code § 49.85(f), the Secretary of Education has the authority to approve individual LEA requests for assigning staff to positions outside of the age and grade levels between Early Childhood, Elementary/Middle, Special Education PreK-8, and Special Education 7-12. These policy guidelines describe the process LEAs must follow in order to request an exception.
Exceptional Case Application Process
Step 1: A Local Education Agency (LEA) may request an exception of the grade and age levels described above by submitting a formal written request from the Chief Officer of the LEA to the Director of the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality. The formal request must include a detailed explanation of why the request is necessary and must include the reasons for not using the appropriate certificate. We will review all requests for exceptions on a case-by-case basis relying on all relevant information provided in the application.
Step 2: The educator for which the exception is being requested must submit an Exceptional Case application through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS). See attached instructions
NOTE:
PDE intends to send an official response within 30 days of receiving both the LEA request and TIMS application.
The official exception letter will be mailed to the requesting LEA and should be kept in the educator’s personnel file. However, official verification of the exception can also be viewed in the educator’s profile on the TIMS Public website.