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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Certification

    ​Quick Reference for Applicants

    Application Review

    Once an application is reviewed, the certificate is issued in TIMS if all requirements are met. Otherwise, you will be contacted regarding outstanding requirements.  Whether you can apply for a position while your application is waiting to be reviewed is determined by the employing school. Requests for expedited application review for hiring purposes may be submitted in TIMS by PA public schools only. 

    How to Be a Teacher

    Contact an approved program provider for your area of certification and they can review your transcripts to determine what you will need to complete a certification program. Once you have chosen and completed a program you will take the concentration test and then apply for your certificate. If you choose an institution that is not an approved program provider the general criteria is they must be a regionally or nationally accredited university with a state approved preparation program that includes student teaching/practicum. You confirm that with them.

    General Applying in TIMS

    Please follow the steps provided in our Submitting an Application in TIMS User Guide. This provides a step-by-step guide through the application process. You can also refer to the Applying in TIMS video (YouTube) for additional guidance.

    Educators Coming from Out of State

    Start here for out-of-state certification requirements. Please review the out-of-state certification routes outlined on the website and select the link that best applies to you to obtain information on PA certification requirements, requirement documentation, testing, etc.

    You'll then need to create an account in TIMS and Submit an Application in TIMS.

    You must take the PA required content test(s) and meet the PA qualifying score. No other tests can be substituted, or exceptions made. To see if the test you completed in another state is the same, please refer to the test provider, test name, and test code posted in our Certification Testing Chart (Excel). If there is any difference between the two, you will need to take Pennsylvania's testing.

    Test Requirements

    The test scores come to us electronically if you take the test in PA. If not, or if taken remotely, you must request they be sent to PDE.

    When required, you must take the PA required content test(s) and meet the PA qualifying score. No other tests can be substituted or exceptions made. To see if the test you completed in another state is the same, please refer to the test provider, test name, and test code posted in our Certification Testing Chart (Excel). If there is any difference between the two, you will need to take Pennsylvania's testing.

    Username/Password Issues

    If you have forgotten your password, you may use the forgotten password tool to have a new password emailed to you. Please note that the password will be sent to the email associated with your profile. If you do not have access to the email associated with your profile, please call the help desk at 877-328-0995.

    Your Username should be less than 20 characters, and it cannot contain any special characters. If it is longer than 20 character or has special characters, please create a new Keystone Login and Password. The new account will require you to Establish Their Teacher Profile again with the new username and password.

    Level II Application

    Our website provides all of the details regarding Level II certification requirements. There is a Level II che​cklist and a Level II FAQ when you are prepared to submit your application. If you have questions regarding qualifying employment, please refer to CSPG 7 for instructions on calculating service. Also see the Valid vs. Active chart.

    The 24 semester-hour credits required for Level II certification must be earned after the conferral of the initial bachelor's degree. A minimum of 6 of the 24 credits must be in the content area of the Level I certificate or in something that improves professional practice. Credits completed after the conferral of the initial bachelor' degree that meet the requirements below will be accepted even if the credits were completed to obtain initial certification.

    • Graduate or undergraduate credits earned at a regionally or nationally accredited or state-approved associate, baccalaureate or graduate degree-granting institution.
    • Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)-approved credits (not Act 48 hours) offered by intermediate units submitted on letterhead with a raised seal.

    For further guidance on the credits required for Level II, see CSPG 7-Level II (Permanent) Certification.

    See Level II Certification FAQ's for additional information.

    Activity/Validity of Certificate

    There are 2 portions of validity to your certificate. Active/Inactive and Valid/Lapsed.

    Active vs Inactive is handled by Act 48 Continuing Education Office

    • Every 5 calendar years from date the initial certificate was issued regardless of PA employment status
    • 6 collegiate credits or 180 hours of professional development

    You can check your specific Act 48 date and requirements on the Professional Education Record Management (PERMS) website

    • Accepted credits: 2- or 4-year colleges, Intermediate Unit credits or in-service hours from approved providers
    • Notice sent at 4- and 5-year marks if requirement is still pending

    Please contact Act 48 at RA-EDAct48@pa.gov for more questions regarding your Continuing Education requirements.

    Valid vs Lapsed is handled by our office, Certification Services (BSLTQ)

    • The Level I is valid for 6 service years in a PA public school. If not actively working in a PA school setting, your 6 year "clock" is not running

    It is the responsibility of the educator to keep track of years of employment. Employment is not tracked by PA Department of Education and no notice is sent out documenting years of service.

    You must apply and complete the following for Level II Permanent Certificate prior to the completion of 6 service years:

    • 24 credits earned after initial bachelor's degree
    • 3 years of satisfactory PA service
    • PDE-Approved Induction Program

    You can contact our office at RA-EDCertQuestions@pa.gov for more questions regarding your Level I to Level II conversion.

    Status of My Application

    Application Status Definitions

    • Incomplete: You started an application but have not yet submitted it. Go back to the Summary Tab of your application and finalize your application.
    • Submitted for Educ or Work Exp Verification: You successfully submitted your application. It is now waiting for verification of your education preparation program (IHE), work experience (LEA), or both. Click the "Track Progress" link to view the Education Details and/or Work Experience Details for any pending entries. Once the school entities say, "Submitted to PDE," they have submitted all information to our office.
    • Pending Documentation: Our office is still waiting for your required documents. Click the "Track Progress" link to view documents needed in the Proof Documents Received Details. Go back to the Submitting Documentation section of this user guide for further instruction.
    • Awaiting Evaluation: The TIMS system has determined your application is complete and is now waiting for staff in our office to review your application by the "awaiting evaluation" date. Our office posts the estimated application processing time at the TIMS log-in screen. Applications with an answer other than "no" to a good moral character question will take longer.
    • Pending Additional Documentation – An evaluation within our office has occurred, and you now need to submit additional information to complete the application. Please check your email to look for the detailed requirements outlined by your evaluator. You can also click the "Track Progress" link to view the Send Back Letter Details.
    • Pending Test Score – An evaluation within our office has occurred, and you need to complete a test(s) to be issued a PA certificate. Click the "Track Progress" link to view the Send Back Letter Details.

    Requesting an Expedite: If a PA employer requires your certificate for hiring or compliance purposes, the school can request an expedite of your application via the TIMS messaging system. An expedited application is processed within 7-10 business days. We are currently unable to process expedite requests for out-of-state employers.