resources - educators

School Districts

Maintenance of Certification - Roles and Responsibilities

Holders of Professional certificates and Level III Teaching Assistant certificates are required to maintain their certificates through continuing professional development. Specifically, the Professional certificate holder must complete 175 hours of professional development and the Level III Teaching Assistant certificate holder 75 hours, within a 5-year professional development period, to render the certificate valid, if employed by a public school district or BOCES throughout the entire professional development period.

Complementary regulations pertaining to district professional development planning require public school districts and BOCES to specifically address the provision of professional development for these certificate holders in the districts’ professional development plans. In addition to provision of professional development, employing districts must maintain records of professional development completed by these certificate holders and report all completed hours of professional development to the Office of Teaching Initiatives, this information is retained as part of the certificate holders’ certification records.   Professional development hours may be reported to the SED Office of Teaching Initiatives by using .

While format and procedures for recordkeeping for required professional development are locally determined, as a convenience for school personnel, a suggested format for recording required continuing professional development: Continuing Professional Development District Planning Form (PDF).

For additional information on district professional development planning go to the Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Continuing Education (EMSC)'s Professional Development Web site.