Q : How long will it take to process my renewal, and when should I send in the form?
A : Allow 6 weeks for processing of your application for renewal (e.g., if your certificate expires on June 30, 2004, you should send the renewal form in to the State Department of Education (SDE) by mid-May. However, as long as it is postmarked prior to June 30, it will be considered renewed on time.)
Q : What form do I need to complete, and where can I get it?
A : The form you need to complete and submit to the SDE is form ED 179 (Continuation of Professional Educator Certificate). You can download and print the form from this link to the SDE web site: http://www.state.ct.us/sde/dtl/cert/toccert.htm .
Q : Does my form have to be signed by my superintendent?
A : The superintendent or his/her designee from any / all district(s) you worked in during the 5-year validity period of the certificate must sign the renewal form. Make sure you allow time for getting signature(s).
Q : Should I send in my CEU certificates with my renewal form?
A : DO NOT send in your CEU certificates with your renewal form – if your renewal is audited, the SDE will contact you and request them.
Q : Is there a fee for renewing my professional certificate?
A : There is no fee for renewal – do not send any payment with your form.
Q : Will districts collect forms from all teachers and send them all together?
A : Some districts will collect the forms from all teachers who must renew their certificates at the same time, and send them in as a batch, while other districts will not. Check with your district’s central office to see what the district procedure is.
Q : I didn’t teach the entire 5 year period of my certificate, but did earn all of my CEUs for renewal. How does this affect my renewal?
A : The main requirement you must meet is to earn the CEUs, and since you have, your renewal application will be processed as any other. When you complete the paperword, on side 1 of the form answer ‘yes’ to question A (Have you completed 90 hours of continuing education…?), and on side 2 of the form, in section B, indicate the periods of time when you taught.
Q : I was on an approved leave of absence from my school district, so didn’t teach the entire 5 year period of my certificate. I did not earn all of my CEUs for renewal. Should I still apply for a renewal, and if so, what happens because I didn’t earn all of my CEUs?
A : You should still send in the renewal form, because your certificate will expire whether you apply for a renewal or not. On side 1 of the form answer ‘no’ to question A (Have you completed 90 hours of continuing education…?). On side 2, under section B, indicate the dates during which you taught under your certificate. The SDE will grant you that same amount of time (as an ‘extension’ of your certificate) to finish earning the CEUs you need. Once you have earned the CEUs, you must notify the SDE so they can finish processing and updating your certificate.
Q : I resigned from my position after 3 years of teaching under this cycle’s professional certificate, and I did not earn all of my CEUs for renewal. Should I still apply for a renewal, and if so, what happens because I didn’t earn all of my CEUs?
A : You should still submit your renewal application as other teachers do. On side 1 of the form answer ‘no’ to question A (Have you completed 90 hours of continuing education…?). On side 2, under section B, indicate the dates during which you taught under your certificate. The SDE will grant an extension of time, up to 5 years, for you to finish earning your CEUs. This will be the only time this extension will be granted, so you must complete your CEUs for this cycle. Once you have earned the CEUs, you must notify the SDE so they can finish processing and updating your certificate. If you do not earn the CEUs, or fail to notify the SDE, your certificate will not be renewed unless you meet any other requirements in effect at that time for your certificate and endorsement area.
Q : What happens if I’m audited?
A : If you are audited, the SDE will contact you and request that you submit the CEU certificates you have as evidence that you met the requirements that pertain to your endorsement. You should make a copy of each certificate for your file, and send in the original certificates. They will be reviewed for compliance, and if you have met the requirements, your renewed certificate will be sent to you.
Q : What do I need to know about the code numbers on my certificates and what they show?
A : Each CEU activity has a number that indicates several things: who the provider is, what year the CEUs were given, the topic the activity falls under, and the section number of the activity. In order to know if specific activities help you meet specific requirements (such as the reading or technology requirements), you should look at the 6th, 7th, and 8th digits of the activity number, which correspond to the activity topic. For reading, the code number is ‘301,’ and for technology the code number is ‘302.’
Q : What happens if I’m audited and some of the code numbers don’t match the 301 or 302 code I need on some of my certificates, but I know the activity fell under the reading or technology? How do I let the SDE know that those activities should ‘count’ toward meeting the requirement?
A : The code numbers are used by the SDE as a quick reference when they conduct an audit. Many activities can fall under more than one topic and have more than one activity code. If the CEU certificates don’t have the code numbers for reading or technology, the auditor looks at the activity name to see if it indicates that it pertains to the requirement. If it does pertain, then the activity is counted. If it appears that it doesn’t pertain, the SDE will ask the teacher to produce either a description of the session, or other backup documentation that tells what the session contains. They’ll use that to determine if the activity met the requirements of the teacher’s endorsement.
Q : I haven’t earned all of the CEUs I need to renew my certificate – what can I do on my own to earn them between now and June?
A : There are several options for you…..
1. take a college or university course that is related to your teaching position and/or the specific requirements you must meet (e.g., reading or technology); your course transcript will act as a CEU certificate if you are audited (each credit hour of the course = 1.5 CEUs);
2. attend conferences and/or workshops offered by professional organizations that are approved CEU providers; a list of approved providers is available via this link on the SDE web site: http://www.state.ct.us/sde/dtl/cert/ceuprlst.htm
3. speak with your district CEU coordinator about earning CEU equivalents through an independent study project;
4. speak with your district CEU coordinator about earning CEU equivalents by participating in on-line professional learning activities offered by organizations such as those listed in the ‘certificate and CEU resources’ section at the end of this document.
Have questions about your certificate? Please contact Linette Branham at CEA, (860) 525-5641 / (800) 842-4316 / linetteb@cea.org
21 Oak Street Hartford, CT 06106 
