NC Education Code · Regulation
Title 16 — root / Chapter 06 — 16 NCAC 06C .0307
Plain English summary
This regulation establishes the requirements for renewing North Carolina educator licenses, which are valid for five-year periods. Renewal requires 15 units of credit earned through college coursework, professional development hours, or teaching experience, with specific criteria for each activity type. School administrators must earn at least five renewal credits focused on teacher effectiveness and related topics per renewal cycle.
Key requirements
- Licenses shall be valid for a period of five years from the effective date of issuance.
- Holders must renew their licenses within each five-year period.
- The Department shall base renewal or reinstatement of a license on 15 units of renewal credit.
- A unit of credit shall be equal to one quarter hour or two-thirds of a semester hour of IHE college or university credit, 10 hours of professional development, or one school year of teaching experience.
- Effective July 1, 2007, school administrators shall earn at least five renewal credits during each renewal cycle that focus on the principal's role in teacher effectiveness, teacher evaluations, teacher support programs, teacher leadership, teacher empowerment, and teacher retention.
- Currently employed personnel shall maintain an individual growth plan.
- Earning National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification or completion of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification process shall result in fifteen units of renewal credit.
- Completing National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification renewal shall result in five units of renewal credit.
- Independent study shall be no more than five units of renewal credit per five-year renewal period.
- LEAs and governing boards of schools shall assure that all local courses, workshops and independent study activities which do not carry IHE credit meet the standards contained in this Rule.
- LEAs must adopt a procedure to determine the appropriateness of credit in advance of renewal activities.
- Each LEA must report on participation in and effectiveness of professional development to the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission on an annual basis.
- LEAs may develop an alternative license renewal plan that is competency-based and results-oriented.
- The plan must include outcome measures and must be submitted to the Department for review in advance of its implementation.
Affected parties
- Licensed educators
- School administrators
- Local Education Agencies (LEAs)
- Governing boards of nonpublic schools
- North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
- North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission
- Currently employed licensed personnel
- Non-employed license holders