Butler County Educational Service Center

Local Professional Development Committee

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Approved College or University:  A college or university which as been approved for the preparation of teachers, administrators, and school employees in pupil personnel services by the State Board of Education.

Approved Program:  A college or university preparation program that the State Board of Education has determined complies with Licensure rules and which leads to licensure necessary as a teacher, administrator, or school employee in pupil personnel services.

Butler County Continuing Education Units:  BCEUs are awarded to individuals for professional development activities used to convert from a certificate to a license or to renew an existing license. BCEUs are awarded for licensing credit based upon the standards and guidelines outlined in this document.  In order to qualify for credit, an activity must be directly relevant to an approved IPDP.

Certificate:  A credential authorizing individuals to teach in the schools of Ohio based on a set of standards established and adopted in 1987. Certificates cover a variety of grade levels and content areas, which are shown on the certificate and are issued on a provisional (four-year), professional (eight-year), and permanent basis.  New certificates will no longer be awarded by the state after July 1, 2001.

Continuing Education Units (CEU):  The CEU applies only to the renewal of a certificate and does not apply to the Licensure process.  A CEU is equal to ten contact hours in a professional development program approved by the State of Ohio or by the local professional development committee.  (The State stopped approving and issuing CEUs on June 30, 1998.)

Conversion: Conversion describes the process of converting a certificate to a license following the provisions mandated by the “Teacher Education and Licensure Standards” and the procedures outlined in this document.

Endorsement: Endorsement of a license is the addition of a teaching area to the license after completion of an approved program of preparation.

Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP):  The Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) is a plan designed to help individuals think reflectively about professional goals and how those goals relate to the professional development opportunities available to them.  It allows individuals to plan and prepare for the licensure process by having them set goals, identify objectives, predict outcomes, analyze educational strategies, and evaluate current practices.

License:  The “license” will replace the “certificate” as the formal credential authorizing individuals to teach in Ohio schools. Effective July 1, 2002, only new licenses will be issued by the State.  Ultimately, all teaching certificates (except for permanent certificates) will be converted to licenses. The new “Teacher Education and Licensure Standards” which authorize the Licensure process were approved by the General Assembly in November 1996 and became effective on January 1, 1998.

Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC):  Senate Bill 230 requires school districts and chartered nonpublic schools to establish Local Professional Development Committees. The committees will determine whether course work and professional development activities completed by individuals meet the requirements for renewal of certificates and licenses.  (The standards adopted pursuant to these rules specify that the committee shall also review other continuing education activities in addition to course work.)

Renewal:  Renewal applies to both certificates and licenses and refers to the process of renewing a certificate or license at its present level (provisional, professional, etc.).  The renewal of certificates is governed by the 1987 teacher certification standards while the renewal of a license is governed by the 1996 “Teacher Education and Licensure Standards”.

Upgrade:  Upgrade describes the process of moving from one certificate level to the next higher certificate level. For example, a certified employee might upgrade from a provisional certificate to a professional certificate or from a professional certificate to a permanent certificate.  Upgrades do not go through the LPDC and are governed by the rules outlined in the 1987 teacher certification standards.