Useful Definitions

• Acceptable credit - content or professional education course work earned after the conferral of the bachelor's degree approved by the Office of Certification, based on the following criteria. The credit shall be:
  
  (a.) earned at an IHE or through CPD's,
  (b.) related to school assignment,
  (c.) earned within 5 years immediately preceding the date on which the certificate is issued, and
  (d.) earned in reading courses if they have not yet been completed.
  

• Conditional Certificate - a non-degree or degree certificate valid for 2 years while the teacher pursues an approved plan developed by the teacher and the Office of Certification to meet the standards for a professional certificate. (effective January 1, 2003)
  

• Continuing Education Units (CEU) - credit earned through course work or experiences offered by an accredited institution, association, agency, etc. One CEU equals 2/3 of a semester hour.
  

• Content course work - course work completed in academic disciplines from the specific department, i.e. biology, English, history, mathematics.
  

• Continuing Professional Development Credit (CPD'S) - credit earned through course work approved by the MSDE; at one time known as 'in-service credits'.
  

• Full-time teaching experience - a period of not less than 9 consecutive months as the responsible teacher in a classroom pursuant to an appointment requiring service for 50% or more of the school day during 50% or more of the school year.
  

• Institution of Higher Education (IHE) - 2 or 4 year accredited college or university that meets one of the following standards:
  (a) is accredited by an accrediting commission in one of the regional associations of colleges and schools,
  (b) participates in the ICC or NCATE programs, and/or
  (c) course work is accepted by the state in which the institution is located for teacher certification purposes.
  

• Interstate Certification Compact (ICC) - a legal agreement with other states to facilitate the certification of out-of-state teachers and other professional educational personnel.
  

• Local School System (LSS)- a Maryland public school system, a state-operated school, or an accredited nonpublic school.
  

• Long term substitute experience - full-time, continuous substitute teaching service rendered in the same classroom for not less than 3 months.
  

• Misassignment/Out-of-Field - assignment of a professionally certificated teacher to teach a subject for which a professional certificate is not held. Conditionally certificated teachers should only be assigned to the area on their certificate.
  

• National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) - a council providing accreditation of professional education units in United States colleges that prepare professional educators to staff K-12 schools for children.
  

• Occupational experience - experience gained while employed performing the trade to be taught.
  

• Professional certificate - a Standard or Advanced professional certificate.
  

• Professional Development Plan (PDP) - a plan to describe the employee's continued professional development.
  

• Professional education course work - course work dealing with the knowledge and process of teaching in preparation for becoming a teacher.
  

• Quarter hours - credit hours earned at an IHE within a quarter hour system of scheduling; 1quarter hour equals 2/3 of a semester hour.
  

• Recent credit - semester hours or equivalent earned within the most recent five years.
  

• Required grade - a grade of "C" or better required for course work satisfying certification requirements; a grade of "B" or better is required for BCPSS tuition reimbursement.
  

• Resident teacher certificate - issued to a teacher holding a bachelor's degree but not meeting requirements for a professional certificate and has been selected to participate in a BCPSS recognized alternative certification program.
  

• Semester hour - credit hours earned at an IHE within a semester system of scheduling, and are required unless otherwise stated.
  

• Supervised experience - an internship, practicum, or student teaching provided by an IHE.
  

• Teacher certification tests - tests offered nationally in basic skills, required content of subject matter, and pedagogy that have been validated according to generally accepted professional standards and approved by the State Board of Education.
  

• Teaching experience - a satisfactory supervised experience or an accumulation of 1 year of satisfactory full-time teaching experience in the certification area in a school at the appropriate age or grade level for which the teacher is seeking certification.