RH CERTIFICATION RENEWAL, HIGHER, or STATUS CHANGE

Rev. 6/1/2024~ - Pg. 1

Application Type - RH

CERTIFICATION RENEWAL, HIGHER, or STATUS CHANGE APPLICATION

This application must be signed and submitted by the Louisiana employing school system or BESE-approved company

contracted to a public school. By completing the Certification Renewal, Higher, or Status Change application on behalf of

your current/former employee, you can request a certificate be renewed, extended, reactivated, reinstated, advanced to a

higher level, or the validity paused/resumed based upon the role of the certificate holder. Upon receipt of a complete

packet with all required documents and appropriate

fee, a certification case will be opened in the state’s certification

database, trackable online at TeachLouisiana.net.

Experience

Verification of experience is required with all requests made on this application.

● The Louisiana employing school system or BESE-approved contracted company may verify all in-state

experience using the In-State Experience Verification form included in the application.

● Out-of-state experience must be verified as successful by the out-of-state direct employing authority using t

Out-of-State Experience Verification Attestation

to be used for certification purposes.

Effectiveness

Renewal of a Level 2 or 3 certificate, advancing to a Level 2 or 3 certificate, or reinstatement of a lapsed Type A/B

certificate requires verification of effectiveness. Effectiveness ratings must be final and reflective of a full school year of

evaluation for certification purposes.

● A teacher having served in a public school setting is required to have evaluations reported and finalized in the

Compass Information System (CIS) and/or LEADS. Alternate documentation verifying effectiveness is not

accepted for years served in a public school setting.

o If an educator serving in a public school setting does not have the required effective evaluations i

S/LEADS, but was evaluated via Compass/LEADS, please reach out to LEADS@la.gov

for assistance.

o If an educator serving in a public school setting was not evaluated via Compass/LEADS, any request for

renewal or advancement may be denied, and the educator may be directed to appeal to the Teacher

Certification Appeals Council (TCAC) to request additional time in order to be evaluated.

● A teacher having served in a nonpublic school setting must have earned effective ratings per local personnel

evaluations. The Local Evaluation Attestation

, completed by the approved Louisiana employing nonpublic school,

would be required for any years served in a nonpublic setting.

● A teacher providing instruction in a public school setting, not employed by but contracted to the public school with

BESE-approved company, must have earned effective ratings per employer personnel evaluations. T

mployer Evaluation Attestation

, completed by the employing BESE-approved company, would be required for

any years providing instruction in a contracted position.

● Out-of-state experience must be verified as successful by the out-of-state direct employing authority using the

ut-of-State Experience Verification Attestation

● Educators having served in multiple settings may be credited with evaluations appropriate to the employment

setting for each year.

Requesting a Higher Certificate

To advance a certificate to a higher level, submit the required documentation indicated in the checklist below. The

Certification office will issue the qualified certificate based on the documentation provided.

● Type C or Level 1 certified teachers may advance to the Level 2 once the teacher completes three years of

teaching experience as verified on experience verification form(s) AND has earned three years of effective final

evaluation ratings, verified as indicated above.

● Type C, Level 1, or Level 2 certified teachers are eligible for a Level 3 certificate if the teacher ear

ned an

vanced degree from an institution accredited in accordance with 34 CFR 602

, taught for five years as verified

on the experience verification form(s), AND has earned three years of effective final evaluation, verified as

indicated above.

● Level 2* or 3* certificates are no longer issued to individuals in nonpublic schools, effective September 1, 2023.

Educators serving in any approved setting will be issued the standard Level 2 or 3 appropriate to experience a

fectiveness verified, and degree(s) awarded.

● Type A certificates are only issued to educators currently holding Type B/B* certificates. Type B/B* certifi

eachers are eligible for a Type A certificate if the teacher earned an advanced degree from an instituti

accredited in accordance with 34 CFR 602

, taught for five years as verified on the experience verification form(s),

AND has earned three years of effective final evaluation, verified as indicated above.

● Out-of-State (OS) certified teachers are eligible for a Louisiana professional Level certificate once Praxis

requirements have been fulfilled by successfully completing the exams associated with the educator’s initial

certification area or with successful teaching experience outside of Louisiana. At least three years of successful

teaching experience in another state prior to first employment in Louisiana or application for the OS, verified o

he Out-of-State Experience Verification Attestation

fulfills exam requirements. The Level 1, 2, or 3 certificate

appropriate to experience verified and degree(s) awarded will be issued.

● Military Out-of-State (OS

) certified applicants may advance to the Level 2 or 3 certificate once at least three

ears effective ratings are earned in Louisiana during the five-year OS period, verified as indicated above. Activ

ilitary are not issued a three-year Level 1 certificate. Louisiana law requires five-year certificates for military

educators.

o Active military or military spouse applicants may use any three years of successful teaching experience i

another state, before or after issuance of the Louisiana certificate or employment in Louisiana, to fulfill the

am requirement and advance to the Level 2 or 3 certificate.

Rev. 6/1/2024 - Pg. 2

Application Type - RH

● TEP certified teachers are eligible for Level 1 once they have earned final evaluations at the level of highly

effective or effective proficient for five years in Compass and/or LEADS. TEP: Preparation Program Completers

lacking exams who have fulfilled exam requirements prior to completing five years on the TEP should contact

their preparation program provider to be recommended for the Level 1.

Renewing a Certificate

Renewal or extension adds validity to the current certificate only if requirements are met and extension is allowed by Bulletin

746. A request to renew WILL NOT change the type or Level of a certificate. To request a renewal/extension of the current

certificate, submit the required documentation indicated in the checklist below.

● Type C or Level 1 certificates are valid for three years initially and may be extended thereafter for a period of one

year at the employer’s request. These certificates are limited to two such extensions. The Type C and Level 1

extensions are applicable if the educator does not meet guidelines for issuance of a higher certificate.

● Level 2 or Level 3 certificates are extended by successfully meeting the standards of effectiveness for at least

three of the five years covered by the certificate, verified as indicated above.

● Level 2* or 3* certificates previously issued to individuals in nonpublic schools can be renewed by successfully

meeting the standards of effectiveness for at least three of the five years covered by the certificate, verified

as indicated above. If qualified for renewal, a standard certificate at the same level will be issued rather than

extending the previously held Level 2* or 3*.

Reactivating and Reinstating a Lapsed Lifetime Certificate

Type A, A*, B, or B* certificates are considered lapsed when an educator permits a period of five or more consecutive

calendar years of disuse to accrue. A lapsed certificate may be reactivated upon request of the Louisiana employing

authority. During the reactivated period the holder must earn effective ratings for at least three years during the five-year

reactivation period,

verified as indicated above. Upon earning three effective evaluations, the lifetime validity of the

certificate may be reinstated with the submission of an application for reinstatement.

Non-practicing, Operational Role, and Return to Practicing Status Change

● Non-practicing status / Operational Role status – The Certification Office will determine the appropriate status

based on the experience and/or current role verified by the current or former employing school system.

o Teachers who are not serving/employed or who are serving in another state/country may have their Louisiana

teaching certification placed into Non-practicing status. Doing so preserves the validity of the certificate since

renewal of a Louisiana teaching certificate requires the educator earn effective teacher evaluations in a

Louisiana approved school setting.

o Educational Leaders serving on EDL certificates may have their teaching certificates placed into Non-

practicing status while serving on the EDL certificate. Putting the teaching certificate into Non-practicing status

will preserve any remaining validity. The same is true for teachers who hold EDL certificates but who are

teaching; the EDL would be placed into Non-practicing while serving on the teaching certificate.

o The requested effective date of Non-practicing status should be the last date of employment in the evaluated

role, within the certificate’s validity, no earlier than August 1, 2012, as verified by the current or former

employing school system.

o Teachers who are serving in a public school setting that cannot be evaluated per student growth measures

via Compass/LEADS (e.g. district level positions, Educational Technology Facilitator/Leader, etc.) may have

the teaching certificate placed into Operational Role status. Operational Role status shall take effect on the

first day of employment in a role that cannot be evaluated per student growth measures, as verified by the

employing school system. Requests for Operational Role should include a job description indicating the

percentage of time spent in each primary responsibility for the specific applicant to determine eligibility.

o EDL certificates are not placed into Operational Role as they have the option to renew with local evaluations

conducted by the employing school system when the leader is serving at the school system level. Please

refer to the Educational Leader application packet.

● Return to Practicing status

o Non-practicing teachers and leaders returning to practice and Operational Role teachers returning to a role

that can be evaluated per student growth measures may apply through the Louisiana employing school

system to request that the certificate be placed back into practicing status effective the date returning to an

evaluated role. All years of remaining validity preserved while in Non-practicing or Operational status will be

returned to the certificate.

Rev. 6/1/2024 - Pg. 3

Application Type - RH

Submitting the Application

The employing school system submits a complete application packet including all required documentation through the online

educator certification portal. It is recommended that applicants and HR personnel check the current certificate

and

Compass/LEADS evaluations (where applicable) prior to paying any fees and submitting an application to ensure an

appropriate request is made and prevent unnecessary denials.

The following five (5) items are required for every request made on this application. Required forms must be signed and

dated within 90 days of the submission date:

1. Copy of Applicant’s Social Security Card and Driver’s License/Official Photo ID (required with every application)

2. Renewal/Higher Application form

3. Professional Conduct form with all questions answered, signed, and dated by the applicant

4. Experience Verification form

5. Copy of Online Payment Confirmation email or screenshot* - Use Processing Fee Schedule

to determine amount

due. Payment is non-refundable and does not guarantee certification but is used for review of submitted documents.

Guide the educator to their

TeachLA Live! portal account so that the fee, appropriate to the request, can be made to

LDOE online through the payment portal. Inform the educator that the email confirmation or payment success

screen is required to be included with the application. The confirmation number alone is not accepted. Applications

that do not include the email confirmation or payment success screen will be returned without processing.

Additional documents required, where applicable:

6. Official transcripts reflecting degree(s) awarded* if requesting a Level 3 certificate and a graduate degree is not

already reflected on the current certificate

. Transcripts should be sent (mailed or emailed) directly to the applicant or

the employing school system and will be considered official. Scan, insert, and upload with the certification

application.

7. Local Evaluation Attestation(s) completed by the Louisiana approved nonpublic school for any years served in a

nonpublic setting.

8. Employer Evaluation Attestation(s) completed by the employing BESE-approved company for any years

providing instruction in a contracted position.

9. Out-of-State Experience Verification Attestation(s) for any years served outside of Louisiana and not already on

file with the Certification office from a previous application.

10. PRAXIS Score reports for OS applicants requesting the Level certificate with exams completed

11. Job description, including percentages for each primary responsibility specific to the applicant, if requesting

Operational Role status.

*If qualified for the Level 3 or Type A certificate, a graduate degree will be added when the Level 3 or Type A is issued if

no other qualifying degree is present on the certificate. If the Level 3 or Type A cannot be issued or if a qualifying degree

is already present on the certificate, degrees are not added using this application. A separate

Evaluation, Add-on, Course

Approval, and Name Change (EV) application and a separate fee is required to add degrees except when the degree is

required to issue the Level 3 or Type A.

Only the request(s) indicated on the signed application page will be processed. Determinations will be made based on the

documentation provided and on file with our office. If the information provided is incomplete or inaccurate, a new

application and a new fee may be required to re-apply with additional documentation.

Contact Information: All questions regarding certification requirements or the process, can be answered by contacting

the certification staff through the online educator certification portal

. Employing school systems may request a phone call

by using the online scheduler accessible in the portal once logged in with “Human Resource” credentials for the

employing school system. All applications will be evaluated in the order in which they are received. You can check the

status of your certification application

online HERE.

Rev.

6/1/2024 - Pg. 4

Application Type - RH

Handwritten documents will not be accepted for certification processing.

Indicate the certification request/recommendation:

Higher Level 1, 2, or 3 or Type A Certificate – If requirements for a higher certificate are met based on the

documents provided, a new certificate is issued at the qualified level. The new certificate replaces the lower

certificate. Areas of certification remain the same. To request that the current certificate be renewed if a higher

certificate cannot be issued, an extension may also be requested below. Include graduate degree official

transcript if not already reflected on the current certificate to be evaluated for Level 3 or Type A. If qualified for the

higher certificate, the graduate degree will be added. If request is for Educational Leader issuance/higher, use the

Educational Leader App.

Extend

/Renew Type C or Level 1, 2, or 3 Certificate – Renewal or extension adds validity to the

current

certificate if requirements are met and extension is allowed by Bulletin 746. A request to renew WILL NOT change

the Type or Level of a certificate. To request that the current certificate be renewed if a higher request cannot be

granted, an extension may be indicated here in addition to the higher request above.

Reactivate / Reinstate Lapsed Type A, B, A*, or B* – Provides 5-year validity on the certificate allowing

educator to earn three effective evaluations for full reinstatement where there has been a 5-year break in

teaching/service. Reinstates certificate validity to “lifetime with continuous service” if applicant has earned at least

three effective evaluations during the 5-year reactivation period.

Status Change – The effective date must be within the validity of the certificate, not before August 1, 2012, and

aligned with experience verified on the Experience Verification form. If requesting Operational Role, a job

description, including percentages for each primary responsibility specific to the applicant, is required. The

Certification Office will determine the appropriate status based on the experience and/or current role verified by

the current or former employing school system. Two status changes per certificate may be requested here if

retroactively placing a certificate into Non-practicing or Operational Role and back into practicing.

Cert

ificate Type & Number

: Certificate’s Current Validity:

MM/DD/YYYY MM/DD/YYYY

Non-pr

acticing or Operational Role: Effective Date for Status Change: or at issuance/renewal

MM/DD/YYYY

Reason f

or requesting Non-practicing or Operational Role:

Return to P

racticing Status or evaluated role: Effective Date for Status Change:

MM/DD/YYYY

I agree that my typed/electronic signature as entered below is the legal equivalent of my manual signature on this

application.

Signature of Applicant: Date:

Signatur

e of LA Employing Authority: Date:

Louisiana E

mploying School System

or BESE-approved Employing Company:

Employ

ing Authority Email:

Social Security Number ______________________ Email Address:__________________________________

(no dashes, no spaces)

Legal Name of Applicant:___________________________________________ Date of Birth:___________________

Check here if requesting name change; will match name as it appears on SS card.

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________

(Street) (City) (State) (Zip Code)

Phone: (____) ________________ LA Certificate #: ____________ Payment Confirmation # __________________

(Provide email confirmation or screenshot of payment with documents)

-----SELECT REASON FOR STATUS CHANGE-----

Professional Conduct Form

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

Check

YES NO

1. Have you ever had a professional license or certificate denied, suspended, revoked,

censured, or voluntarily surrendered?

If YES, what type of professional license/certificate?_________________________

If YES, in which state?____________________________

2. Are you currently being reviewed or investigated for purposes of such action as

stated in #1 or is such action pending?

3. Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense?

If YES, when was the date of conviction: _____________________

If you answered “YES” to any of the questions above, you must provide copies of any proceedings

or other relevant explanatory documents that provide full disclosure of the nature and circumstances

of EACH separate incident to be included with the application packet.

Pursuant to Louisiana law R.S. 15:587.1, background checks shall disclose ALL

CONVICTIONS, (Including but not limited to expungements, first offender pardons and pre-

trial diversion). Criminal Background Checks (CBCs) are conducted in accordance with La.

R.S. 17:15 and La. R.S. 15:587.1.

BESE policy set forth in Bulletin 746-Louisiana Standards for State Certification of School Personnel addresses

actions related to the suspension, denial, and revocation of Louisiana Certificates.

Rev. August 30, 2023

APPLICANT’S LEGAL NAME:

SSN (No Dashes):

ADDRESS (Street Address, Including City, State, Zip):

DATE OF BIRTH

(MM/DD/YYYY)

I affirm and declare that all information given by me in the responses to items #1 through #3 above is true, correct,

and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any misrepresentation of facts, by omission or addition,

may result in criminal prosecution and/or the denial or revocation of my teacher certificate.

I agree that my electronic,

typed signature as entered below is the legal equivalent of my manual signature on this document.

SIGNATURE OF

APPLICANT:

DATE SIGNED:

Revised 6/1/2024

IN-STATE EXPERIENCE VERIFICATION FORM

This document is to be completed by a Louisiana employing school system –or– BESE-approved contracted company as official verification of the applicant’s experience.

Handwritten documents are not accepted for certification processing.

EMPLOYEE’S

LEGAL NAME:

DATE OF BIRTH

(MM/DD/YYYY)

SSN

(No Dashes):

LA School

System

(Out of State

Experience must be

verified on form

linked here)

NAME OF SCHOOL

Type of

School

Dates of Service

MM/YYYY-MM/YYYY

(e.g. 08/2018-06/2020

–or-

08/2019 – current)

Grade

Level(s)

Subject Taught or

Service Provided

Employee’s Role/Job Title

(e.g. Teacher, Substitute, Principal,

District Leader, etc.)

If role is unique, include a job description.

Method of Evaluation

● Compass/LEADS

● Local Evaluation

● Employer Evaluation

● Cannot Be Evaluated –

include a job description

I agree & verify the information contained in this document. My electronic signature, as entered below, is the legal equivalent of my manual signature on this application.

SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT:

SIGNATURE & TITLE OF

EMPLOYING AUTHORITY:

DATE

VERIFIED:

NAME

DISTRICT/COMPANY OF

EMPLOYING

AUTHORITY:

EMPLOYER’S E-MAIL: