License Renewal
PROFESSIONAL LICENSE RENEWAL
In June 2017, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved changes to educator licensure regulations.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education publishes guidelines, sample forms and templates related to licensure renewal at www.mass.gov/ese/licensure.
Educators are required to complete professional learning activities to maintain active and valid licensure at the Professional License level. Educators may identify and participate in professional learning activities through colleges or universities, district- sponsored activities or by completing other DESE-approved activities. Educators may use activities funded by grants or scholarships, self-funded professional learning activities, professional development activities that are reimbursed by schools or districts, and/or no-cost activities through schools or districts.
Educators should refer to the License Renewal Guidelines for Massachusetts Educators published by the DESE for instructions on how to document professional development and approved activities.
See the MTA Educator Licensure and Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) folder for more information. MTA members may send specific or individual licensure questions to licensure@massteacher.org.
LICENSE RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS
All professional educator licenses must be renewed every five years. Before applying to renew a Professional License, it is important to verify that all requirements have been completed.
- Documentation of 150 Professional Development Points (PDPs) for a primary license, Documentation of 30 PDPs for each additional license.
- An Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP).
- Educators who are employed in the role of the license must obtain appropriate administrator signatures.
- Completion of paper-based or online application for license renewal.
- Payment of any applicable fees.
Educator licensure regulations approved by the BESE in June 2017 include the following:
- Changes in the distribution of PDPs required for both primary and additional licenses.
- Changes to how an educator can use the Educator Plan to satisfy the approval of the IPDP requirement for some or all of the PDPs applied toward renewing a Professional License.
Updated information on these changes is available at thepolicyminute.com.