Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 505-2-.27

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through November 22, 2024

Rule 505-2-.27 - Certification Application, MyPSC and Test Eligibility Procedures

(1)Summary: This rule outlines the requirements and procedures to apply for Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) certification/licensure, registering for a MyPSC account, and securing eligibility to register for GACE assessments.

(2)MyPSC Account.

(a) Registration

1. Application submission for individuals applying for certification begins by registering for a MyPSC account at https://mypsc.gapsc.org/Register.aspx.

2. A Certification ID is assigned to all newly registered individuals and is used for certification identification purposes. Educators holding a valid or expired GA certificate / license will have an assigned number prior to registering for a MyPSC account. The number may be obtained by registering for a MyPSC Account or visiting www.gapsc.com/Certification/Lookup.aspx.

(b) Application

1. The application is available after logging into MyPSC and selecting the Applications/ Documentation/Status tab. Once in the Applications/Documentation/Status tab, click on the Start button to complete the online application. Multiple certification transactions may be requested with the submission of one application.

2. MyPSC Personal Affirmation Questions (PAQs) are required as part of a complete application. Current PAQs must be on file for applications submitted during the fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30. There are certain transactions that only require PAQs rather than a complete online application. These transactions are outlined in Section (8)(a) 3 below on gapsc.com.

3. Online applications that are complete are essential for timely processing. It is the responsibility of the individual to ensure that a complete application is submitted. The application is considered complete when all requirements for certification or licensure have been completed, the online application has been submitted, and all required documentation and fees have been received.

4. Incomplete applications will be placed on hold for a period of up to forty-five (45) days, awaiting receipt of the remaining documents. A letter outlining missing documentation will be posted to the Correspondence/Notifications tab of MyPSC and an email reminder sent to the email on file. If all documentation is not received by the Certification Division during this time period, the application will close.

5. Once a case closes, an individual must submit a new online application, as well as any missing or updated documents. Documents previously submitted to the GaPSC will remain on file even if a case is closed.

(c) Supporting Documentation

1. Supporting documentation will vary according to the type of transaction and certificate or license being requested. Individuals are responsible for submitting appropriate materials and following the instructions made available in this rule and with the online application process. Supporting documentation received without an application will be placed in the individual's file, but will not open a case for processing.

2. Documentation may be submitted electronically to the GaPSC by the individual, or by a local unit of administration (LUA) or Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) as outlined in Section (3) below.

3. All documentation submitted to the GaPSC must include the Certification Identification Number. If the number is not included and the document does not reflect ample information to identify the individual, posting documentation to the file will be delayed. The number may be obtained by logging into MyPSC or visiting www.gapsc.com/Certification/Lookup.aspx.

4. All supporting documents must be complete and official. The GaPSC will accept official documentation submitted by applicants, LUAs, EPPs, college registrars' offices, Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs) or other official sources in the manner prescribed in Sections (7), (8), and (9) below.

5. Documentation has been received when viewable in the View Submitted Documents tab of MyPSC. If the documents submitted are not viewable, the GaPSC has not received the documentation and individuals should continue to monitor this tab for receipt.

(d) GAPSC Issued Certificates and Correspondence

1. Correspondence detailing missing documentation for incomplete applications is posted to the Correspondence/Notifications tab in MyPSC.

2. Correspondence may accompany issuance of a certificate/license outlining requirements. All correspondence is posted to the Correspondence/Notifications tab in MyPSC.

3. Official certificates and licenses may be viewed/printed from the Certificate/License tab in MyPSC. Certificates/Licenses will not be mailed.

4. Individuals must monitor their MyPSC account for receipt of submitted documents and to check the status of an application.

(e) GACE Eligibility

1. Individuals must request and be granted eligibility to test by the GaPSC before creating a GACE account and registering for a test, with the exception of the GACE Paraprofessional assessment.

(i) Login to MyPSC at https://mypsc.gapsc.org/home.aspx.

(ii) Click on the Assessments tab and follow the instructions to request eligibility.

(iii) Once eligibility is transferred, you may proceed to the GACE website to create an account and register for a test.

2. Questions regarding GACE registration, test preparation, and assessment score reporting should be directed to GACE.

(3)ExpressLane.

(a) ExpressLane must be utilized by a local unit of administration (LUA) or a Georgia Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) when submitting documentation to the GaPSC. LUA and EPP personnel must first request and be approved for gapsc.org access. Once granted, ExpressLane is available to LUAs and EPPs as part of the gapsc.org account.

1. LUAs and EPPs must monitor the educator/candidate certification file in gapsc.org for receipt of submitted documents, issuance of correspondence, and to check the status of an application.

(4)Traditional Program Management System (TPMS).

(a) TPMS is a data collection system utilized by EPPs to verify program admission and completion for candidates enrolled in traditional (college/university) programs.

(5)Non Traditional Reporting System (NTRS).

(a) NTRS is a data collection system utilized by EPPs to verify program admission and completion for candidates enrolled in GaTAPP and alternative leadership programs.

(6)Documentation and Forms.

(a) Personal Affirmation Questions

(b) Online Application

(c) Verification of Lawful Presence

(d) Official Transcripts

(e) Foreign Credential Report

(f) Approved Program Completion

(g) Certificate or License

(h) Experience Verification

(i) Assessment Score Reports

(j) Employer Assurance

(k) Alternate Level Six Certification Option

(l) Upgrade Degree Approval

(m) Dramatic Writing Verification

(n) Professional Learning Verification

(o) Voluntary Certificate Field Deletion

(p) Verification of Degree Validation

(q) International Exchange Verification

(r) Temporary Certification ID Number

(a)Personal Affirmation Questions (PAQs) are a set of questions individuals applying for certification must answer for processing of certification transactions. False answers may be grounds for disciplinary action. A "Yes" response to any question requires an attached explanation with supporting documentation and will be investigated by the GaPSC Ethics Division. This documentation should not be uploaded to the MyPSC account but sent directly to the Ethics Division. All individuals applying for certification or planning to apply for certification must complete PAQs through their MyPSC Account for the current fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30.

(b) An online application is required to open certain certification transactions for processing by the GaPSC. It is completed through an individual's MyPSC Account. The online application is required in addition to PAQs as outlined in Sections (7) and (8) below.

(c)Verification of Lawful Presence is required by Georgia law, O.C.G.A. 50-36-1, and stipulates that "every agency or political subdivision shall verify the lawful presence in the United States of any applicant for public benefits." The documentation requires a notarized affidavit, and the supporting document that was used to verify status (Ex: Driver's license for US citizen). All US citizens must verify lawful presence once, and individuals who are not US citizens will verify lawful status prior to processing each certification transaction unless previous verification is under 180 days. This documentation may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA or EPP though ExpressLane.

(d)Official transcripts are unaltered transcripts embossed with the stamp or signature of the college registrar, imprinted with a college or university seal, or imprinted with a special seal used by the institution for certification purposes. Transcripts must include course numbers, titles, grades and credit earned. When a degree is awarded, transcripts must also bear a degree statement and date that specifies the month, day and year the degree was awarded. The GaPSC will accept electronic transcripts from institutions of higher learning only if the transcripts are emailed directly to the GaPSC, a Georgia LUA, or an EPP from the institution or by one of the GaPSC-approved secure electronic transcript delivery services. GaPSC will reject any transcript faxed, emailed, mailed, or uploaded by an educator to their MyPSC account. Transcripts emailed directly to the candidate are not acceptable for certification purposes.

1. Official Georgia Professional Learning Unit (PLU) and Continuing Education Unit (CEU) transcripts must reflect the name of the individual awarded credit along with provider name, course title, completion date, and credit earned. PLU and CEU transcripts may be uploaded to MyPSC by an individual unless CEUs are through a college/university, which must be submitted as outlined above.

(e) A foreign credential report is required for individuals who have attended colleges or universities outside the United States. Individuals must provide the GaPSC with a detailed course-by-course credential report of college-level credit completed unless a subsequent advanced degree was earned from a US institution and the degree earned outside the country was not an educator preparation program degree. The course-by-course evaluation must be prepared by a GaPSC-recognized agency, and include English translation of such information as course titles, grade, semester hours earned, and U.S. equivalency of degree(s). In addition, if the equivalent of a GaPSC-approved educator preparation program was completed, this must also be documented in the report. These agencies are private enterprises who charge a fee for their services. Regardless of the agency selected, should the report not be sufficiently detailed for processing purposes, further information will be requested. See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.29 EVALUATION OF CREDIT EARNED OUTSIDE OF THE U.S. This documentation may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA or EPP though ExpressLane.

(f)Approved program completion is required to verify program completion for teaching, service and leadership fields unless an out-of-state professional certificate is submitted and accepted by the GaPSC based on reciprocity. The form must be completed by a certification official at a GaPSC-accepted college with a state-approved educator preparation program in the field requested. This form is also required when an individual completes a leadership degree and the GaPSC must determine if a leader level is applicable, even if the individual is not applying for leadership certification. See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.02 CLASSIFICATION for more information on the leader level. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane.

1. The NTRS completion form will be electronically generated and posted to the candidate's certification file once a program provider verifies all requirements for program completion have been met.

2. The TPMS completion form will be electronically generated and posted to the candidate's certification file once a program provider verifies all requirements for program completion have been met.

(g) A professional certificate or license is required as supporting documentation for a transaction request from individuals applying by reciprocity, renewing a GA certificate based on out-of-state experience, for certain service fields, or Career and Technical Specialization fields, See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.90 CAREER AND TECHNICAL SPECIALIZATIONS. The GaPSC will accept copies of official certificates. However, an unofficial printout from a personal online account is not acceptable unless the information is publically verifiable. The GaPSC maintains a record of all valid and expired Georgia educator certificates, so Georgia educator certificates should not be submitted to the GaPSC unless specifically requested. This documentation may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA or EPP though ExpressLane.

(h)Experience verification is required to verify educational work experience for certification purposes. Experience for other purposes such as salary determination is handled by the LUA. Experience in Georgia public schools is reported electronically and should not be verified on this form. Georgia accredited private schools without access to ExpressLane may use this form to verify experience. This form may be used to verify out-of-state educator experience for initial certification by reciprocity and renewal for educators working outside the state. Experience must indicate performance ratings to be accepted for certification purposes. Otherwise, performance documentation must accompany the form. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane.

1. This form is not accepted to verify occupational work experience for Career & Technical Specializations, Healthcare Science, and the following Permit fields: Art, Dance, Drama, Music, and Superintendent. Experience to qualify for these fields must be submitted on official letterhead from previous employers to include a signature.

2. If the form is updated to indicate missing information, a new signature and date must be reflected on the form.

(i)Assessment score reports are required as supporting documentation for certain certification transactions. The GaPSC will accept copies of official out-of-state score reports. However, an unofficial printout from a personal online account is not acceptable. If an out-of-state applicant is unable to obtain an official score report copy, the GaPSC will accept verification by official correspondence from the certification/licensure office in the state for which the assessment was required. GACE scores must be received electronically by the GaPSC. GACE assessments with more than one test will not reflect on the file until both tests are passed. GACE score reports should not be submitted to the GaPSC by an individual unless specifically requested. Official non-GACE assessment score report copies may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA or EPP though ExpressLane.

(j)Employer assurance is required to verify employment in a Georgia LUA, document transaction requests made by Georgia LUAs, and waive certification fees for certain transactions. Georgia LUAs must submit the form electronically to the GaPSC. Georgia private schools without access to ExpressLane may use this form to verify employment for upload to MyPSC by an individual. The ExpressLane cover page may serve as the Employer Assurance form when a transaction is requested in ExpressLane.

(k)Alternate level six certification option is required to verify completion of a minimum of thirty-six (36) semester hours of course work required for a level seven (7) doctoral degree and successful completion of the oral and/or written comprehensive examinations in order to determine if an individual qualifies for the alternate level 6 certificate upgrade. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA or EPP though ExpressLane.

(l)Upgrade degree approval is required to determine the acceptability of an advanced degree program for a certificate level upgrade when the program of interest is not listed in the Certificate Upgrade Advisor. This form should be submitted prior to enrollment in a prospective advanced degree program and should not be submitted with an upgrade application request.

(m)Dramatic writing verification is required to document completion of the Georgia Film Academy (GFA) Dramatic Writing Film, Television, and Theatre I training course for the purpose of adding the Dramatic Writing Micro-Endorsement. This form is available from the GFA and may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane. See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.187 DRAMATIC WRITING MICRO-ENDORSEMENT.

(n)Professional learning verification is required to document completion of a Professional Learning Plan or Professional Learning Goals during or after the FY 2018 school year for educators no longer employed by a Georgia LUA at the time of certificate renewal. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane.

(o)Voluntary certificate field deletion is required to request deletion of a certificate field held by an educator. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane. See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.35 VOLUNTARY FIELD DELETION.

(p)Verification of degree validation is required to validate a bachelor's degree from non GaPSC-accepted institutions upon successful completion of nine (9) semester hours of graduate level coursework at a GaPSC-accepted accredited institution. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA or EPP though ExpressLane. An official transcript of the coursework used to validate the degree must also be submitted using procedures outlined in (6)(d) above. See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.31 GaPSC-ACCEPTED ACCREDITATION FOR CERTIFICATION PURPOSES.

(q)International exchange verification is required for educators seeking the International Exchange certificate to verify that all eligibility requirements have been met at the time of application. This form may be uploaded to MyPSC by the applicant or submitted by the LUA though ExpressLane. See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.11 INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE CERTIFICATE.

(r) Temporary Certification ID Number is required for certification applicants without a social security number issued by Social Security Administration. A temporary number is generated by the GaPSC in order to create a certification file and for GACE testing only. Upon issuance of a social security number by the Social Security Administration, the individual must upload a copy of the social security card to their MyPSC account and request to have the information updated. Individuals requiring a Temporary Certification ID Number must contact the GaPSC by email for the form and procedures.

(7)Applying Independently.

(a) Georgia Educators: The online application is required for individuals who hold or previously held Georgia certification and are applying for certification without the support of a LUA.

1. Georgia Educators may apply independently for the transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance Common Documents Required for Each Transaction Type.

(b) Out-of-State Educators: The online application may be submitted by individuals applying for initial certification by reciprocity or based on completion of out-of-state educator preparation programs. If an out-of-state educator becomes employed prior to submission of an application for certification, the LUA may submit documentation in support of the educator. Educators should always communicate with their employer to coordinate submission of documentation. Common certificate types and required documentation are available on the GaPSC website as indicated below.

1. Individuals applying by reciprocity may apply independently for the transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance Common Documents Required for Each Transaction Type.

2. Individuals applying based on completion of out-of-state educator preparation programs may apply independently for the transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance Common Documents Required for Each Transaction Type.

(8)Applying with Employer (LUA) Support.

(a) Applying with Employer (LUA) support is required for processing certain certification transactions for licenses like the Paraprofessional license, certificates like the Provisional and One-Year Induction certificate that are issued prior to an individual meeting requirements for full certification, or certificate renewals for those employed. Common licensure and certificate types and required documentation are available on the GaPSC website.

1. The initial licensure transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance Common Documents Required for Each Transaction Type require employment and request submitted by the LUA through ExpressLane.

2. The initial certificate transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance Common Documents Required for Each Transaction Type require employment and request submitted by the LUA through ExpressLane.

3. The transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance Common Documents Required for Each Transaction Type are available for Georgia Educators and only require PAQs and a request submitted by the LUA through ExpressLane.

4. The transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance Common Documents Required for Each Transaction Type are processed automatically by the GaPSC and no action is required on the part of the individual or LUA.

(9)Educator Preparation Program Application.

(a) Individuals enrolled in initial GaPSC-approved programs must be entered and completed in TPMS or NTRS by the program provider before applying for the transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance Common Documents Required for Each Transaction Type.

(b) Individuals completing GaPSC-accepted out-of-state/online teaching programs who are completing student teaching/practicums in GA schools must be entered and completed by the EPP in TPMS before applying for the transactions identified in the GaPSC Guidance Common Documents Required for Each Transaction Type.

(10)Restrictions.

(a) All documents submitted become the property of the GaPSC, and the GaPSC will not retrieve or return original documents or copies to the sender or to any other destination on behalf of the sender.

(b) Mailed, faxed, or emailed documentation will not be processed by the GaPSC.

(c) Employed educators are encouraged to check with their employing LUA before submitting documents directly to the GaPSC.

(d) "Yes" answers to PAQs require submission of the online application and appropriate documentation to the Ethics Division.

1. Educators with Property Rights will be processed once the online application and supporting documentation are received by the Ethics Division.

(e) Individuals may not withdraw an application with a "Yes" answer on PAQs or pending with the Ethics Division. All other withdrawals may be requested in writing at https://www.gapsc.com/Certification/EmailPSC.aspx

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 505-2-.27

O.C.G.A. § 20-2-200.

Original Rule entitled "Contacting the Certification Section" adopted. F. Dec. 18, 1991; eff. Jan. 7, 1992.

Repealed: Rule Reserved. F. Dec. 16, 1992; eff. July 1, 1993, as specified by the Agency.

Amended: New Rule entitled "Core Academic Certificate" adopted. F. Apr. 20, 2009; eff. May 15, 2009, as specified by the Agency.

Repealed: New Rule entitled "Certification Application Procedures" adopted. F. Jun. 11, 2014; eff. July 1, 2014, as specified by the Agency.

Amended: F. May 22, 2015; eff. June 15, 2015, as specified by the Agency.

Amended: F. June 8, 2017; eff. July 1, 2017, as specified by the Agency.

Amended: F. Dec. 13, 2019; eff. Jan. 1, 2020, as specified by the Agency.

Repealed: New Rule entitled "Certification Application, MyPSC and Test Eligibility Procedures" adopted. F. June 15, 2021; eff. July 1, 2021, as specified by the Agency.

Amended: F. June 22, 2022; eff. July 1, 2022, as specified by the Agency.