Rule 505-2-.31 - GaPSC-Accepted Accreditation for Certification Purposes(1)Purpose. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) recognizes only those colleges and universities that have attained accreditation from specific, GaPSC-accepted accreditation agencies as a minimum qualitative standard. Additional accreditation requirements apply to colleges and universities at which educators earn degrees in order to upgrade their certificates (See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.33 CERTIFICATE UPGRADE). Accreditation may also be required of P-12 schools and early care centers in order for certified educator experience earned in those settings to be considered for certification purposes (See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.25 EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS).(2)Acceptable Postsecondary Accrediting Organizations.(a) The GaPSC accepts accrediting organizations that are recognized by either The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). These accrediting organizations, which include a wide range of national, regional, specialized and professional accrediting bodies, have completed an evaluation process to verify acceptable levels of quality and performance.(b) Georgia educators seeking advanced degrees for a certificate level upgrade must complete degrees that meet additional requirements found in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.33 CERTIFICATE UPGRADE.(c) Electronic links to the approved accrediting agencies are as follows: 1. Council for Higher Education Accreditation: www.chea.org: (i) National Organizations: (ii) Regional Organizations; and(iii) Database of Accredited Institutions and Programs;2. USDOE: www.ed.gov: (i) Regional and National Institutions;(3)Acceptable P-12 Accrediting Organizations.(a) Acceptable P-12 educational settings for GaPSC-accepted educator experience are outlined in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.25 EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS. As outlined in that rule, accreditation is required in some circumstances. A list of acceptable P-12 accrediting organizations is maintained on the GaPSC website at www.gapsc.com. The GaPSC also accepts any P-12 accreditation recognized by the agency that oversees P-12 education in the state or jurisdiction in which the accredited school is based.(4)Acceptable Early Care Accrediting Organizations.(a) Acceptable early care educational settings for GaPSC-accepted educator experience are outlined in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.25 EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS. As outlined in that rule, accreditation is required in some circumstances. A list of acceptable early care accrediting organizations is maintained on the GaPSC website at www.gapsc.com.The GaPSC also accepts any early care accreditation recognized by the agency that oversees early care in the state or jurisdiction in which the accredited early care center is based.(5)Accreditation Requirements. In order to be accepted for certification purposes in Georgia, degrees and educator preparation programs must be completed at a GaPSC-accepted accredited institution that held acceptable accreditation at the time the individual was admitted to the program. (a) Out-of-state approved programs (See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.22 CERTIFICATION BY STATE-APPROVED PROGRAM) completed at the bachelor's degree level at an institution that is not GaPSC-approved as accredited will not be subject to the validation requirement.(6)Validation of Non-Accredited Degrees. Validation of a bachelor's degree from non GaPSC-accepted institutions must be accomplished by completing course work at a GaPSC-accepted accredited graduate school. Also, a degree from a currently accepted accredited institution must be validated if it was earned at a time when that institution was not accredited. (a) To validate a bachelor's degree from a college with accreditation not accepted by GaPSC, the applicant must have earned nine (9) semester hours of acceptable graduate credit at a GaPSC-accepted accredited graduate school. All course work for validation must be earned with a grade of "B" or better in each course. The course work must be earned in the field in which certification is sought or toward a planned master's or higher degree program.(b) If a master's or higher-level degree was earned at an institution with accreditation not accepted by the GaPSC, the degree will not be accepted for certification purposes under any conditions. These degrees cannot be validated.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 505-2-.31
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-200.
Original Rule entitled "Correction of Certificates" adopted. F. Feb. 20, 2004; eff. Mar. 15, 2004, as specified by the Agency.Repealed: New Rule entitled "GaPSC-Accepted Accreditation; Validation of Non-Accredited Degrees" adopted. F. Jun. 11, 2014; eff. July 1, 2014, as specified by the Agency.Amended: New title "GaPSC-Accepted Accreditation for Certification Purposes." F. Sep. 24, 2015; eff. Oct. 15, 2015, as specified by the Agency.Amended: F. Mar. 27, 2017; eff. Apr. 15, 2017, as specified by the Agency.