Chittenden East Supervisory Union  

Our wonderful schools are nestled among the magnificent mountains of Vermont!

The Chittenden East Supervisory Union serves the citizens of Bolton, Huntington, Jericho, Richmond and Underhill. Our nine schools provide children with an outstanding academic experience from kindergarten to twelfth grade. 



CESU LOCAL STANDARDS BOARD
GUIDE to
LEVEL I LICENSE RENEWAL
&
LEVEL I to LEVEL II LICENSE
Revised December 2007

GUIDE TO LICENSE RENEWAL
 INDIVIDUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
 THE TRANSITIONAL FORM
FROM LEVEL ONE TO LEVEL TWO LICENSE
(for printable form click here)
SAMPLE I.P.D.P

Dear Teacher,

        Welcome to the relicensing process.  The following information was created to organize the process and make it easier to understand.  It is intended to assist those teachers who have completed three years of service under a Level I license and therefore must move the endorsement to Level II, or those keeping an endorsement at Level I.

        All teacher relicensing is coordinated through the CESU Local Standards Board.

        In order to be relicensed at a Level II level, a teacher must develop a seven-year Individual Professional Development Plan (I.P.D.P.), which is reviewed and approved by your local board.  Any time during the seven-year period that you would like to change your plan, merely file an amendment with the local board.  A record of your plan and activities is kept on file in the central office.

        When complete, the I.P.D.P. should be submitted to the LSB for approval.  Please note the dates of LSB meetings and submit your plan early enough to allow time for changes should they be necessary.  The board is composed primarily of teacher volunteers and does not meet in the summer.

    Should you have any questions, please contact any representative.

GUIDE TO LICENSE RENEWAL

Every educator employed in the public school system has the responsibility of holding and maintaining a teaching license.  Maintenance of a license involves a formal process of thoughtful, continuing, professional development and requires documentation thereof.  The Local Standards Board is the reviewing body for professional development as it relates to licensure and recommends license renewal.

This guide outlines what every educator should know and do in order to renew a teaching license.  It specifically addresses the final procedures for renewal.

Every educator whose license expires in the current year should expect to receive guidance from the CESU Local Standards Board, however, the educator is still responsible for renewal even if not notified by the Local Standards Board.

Every educator should:
  • Know what type of license is currently held, e.g., Level I
  • Know endorsement areas held, their codes and what they stand for (see back of license);
  • Know when the license expires;
  • Provide the Central Office with a copy of all current licenses.
Definitions:

What is an Individual Professional Development Plan (I.P.D.P.)?

    "An Individual Professional Development Plan is an outline for professional growth.  The primary purpose of an I.P.D.P. is to help teachers reflect upon their practice and to take responsibility for their own development.  In preparing their I.P.D.P. teachers should consider how their goals will correspond to the five standards for educators ..." 1

What is a portfolio?

    A portfolio is the accumulation of reflections representing completed professional development as prescribed by an I.P.D.P..  It contains the original I.P.D.P. and any amendments. The new I.P.D.P. states development goals.  The portfolio also provides descriptions, connections and reflections on professional growth for the past seven year cycle.  A portfolio is not needed to renew a Level I license or move a Level I to a Level II.  It is presented to the Local Standards Board at the time of license renewal.

I.    Renewal Process For Educators Holding a Level I License -

 

A.  If You Are Not Teaching Under The Level I License:

 

  • You will need three credits of professional development. At least one of the three credits must relate to the content and knowledge standards of the endorsement

 

  • You may renew a Level I endorsement indefinitely if you are not teaching under the endorsement

 

B.  If You Are Teaching Under Your Level I License:

 

  • You will need to teach under the Level I license endorsement for three years as the teacher of record (PRECENTAGE OF TIME IS NO LONGER A REQUIREMENT) before you may request to move it to a Level II.

 

  • To move to a Level II you need a recommendation from your supervisor and a completed IPDP for the next licensure cycle

 

  • Present these two documents to the local standards board for processing. No professional development is required in this instance until the 2010 license cycle when you will need to provide evidence of three credits.

 

  • If you teach under your Level I license for three years and fail to receive a recommendation to move your license to Level II, you may renew it for three more years.

 

  • If at the end of six years of teaching under a Level I license you are unable to receive a recommendation to move it to a Level II your license will lapse. This means you are no longer licensed to teach in Vermont.

 

  • You may request to move a Level I license at anytime that you have completed the three year teaching requirement. You would merely request an early renewal from the licensure office at the department of education.


C.
Educators who HAVE COMPLETED the equivalent of THREE FULL-TIME YEARS of teaching in an endorsement area by the time the license expires and who meet the required competencies will renew on a Level II license.  Renewal at this time does not require professional development credits.  It does require presentation of an Individual Professional Development Plan for the next seven years to the Local Standards Board.

Step 1
 During the educator's final year of licensure, the educator will write an Individual Professional Development Plan (I.P.D.P.) for the next seven years and submit it to the Local Standards Board for approval. The I.P.D.P. must include three professional development goals and a narrative on how each goal relates to the five Standards for Vermont Educators.  At least one of the goals must relate to the Action Plan (required by Act 60).  At least one goal must relate to each endorsement.  An I.P.D.P. scoring guide can be found on the CESU LSB website. This has all the criteria needed to successfully write an I.P.D.P.

Step 2
 The educator will provide the principal or supervisor with the form entitled "The Transitional Form From Level I to Level II License" to verify teaching competencies.  The form is on the CESU LSB website.

Step 3
 The Department of Education will send renewal forms to the educator.  It is the educator’s responsibility to call the Department of Education Licensing Office if a change in mailing address has occurred in the last year or if the forms are not received for some other reason.  This form can be found on the CESU LSB main page under Vermont DOE Information, Name and Address Change Form. 

Step 4
 Once the I.P.D.P. is approved, the educator will complete the renewal form and submit it to the Local Standards Board with a transitional form.

Step 5
 The Chair of Local Standards Board will sign the renewal form and send it back to the educator.

Step 6
 The educator will send the renewal form, signed Tax/Child Support certification form and a check for fees* to the Department of Education.

Step 7
 Upon receipt of the new license, the educator will make a copy and send it to the Central Office for inclusion in the personnel files.

                       
1.    Professional Standards Board, "A Guide for the Establishment of Local Standards Board," VT Department of Education, Montpelier, VT, p. 16. 


INDIVIDUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Submit a signed original to the LSB by April 1.  Use the I.P.D.P. Scoring Guide and examples found on the LSB site to guide your work. Ask for help.  Any LSB member will be glad to guide you in this process.

To be approved, an I.P.D.P. must include focused goals that:
  • Lead to improved practice;
  • Connect to each of the Five Standards for Vermont Educators;
  • Reflect each endorsement held;
  • Connect to the schools and/or district’s initiatives for improving student learning (Act 60 School Action Plan).  Quote the language directly from your school’s Action Plan for each goal referenced;
  • Lead to professional development activities that will promote new learning and growth for the educator rather than focusing merely on time and effort to be spent.
  • Use the following SMART GOALS format designed by the Vermont Department of Education:

Specific: You will need to submit three goals. The goals need to be specific, measurable and easily

documented. “I want to be a better math teacher” is a great goal, but it is not specific and

cannot be measured. However, “I want to increase my ability to teach cooperative problem

solving,” is specific and measurable. It is a goal that is easily documented through course

transcripts or workshops certificates and your knowledge can be measured by grade reports

or journaling.

Measurable: Describe how you will measure your progress in this section. How will you know that

you’ve met your goal? Some ways of measurement might include your grade report for a

course you took, before and after survey of a population of children or teachers, evaluation

by an administrator or peer. This is not the section where you describe what you plan to do

to meet your goal. That comes later.

Attainable: Describe the resources available to you that will make this goal possible. Do you have

access to workshops or coursework? Is a learning community available to you that will

support your goal?

Relevant: How is this goal relevant to education in general and your endorsement in particular?

Time-Bound: When do you plan to finish this goal? Is there a conference you plan to attend that will

meet your goal within six months or will it take several years to be able to measure your

progress?

The standards board will notify you when your plan has been accepted and will begin a new file with a copy of your plan in it.  This will be kept at the central office so we may use it whenever you apply for activity credits or recognition.

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