Educator Certification
Teacher Lane Changes
Salary adjustments take place two times per year: July 1 and Feb 1.
For coursework completed between: | You must submit ALL documentation to HR by: | Your Salary adjustment will go into effect as of: * |
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Feb 1 and August 31 | Last workday in September | July 1 |
Sept 1 and January 31 | Last workday in February | Feb 1 |
*Salary adjustments can take up to 45 business days from the document submission deadline (shown above in center column) to be procesesd. All pay adjustments reflect the above negotiated dates, not the date processed.
- As long as you’ve met the requirements by the submission deadline, we will process your lane change retroactively.
- It’s important respond promptly to any requests for additional documentation.
Lane | Requirements |
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Lane 010 | Bachelor's Degree |
Lane 020 Masters/30 Hours |
Approved Master’s Degree OR Completion of 30 Post-baccalaureate credits
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Lane 030 45 Hours |
Completion of 45 Post-baccalaureate credits
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Lane 040 60 Hours |
Completion of 60 Post-baccalaureate credits
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Lane 050 75 Hours |
3 Yrs teaching experience AND Completion of 75 Post-baccalaureate credits
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Lane 060 90 Hours |
3 Yrs teaching experience AND Completion of 90 Post-baccalaureate credits
|
New as of July 1, 2022
STEP 1: Verify that your professional education is up to date and accurately reflects all coursework.
To access/verify Professional Education:
- www.fcps.org, =>For Staff Tab=>Employee Portal=>Employee Self Service
- Sign in with your username and password. You will be prompted to do so twice for security reasons.
- On the blank Oracle page click the drop down Main Menu at top left of the page.
- Go to: =>FCPS Menu=>Employee Self Service=> Personnel Information =>Professional Education
- You will see a list of all post BA credits recorded in your file to date.
- At the bottom of the page, there is a count of graduate credits AND a count of MSDE/undergrad credit. A grand total is also provided.
What should I do if there are courses missing from my Professional Education?
- You can monitor your progress and verify that we’ve entered all your coursework through Employee Self Service. All coursework can be viewed under Professional Education.
- If we’ve missed something, contact HR via email (CourseApproval@fcps.org) indicating the Course #, Course Title, the approximate semester/year the coursework was completed, and the college or university where you took the course.
- HR will add the course to your Professional Education upon verification by official transcript.
What must I submit to get credit for the coursework that I have completed?
- Official transcripts are required for ALL salary changes. We cannot accept photocopies, scanned copies, unofficial transcripts or grade reports.
- If you’ve earned a Master’s degree, please ensure that the transcript states that the degree was conferred.
- For a course to be counted toward salary adjustments, you must receive a grade of C or better.
- For courses that are graded S or P (or any grading method other than A, B, C, D, F), you must submit with your transcript an official letter on college letterhead including your name and the course number and course title for which you received the S or P (or non-traditional grade) that states that the grade of S or P for your specific course is equal to a grade of C or better.
STEP 2: Verify that you meet the requirements for a lane change using the table above under "Lanes and Requirements."
STEP 3: Submit your request and documentation by the deadlines for review for salary adjustment using the Salary Lane Change Request Form.
- An automated successfully submitted email confirmation will be sent to you
- You will receive an email informing you when your request has been reviewed and the pay adjustment has been made. Afterward, you verify your information in Employee Self Service.
Do I have to complete a course approval form for all coursework or just for courses for which I want reimbursement?
- IMPORTANT: Our negotiated contracts require approval prior to enrolling in coursework for all coursework or Praxis tests, even if you aren’t planning on submitting for tuition reimbursement.
- We verify coursework requests meet specific requirements as determined by COMAR (for certificated staff) and progresses the employee’s skills in either current job or for promotional purposes at FCPS.
- Certificated staff are responsible for knowing the requirements needed for certification renewal. See specific details. If you want us to verify that a specific course will fulfill your certification requirements (i.e. a reading credit requirement), indicate so on your request and we will gladly verify for you.
- Information about tuition benefits, including access to the coursework approval forms are available at FCPS.ORG, under the For Staff section. Click on the gold Staff apple at the top-right of the page.
Can't find the answer to your question on this page? Has your lane change been approved, but your step and lane are incorrect in Employee Self Service? Please email CertSalary@fcps.org.
Maryland State Department of Education
200 W. Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
866-772-8922
www.mdcert.org
This information is intended for the certificated personnel of Frederick County Public Schools. If you are not a Frederick County teacher, please contact the Maryland State Department of Education. The certification officers of FCPS are not authorized to complete evaluations, credit counts, nor certification for individuals who are not employed as teachers with Frederick County Public Schools.
If you are a Frederick County teacher and you do not find the answer to your question from the questions below or the resources linked to the right, please email us at certification@fcps.org. When contacting the Department of Human Resources, please use your legal name and include your employee ID number.
See also:
Praxis Tests
How do I know what Praxis tests that I need to take?
Here for the list of Praxis tests and the Maryland qualifying score for each. These tests are required for initial certification and to add an endorsement to your certificate. You only need to take the content (C) test to add an area.
Where can I get Praxis test and registration information?
The Educational Testing Service Website is a great source of information and is also where you go to register for tests. If you choose State Requirements in the center of the first screen and then choose Maryland, you will get the most accurate information for Maryland. Be sure to have your scores reported to the Maryland State Department of Education – Code R7403.
Does ETS automatically report Praxis scores to FCPS?
FCPS does not receive score reports from ETS nor MSDE. Be sure to make a copy of all pages of your score report and send it to the Certification Office or forward the pdf score report via email to certification@fcps.org as soon as you receive it. Indicate if you are seeking an additional certification area, by including a note with your score report. Keep your original score report in a safe place. ETS does not retain scores for an extended period and you never know when you will need to show that you have passed these tests.
Required Reading and Special Education Courses
What reading courses am I required to take? When must I take these courses?
Regular and Special Educators in Elementary and Early Childhood must complete 12 credits in reading in the following areas:
- Processes and Acquisition of Reading Skills
- Methods of Reading Instruction
- Materials for Teaching Reading
- Assessment for Reading Instruction
Reading courses may be taken through FCPS as MSDE courses or any accredited college or university. Here is a complete list of Maryland approved reading courses. The MSDE reading courses offered by FCPS are Maryland approved courses.
Regular and Special Educators at the Secondary level and PreK-12 specialty areas must complete 6 credits in the following:
- Methods of Teaching Reading in the Secondary Content Area, Part I
- Methods of Teaching Reading in the Secondary Content Area, Part II
All reading courses must be completed to renew your APC. If you need to take more than 6 credits, you must complete a minimum of 6 credits during the validity period of each APC. All reading courses must be completed before moving to the Advanced Professional Certificate.
Does everyone have to take a special education class? When must I take this course?
All specialists and administrators must complete a 3-credit Special Education course. Inclusion, Making it Happen (MSDE course) and any Introduction to Special Education course meets this requirement. The Special Education class must be completed before a certificate is renewed.
The Senior Teacher Waiver (STW) states that renewal requirements for professionally certificated employees may be waived if:
- the employee is 55 years or older
OR - the employee has at least 25 years in public school service.
To request a review of your credentials to confirm eligibility for the Senior Teacher Waiver, complete the following form: Senior Teacher Waiver Eligibility Form.
After the form is submitted, your name is added to the queue for review. Once reviewed, you will receive an email regarding the status of your eligibility.
If I have Senior Teacher Waiver applied, am I still able to access my remaining tuition benefits?
YES. Senior Teacher Waiver waives you of any credits needed for certificate renewal. However, it does not limit your remaining tuition benefits, ability to take courses, or salary lane changes.
If I have Senior Teacher Waiver applied, do I need to do anything further for my certificate renewal?
YES. Even with Senior Teacher Waiver applied, you will still be responsible for submitting an application in the MSDE TEACH Portal to "Renew My Unexpired Certificate" when your certificate is up for renewal. You will not need to
upload transcripts, or credits, but you will need to update personal information and a few other tabs in order for your renewal to be processed.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS - Senior Teacher Waiver DOES NOT waive the one credit Lauryn's Law requirement. Any School Counselors with Senior Teacher Waiver applied is waived of all renewal credits EXCEPT for the Lauryn's Law one credit requirement.
Educator Certification | Responsibilities |
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Nicole Bell Personnel Officer - Certification 301-644-5110 |
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![]() Jill Querry Certification Specialist 301-644-5004 |
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