Teacher Lane Changes

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.

Additional Renewal Requirements for Specific Areas of Licensure

Certain areas of licensure require additional professional learning, which can be earned as a part of the 90 PDPs:

  • Blind/Visually Impaired - a minimum of 15 PDPs in braille maintenance
  • School Counselor - one semester hour of coursework, MSDE-approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit, or an equivalent number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that address all of the following:
    • Depression
    • Trauma
    • Violence
    • Youth suicide
    • Substance abuse
    • The identification of professional resources and best practices for distributing resources to parents or guardians to help students in crisis.

MSDE publishes a list of courses that meet the additional requirements for school counselors. Educators are not limited to the courses listed on the website to fulfill the requirement.

  • Administrator I/II - educators employed in a Maryland local school district, Maryland-operated school, or nonpublic special education program who hold the Administrator I or Administrator II area and are assigned to an administrator or supervisor position must complete professional learning that addresses:
    • Strategies for increasing teacher retention
    • Strategies for developing and facilitating teacher leadership
  • Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Generic Special Education (all grade bands), and ESOL - Beginning July 1, 2025, educators employed in a Maryland local school district, Maryland-operated school, or nonpublic special education program in a position that requires a license in one of these areas must demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge and practices of scientific reading instruction at the time of renewal by presenting one of the following:
    • A passing score on the Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary assessment (#5205); or
    • Completion of coursework or professional learning approved by the MSDE.

Contact Information: Educator Licensure

Educator LicensureStaff Responsibilities
Nicole Bell
Nicole Bell
Personnel Officer - Licensure

(240) 586-8027

  • Initial Requests
  • Renewals/Endorsements
  • Reinstatements/Re-issues
  • Senior Teacher Waivers
  • Certification
Jill Querry
Jill Querry

Licensure Specialist

(240) 586-8017

  • Licensure
  • Renewals/Endorsements
  • Senior Teacher Waivers