Texas Education Agency
Office of Educator Standards
1701 North Congress Ave, WBT 5-100
Austin, TX
www.sbec.state.tx.us
Revised 9-30-2005 ML
SUPERINTENDENT - STANDARD CERTIFICATE RENEWAL
AND CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR CERTIFICATE RENEWAL
To be eligible for renewal, the school superintendent must satisfy Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements. The
renewal date of a Standard Certificate will be five years after the last day of the certificate holder’s birth month. If a school
superintendent holds multiple certificates, all can be renewed concurrently and all are subject to renewal during the certificate
holder’s birth month five years after the earliest certificate was issued. Superintendents who fail to satisfy each of the requirements
to renew their Standard Certificate(s) by the renewal date move to inactive status and are ineligible for employment in a Texas
public school district in a position for which that certificate is required until all appropriate requirements are satisfied.
CERTIFICATE RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS
All school superintendents are required to complete at least 200 clock hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) during
each five-year renewal period. School superintendents are encouraged to complete a minimum of 40 clock hours of CPE each year
of the renewal period. One semester hour of credit earned at an accredited institution of higher education is equivalent to 15 CPE
clock hours. NOTE: Only those professional education activities from approved registered providers will be accepted for
renewal purposes.
ACCEPTABLE CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Types of acceptable Continuing Professional Education (CPE) activities include:
1. participation in institutes, workshops, seminars, conferences, in-service or staff development which are related to or
enhance the professional knowledge and skills of the educator;
2. completion of undergraduate courses in the content area knowledge and skills related to the certificate being renewed,
graduate courses, or training programs which are taken through an accredited institution of higher education; (One
semester hour of credit earned at an accredited institution of higher education is equivalent to 15 CPE clock hours.)
3. participation in interactive distance learning, video conferencing, or on-line activities or conferences;
4. independent study, not to exceed 20% of the required clock hours, which may include self-study of relevant professional
materials (books, journals, periodicals, video/audio tapes, computer software, and on-line information) or authoring a
published work;
5. development of curriculum or CPE training materials;
6. serving as an assessor (does not include the required annual evaluation of the principal) for the principal assessment
process [TAC §241.35], not to exceed 10% of the required clock hours;
7. teaching or presenting a CPE activity, not to exceed 10% of the required clock hours; and/or
8. providing professional guidance as a mentor educator, not to exceed 30% of the required clock hours.
Acceptable Content Areas of Required Continuing Professional Education Hours
(b) One semester credit hour earned at an accredited institution of higher education is equivalent to 15 CPE clock hours.
(c) At least 80% of the CPE activities should be directly related to the certificate(s) being renewed and focus on the standards
required for the initial issuance of the certificate(s), including:
(1) content area knowledge and skills;
(2) professional ethics and standards of conduct;
(3) professional development, which should encompass topics such as the following:
(A) district and campus priorities and objectives;
(B) child development, including research on how children learn;
(C) discipline management;
(D) applicable federal and state laws;
(E) diversity and special needs of student populations;
(F) increasing and maintaining parental involvement;
(G) integration of technology into educational practices;
(H) ensuring that students read on or above grade level;
(I) diagnosing and removing obstacles to student achievement; and
(J) instructional techniques.
(d) Educators are encouraged to identify CPE activities based on results of the annual appraisal required under TEC, Chapter 21,
Subchapter H.
How to Renew Your Certificate:
1. Go to the SBEC web site www.sbec.state.tx.us
2. Log onto the “SBEC on line for Educators” at the top of the page.
a. If you have already registered, log in with your user name and password.
b. If not, create a new user.
3. On the left side of the page click on “Applications”
4. Then Click on “Renew a Standard Certificate”
5. You will check a box attesting to having completed the required CPE hours.
a. SBEC is not requiring that educators submit written evidence of completion of CPE, but rather keep that information
available in a personal file in the event that they are ever audited.
• Certificates can be renewed up to 6 months prior to the expiration date.
• For a list of providers, please see: http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/certinfo/regprov.asp
• For information regarding acceptable CPE credit, please see:
http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/certinfo/faq_certrenew.asp
• The fee for certificate renewal is $20 for most educators and $10 for educational aides. Additional fees are assessed for late
renewal and reactivation of an inactive certificate. Online payment of certification fees is available.
• Any questions about the online application or use of the online system should be directed to the SBEC at 1-888-863-5880.
DIRECTIONS
Written documentation and verification of the completion of all activities applied toward Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
requirements for Standard Certificate renewal shall be maintained by each superintendent.
The Standard Certificate 5-Year Renewal Worksheet for the School Superintendent is provided to assist you in tracking your 200 CPE
clock hours and should be updated as soon as your continuing education requirements are completed. This certificate renewal worksheet
(also available on the SBEC website at www.sbec.state.tx.us
) is provided for your use only and does not have to be submitted to SBEC
for renewal.
SBEC is not requiring that educators submit written evidence of completion of CPE, but rather keep that information available in a personal file
in the event that they are ever audited. The specific numbers of clock hours that may be applied toward fulfillment of the certificate renewal
requirements are indicated in the CPE activity areas below.
It is the responsibility of the educator and the ISD to determine which workshops or trainings meet the requirements for standard
certificate renewal. SBEC staff will not make these determinations. Please do not contact SBEC staff requesting verification of CPE
activities. CPE applicability determinations must be documented and maintained locally.
SUPERINTENDENT - STANDARD CERTIFICATE 5-YEAR RENEWAL WORKSHEET
Name: Last First Middle Initial Renewal Month/Year
Certificate/Endorsement(s) Certificate Number Social Security Number
Designated Renewal Areas
Area 1
Learner-
Centered
Standards
(no limit)
Area 2
Independent
Study
(40 hr limit)
Area 3
Teaching or
Presenting
CPEs
(20 hr limit)
Area 4
Mentor
Educator
(60 hr limit)
Area 5
Serving As An
Assessor
(20 hr limit)
5 Year Total
Hours For
Certificate
Renewal
Hours Earned (Summary)
Continuing Professional Education (CPE)
Activity Areas
Renewal Year
1 Clock Hours
Renewal Year 2
Clock Hours
Renewal Year
3 Clock Hours
Renewal Year
4 Clock Hours
Renewal Year
5 Clock Hours
Area 1: Learner-Centered Standards
Values and Ethics of Leadership
Leadership and District Culture
Human Resources Leadership and
Management
Policy and Governance
Communications and Community Relations
Organizational Leadership and Management
Curriculum Planning and Development
Instructional Leadership and Management
Area 2: Independent Study
Area 3: Teaching/Presenting CPEs
Area 4: Mentor Educator
Area 5: Serving As An Assessor
