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All About Act 48
- June 5, 2020
- Posted by: The Teachers Academy
- Category: All Blog Postings Educator Resources / News Teacher Features
For the past two decades, Act 48 of 1999 has required all public school educators in Pennsylvania to complete certain continuing education requirements every five years in order to maintain an active teaching certificate. The Pennsylvania Department of Education informs teachers when their five-year mark is approaching, and teachers must act in a timely manner to fulfill their requirements so they can continue to teach.
To comply with Act 48, teachers can do any of the following:
- Earn six college credits;
- Earn six credits of continuing professional education courses that have been approved by the PDE.
- Complete 180 hours of continuing professional education programs through a PDE-approved provider.
- Any combination of these three options.
That seems simple enough. However, in this post, we will delve a little deeper by answering some of the most Frequently Asked Questions about Act 48 to help Pennsylvania educators get on the right path toward a renewed teaching certificate and continued professional development.
How many Act 48 hours do I need in PA?
Educators wishing to maintain an active teaching certificate in the state of Pennsylvania must accrue 180 hours of professional development every five years.
How do I check my Act 48 hours?
Checking your accrued Act 48 hours is a simple two-step process.
- Visit the Pennsylvania Education Record Management System (PERMS) website at https://www.perms.pa.gov/screens/wfpublicaccess.aspx.
- Type in your Professional Personnel ID (PPID) number, then click “Go.” If you don’t know your PPID number, you can access it by entering personal information in the PERMS portal under “View Your Professional Personnel ID” or by visiting your TIMS profile on the PDE website.
Once you have accessed your profile on the PERMS site, you will be able to see what continuing education courses you have completed during your five-year period and how many hours you still must complete to meet the requirements. You can also view a list of PDE-approved providers for continuing education courses.
If you would like more information about how to check your Act 48 hours, we go into greater detail in our blog.
How do I report Act 48 hours in PA?
As a PDE-approved provider of professional development courses, The Teacher’s Academy’s Act 48 Academy will submit your hours to the PA Dept. of Education. All you have to do is enter your PPID number when you set up your account with us.
Where can I find professional development hours for teachers?
This one’s easy: You’ve already found them! Here at our Act 48 Academy, we offer an extensive catalog filled with Act 48 approved courses for Philadelphia area teachers, covering a wide variety of subjects and areas of interest. Here are some of the key reasons why educators here in Philly — and all across the nation — turn to The Teacher’s Academy when they want to get the absolute most out of the professional development process.
To learn more about Act 48 requirements in your specific geographic area, or to explore opportunities for teachers in and around Montgomery County to earn professional development hours online, simply continue to browse through our user-friendly website. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us via phone, email, or online contact form today.
PA teachers looking for online professional development can check their Act 48 Hours on the PA PERMS DOE website.
Not teaching in PA but still looking for online professional development for teachers? Check your state requirements for more information.
The Teacher’s Academy is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU. States accepting IACET CEUS: MA, MI, AZ, NH, SC, GA, SD, VT.
Click here to view our entire course catalog. Contact us today!