area A Master's degree does not automatically qualify you for a Professional Certificate. The Master's must be in the same area (or a related area) to the current endorsement on your certificate. EXAMPLE: If you hold an elementary endorsement on your certificate and complete an approved program at the Master's degree level in English, you may add English to your certificate, but you may not also advance to the Professional Certificate. Usually you may do one or the other. Either add an endorsement, or advance to the Professional Certificate.

content and experiences & fifteen hour Contact a Nebraska college  with an approved teacher/administrative education program for guidance in course choice before you start taking classes.  If you take inappropriate courses, they may not be counted by the college towards your renewal. The fifteen semester hours of credit, in an approved program for the preparation of teachers, shall include: (a) a course in instructional techniques; (b) a practicum consisting of one hundred or more clock hours of contact with students in the classroom setting, fifty percent of which shall consist of performing instructional duties under the supervision of a cooperating teacher; (c) a course or courses which address current issues in education, including but not limited to, special education, gifted education, reading and writing in the content area, and school law; and (d) the remaining course work be directly related to the applicant's area of endorsement on his or her expired certificate.

fifteen hours & content and experiences The fifteen semester hours of credit, in an approved program for the preparation of teachers, shall include: (a) a course in instructional techniques; (b) a practicum consisting of one hundred or more clock hours of contact with students in the classroom setting, fifty percent of which shall consist of performing instructional duties under the supervision of a cooperating teacher; (c) a course or courses which address current issues in education, including but not limited to, special education, gifted education, reading and writing in the content area, and school law; and (d) the remaining course work be directly related to the applicant's area of endorsement on his or her expired certificate. Contact a Nebraska college  with an approved teacher/administrative education program for guidance in course choice before you start taking classes.  If you take inappropriate courses, they may not be counted by the college towards your renewal.

How to check Teacher Certification records for this requirement. To verify Teacher Certification records for the Human Relations Training Requirement, visit out website at www.nde.state.ne.us/TCERT/tcmain.html. Enter a Social Security Number for specific information on each record.

Initial The Initial Teaching Certificate shall expire on August 31 of the fifth year following the year of issuance or renewal. Meeting the recency requirement with college credit hours or one year of teaching experience will renew an Initial Certificate. If the recency requirement is met with two concurrent years of teaching experience advancement to the Standard Teaching Certificate is automatic.

nonrefundable If an application is denied the fee is not refunded.

out-of-state A photocopy (front and back) of a VALID, REGULAR out-of-state certificate will need to be submitted to coincide with the verified experience.

OFFICIAL transcript Official transcripts have a college seal. We cannot accept grade reports, copies of transcripts or faxes of transcripts.

principal (a) Master's degree or completed 36 semester hours of credit toward a six-year specialist's or toward a doctorate degree, in educational administration; (b) area or grade level(s) for which the applicant was prepared to administer; (c) not less that six semester hours of the course work used to support the recommendation were earned within the immediate past five years.

program If your other-state certificate was issued for reasons other than the fact that you have at some time completed an approved teacher (or administrator) education program in the US or Canada, you should contact us to see if it will be accepted in Nebraska. An example would be "lateral entry" or "optional certification procedures" conducted in some states. A Provisional Commitment Certificate may be available if no program has been completed.

Professional The Professional Teaching (or Administrative) Certificate shall expire on August 31 of the tenth year following the year of issuance or renewal.

Provisional Commitment Teaching The Provisional Commitment Teaching Certificate shall be valid for teaching ONLY in the Nebraska school system requesting the issuance of such certificate. The Provisional Teaching Certificate shall expire on August 31st of the year following the year of issuance or renewal and may be renewed.

regular A "regular" certificate is one that has been issued without any deficiencies in that state. Usually this certificate will be valid for two or more years. This certificate would need to be based on the completion of a teacher education program.

School Nurse Special Services Certificate The School Nurse Special Services Certificate shall be valid for working in ONLY the Nebraska school system requesting the issuance of such certificate and only as a school nurse. The School Nurse Special Services Certificate shall expire on August 31st of the fifth year following the year of issuance or renewal.

six (or fifteen) Six hours if your certificate has not expired, or has expired for less than five years. Fifteen hours if you certificate has expired for five years or more. For more information see Recency Requirement. Contact a Nebraska college  with an approved teacher/administrative education program for guidance in course choice before you start taking classes.  If you take inappropriate courses, they may not be counted by the college towards your renewal.

Standard The Standard Teaching (or Administrative) Certificate shall expire on August 31 of the fifth year following the year of issuance or renewal.

successive years The experience must be two consecutive years, halftime or more in the same approved or accredited school system, while holding a Regular Teaching Certificate.

substitute The substitute teaching certificate shall expire on August 31 of the fifth year following the year of issuance or renewal.

superintendent (a) Six-Year specialist's certificate or a doctorate degree in educational administration; (b) area or grade level(s) for which the applicant was prepared to administer; (c) not less that six semester hours of the course work used to support the recommendation were earned within the immediate past five years.

two successive years The experience must be two consecutive years, halftime or more in the same approved or accredited school system, while holding a Regular Teaching Certificate. All such teaching shall have been done within five years prior to the date of application.   If experience was acquired out-of-state, submit a photocopy of the valid, regular teaching certificate coinciding with the verified experience.

verify Signature of Superintendent or Authorized Board Member is required.