Certification

Overview

Overview

Georgia PSC (contact information)

All professional educators in the DeKalb County School District are required to adhere to certification rules and guidelines set forth by the
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC). According to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) section 20-2-200, all teachers, service personnel, administrators, and paraprofessionals must hold a certificate issued by the Georgia PSC.

Georgia PSC Rule 505-2-01(9) stipulates that it is the responsibility of the individual educator to meet all requirements and to maintain a valid certificate. Professional educators should not allow their educator’s certificates to lapse. Failure to maintain a valid and highly qualified certificate at all times, in accordance with Georgia law, may be considered grounds for termination or nonrenewal of contract.

The Georgia PSC handles all matters pertaining to the issuance of teaching certificates in the state of Georgia. For information on eligibility, reciprocity, testing requirements, and applications, please contact the Georgia PSC directly.

Certificated staff must hold a valid Georgia certificate in the field to which assigned. Any teacher who does not teach in the field for which they were properly certified and trained will not be considered “highly qualified.”

Professional Learning provides certification assistance through alternative routes to teacher certification.

Parents Right To Know

Parents Right To Know

Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 requires school districts that receive federal Title I funding to notify parents of their right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers and paraprofessionals who instruct their child. As a recipient of these funds, the Human Resources department will provide you with this information in a timely manner upon request. Specifically, you have the right to request the following information about each of your child’s classroom teachers and paraprofessionals:

whether the teacher meets the state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grades and subjects he or she teaches
whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status because of special circumstances
the teacher’s college major, whether the teacher has any advanced degrees, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree
whether paraprofessionals provide services to your child and, if so, their qualifications

If you would like to receive any of the information listed above for your child’s teacher, please contact certification support.

GACE

Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE)

GACE Program (contact information)

Two GACE assessments types are required for all professional certificates in the state of Georgia:

Basic Skills Assessment: Assesses knowledge and skills in the areas of reading, mathematics, and writing. The assessment is composed of three tests. The reading and mathematics tests each consist of selected-response questions; the writing test consists of selected-response questions and a constructed-response assignment.
Content Assessments: Tests a variety of content knowledge areas. Each middle grades assessment is a single test that consists of selected-response questions and constructed-response assignments. All other content assessments are composed of two tests. Each test consists of selected-response questions and one or more constructed-response assignments.