North Carolina Regional Assistance Licensing Centers (RALC)�Catawba | Charlotte | Fayetteville | Nash

Licensure Tips, Tricks, and Mistakes to Avoid

April 30, 2024 – Spring PANC Conference

Who’s Your RALC Director?

Who’s Your RALC Director?

• Catawba RALC – Karoline Fisher (karoline.fisher@dpi.nc.gov)
• Charlotte RALC – Katie Bowie (katie.bowie@dpi.nc.gov)
• Fayetteville RALC – Karen Chavis (karen.chavis@dpi.nc.gov)
• Nash RALC – Detrius Jones (detritus.jones@dpi.nc.gov)

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www.ralc.us

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Licensure 101 Overview

Put very simply:

• If the educator completed an approved teacher education program (in NC or another state/country) they must apply for the license on their own.
• Initial licenses – IPLs and CPLs
• Adding areas to existing license based upon program completion
• Adding areas to existing licenses based upon test or 24 semester hours
• Deleting areas on the license
• Name changes and updating contact information
• If not, then you must first hire the individual and apply for the license on their behalf.
• Initial Alternative licenses – Permits to Teach, Emergency Licenses, Residency Licenses, CTE Restricted Provisionals, Student Service Personnel Provisionals
• Adding provisional areas to existing licenses
• Validating expired CPLs
• Converting to ALT

Licensure 101 Overview

• SBE Policy LICN-001 General Licensure Requirements
• The ultimate guide to licensure
• Licensure 101 Notebook
• Contains all the RALC licensure resources 
• RALC Director
• Each director provides training for their regions

Top 10 Licensure Issues

and how to avoid them

(1) Initial Applications

• All initial applications require a copy of official degree dated transcripts.
• If the degree was earned outside of the United States, then an international education evaluation is required (not just a translation) explaining what the education equates to in the United States.
• All initial applications require either a copy of the other state’s license from the state in which the educator completed their teacher education program or a Form V completed by the dean of education/certification officer at their college/university.
• If they completed an alternative route to certification from that state, then they must provide an official letter from that state’s department of education outlining the requirements and basis for the license.
• If they completed their program outside of the United States, the international education evaluation with a course-by-course analysis is sufficient.
• Licensure processing fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable.

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(1) Initial Applications

• Attachments
• Maximum file size is 2 MB
• PDFs are preferred
• Make sure the documents are clearly legible
• Add notes when attaching documents

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(2) Initial Alternative Applications

• All initial applications require a copy of official degree dated transcripts.
• Permit to Teach License
• Enter License Area Type as Permit to Teach:

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• Do not submit experience or graduate pay requests with these applications since educators can only be paid at the A-00 level on a Permit to Teach.

(2) Initial Alternative Applications

• Emergency Licenses
• Select the license area the teacher is assigned to teach.
• If the educator is teaching multiple areas (example: middle grades math and science) they must qualify for all areas.
• Identify the 18 semester hours you have determined relevant, either on the transcript or additional memo.

(2) Initial Alternative Applications

• Residency License
• Form RL must be included as an attachment with this license type.
• Form RL must be signed by the teacher, EPP, AND PSU.  The form must include the license area, how the teacher qualifies (24 hours of relevant coursework or passed all content exams), and which year the teacher is in the residency process.

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• Licensure processing fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable.

(3) Convert to ALT Applications

• When converting a Permit to Teach to either an Emergency License or Residency License, select Replace with a New License Area:

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• Do not select to Convert.

Permit to Teach

(3) Convert to ALT Applications

• Copies of official transcript(s) must be attached to each application.
• When converting to an Emergency License, include identification of the 18 semester hours of relevant coursework.
• When converting to a Residency License, include the completed and signed Form RL.

(4) Testing

• When is testing required:
• Converting an IPL to a CPL
• Adding an area to an existing license
• Including when educators complete a program and add a new area based on EPP recommendation
• edTPA/PPAT assessments are required for all educators who completed their initial teacher education program on or after 9/1/2019.  This applies to ALL program completers.
• Testing for Elementary Education (K-6) and Special Education: General Curriculum (K-12)
• To convert to an IPL to CPL, educators must have a math and reading subtest.
• If they hold an expired IPL, educators must meet current testing requirements.  Old exams do not meet current requirements.
• Educators must meet current testing requirements to add an area based on passing test scores. Do not assume a teacher with a clear elementary education license has the math and reading subtest on file.
• Math Foundations and Reading Research to Classroom Practice workshops cannot be used to add an area to an existing license.

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(5) Experience Credit

• All experience forms need to have the month, day, and year for the beginning and ending dates for each position worked. 
• Teaching experience occurring during the current school year cannot be credited to the license until after the end of the school year.
• College teaching experience must include the total semester hours taught per week.

(5) Experience Credit

• Non-teaching experience must be verified by a previous employer.
• If the experience is self-employment, it must be verified by a third party – tax attorney, CPA, business manager, etc.
• Official job descriptions are required for each position worked.
• Form RN is required and verifies that the PSU has reviewed the work experience and determined it is directly relevant to the educator’s license and teaching assignment.
• Military experience is considered non-teaching and must be recommended on the Form RN.

(6) Graduate Pay

• Graduate Pay request must include an official degree dated transcript.
• This requirement provides an opportunity to review the transcript for eligibility
• Do not upload a note stating “Transcripts on file”

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(6) Graduate Pay

• Do not open requests for graduate pay for the 2024-25 school year until after the bump in mid-July.
• Educators must have completed at least one class prior to 8/1/2013 to be considered for graduate pay.
• If educators hold a “M” level license and at least one class was completed prior to 8/1/2013, then they will be paid for their master’s degree without a need for a graduate pay application.
• All graduate pay applications are reviewed for eligibility, regardless of prior approvals.
• Applications need to include the educator’s specific licensure area, not just teacher, legacy, CTE, etc.
• DPI cannot “pre-approve” eligibility.

Non-Teaching Experience and�Graduate Pay Appeals Committee

• If non-teaching experience or graduate pay requests are denied, PSUs can appeal the decision. Educators cannot appeal on their own.
• The appeal checklist must be completed and submitted by the deadline, including a written statement from the educator and PSU.
• Check the LicSal website for the meeting calendar, checklist, and instructions.

(7) Extensions and Conversions

• Extending an IPL
• In most situations, all testing must be met before an ILP can be extended.
• When testing must be met depends what the SBE policy required when the license was first issued. This will be listed on the requirements letter sent to the individual with their initial license.
• Converting an IPL to a CPL
• Educators must have met all testing requirements (including edTPA/PPAT if applicable).
• DPI must have copy of test scores on file
• Educators must have a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience to be eligible to convert.

(8) Renewals and Lifetime Licenses

• Educators renewing 6/30/2024:

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(8) Renewals and Lifetime Licenses

• Current CPL renewals can only be submitted during the renewal window mid-April through July.
• Expired CPL can renew at anytime.
• If educators are not on your automatic renewal list or you do not select “Yes” on the renewal, they can still renew on there own.  The PSU will need to provide the educator a copy of their CEUs report, signing it to verify.
• Employed educators need to work with their PSU to meet the CEU requirement.  DPI cannot provide guidance beyond the SBE policy requirements.

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(8) Renewals and Lifetime Licenses

• A Lifetime License is issued to a teacher who:
• Holds a current license after 30 or more years of combined service as a licensed teacher, administrator, or student services personnel in one or more public school units in North Carolina.
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• Completed 30 or more years of creditable service with the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System.
• Form 6-EST from the NC Retirement System is a great resource to document an educator’s 30 years of service with the state.
• Directions were sent out earlier this month regarding requesting lifetime licenses for employed educators.

(9) Affiliations

• Educators must affiliate with your PSU before you can see their information on the online licensure system.
• If employed with a LEA, educators are automatically affiliated after they receive their first paycheck.
• If employed with a charter/lab/residential school, educators must affiliate with their school.
• Educators can be affiliated with multiple PSUs.  The primary PSU is the school which receives the requirements letters and has the teacher on their automatic renewal list.

(10) Communication

• Employed educators’ first point of contact regarding their licensure questions is their personnel administrator/licensure specialist.
• The RALC director is the PSU first point of contact regarding licensure questions.
• The “Ask Licensure” portal is intended for educators needing licensure assistance and are not employed.
• Contacting DPI directly will not expediate processing. Current processing time is around 12 weeks.
• Monthly priority processing lists occur October through April.

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(10) Communication

• When emailing your RALC director include:
• Educator’s full name
• Educator’s license number (or application number if a license hasn’t been issued)
• Detailed explanation of the licensure situation
• Do not email full SSN

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(10) Communication

• Even if an educator is not affiliated with your PSU, you can still find their license number by using the General Public search:

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(10) Communication

• The search results include the license number:

Top Ten Licensure Issues

• Initial Applications
• Initial Alternative Applications
• Convert to ALT
• Testing
• Experience

• Graduate Pay
• Extensions and Conversions
• Renewals and Lifetime Licenses
• Affiliations
• Communication

Upcoming Events

• Summer Lunch and Learns

Questions?