Certification Issuance and Renewal

Certification Issuance Requirements and Applications

This page contains certification requirements and applications for anyone seeking an Initial certificate through RI approved programs, reciprocity, or credential review. For information on Preliminary certificates, see Paths to Certification.

Rhode Island Certification Tests and Passing Scores 

APPLY ONLINE!! You may apply for any of the following certificates only on RIDE Portal.

Early Childhood Grades | Elementary Grades | Middle Grades | Secondary Grades | All Grades | Administrators | Support Professionals | Endorsements

GRADE SPAN CERTIFICATION AREAS RESOURCES
Early Childhood
(Grades PK-2)
  • Early Childhood
  • Special Education
  • Bilingual Dual Language
  • English to Speakers of Other Languages (Effective Sep 2020, this is now offered as an All Grades English to Speakers of Other Languages. See All Grades  section below)
Elementary
(Grades 1-6)
  • Elementary
  • Special Education
  • Bilingual Dual Language
  • English to Speakers of Other Languages (Effective Sep 2020, this is now offered as an All Grades English to Speakers of Other Languages. See All Grades section below)
Middle Grades
(Grades 5-8)
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Bilingual Dual Language
  • English to Speakers of Other Languages (Effective Sep 2020, this is now offered as an All Grades English to Speakers of Other Languages. See All Grades section below)
Secondary Grades
(Grades 7-12)
  • Agriculture
  • Biology
  • Business Education
  • Career and Technical Education
  • Chemistry
  • English
  • General Science
  • Mathematics
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Bilingual Dual Language
  • English to Speakers of Other Languages (Effective Sep 2020, this is now offered as an All Grades English to Speakers of Other Languages. See All Grades section below)
All Grades
(Grades PK-12)
  • Art
  • Dance
  • Family and Consumer Science
  • Health
  • Library Media Studies
  • Music
  • Physical Education
  • School Nurse Teacher
  • Technology Education
  • Theater
  • World Languages
  • Special Education-Deaf and Hard of Hearing-American Sign Language
  • Special Education-Deaf and Hard of Hearing-Oral/Aural Communication
  • Special Education-Visually Impaired
  • Special Education-Severe Intellectual Disability
  • Special Education
  • Bilingual Dual Language
  • English to Speakers of Other Languages
Administrator Certificates
  • Building Level Administrator
  • District Level Administrator - Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
  • District Level Administrator - Special Education
  • School Business Administrator
  • Superintendent of Schools
Support Professional Certificates
  • School Counselor
  • School Psychologist
  • School Social Worker
  • Speech and Language Pathologist
  • Reading Specialist/Consultant
  • Mathematics Specialist/Consultant
  • English to Speakers of Other Languages Specialist/Consultant
  • Instructional Leader
  • Registered School Nurse
Endorsements
  • Literacy/Dyslexia
  • Multilingual Learners
  • Computer Science

 

Charter School Certification Guidance

Resources for educators renewing certificates in 2023

APPLY ONLINE!! You may renew any of the following certificates only on RIDE Portal.

Educators renewing certificates in 2023 must provide evidence of PLUs to their district as the district acknowledges meeting the PLU requirements for certification to RIDE. 

Initial (3-year) Certificates

Educators holding Initial certificates must complete 25 PLUs per year of employment for a total of 75 PLUs in order to progress to a Professional (5-year) certificate.

Professional (5-year) Certificates

Educators holding Professional Certificates must complete 15 PLUs per year of employment for a total of 60 PLUs in order to renew as a Professional (5-year) certificate. 

Advanced (7-year) Certificates

Educators who achieve an aspirational benchmark in addition to the 60 PLUs can progress to an Advanced (7-year) certificate. Evidence of aspirational benchmarks must be submitted to RIDE on when renewing online on My eCert. Aspirational benchmarks include:

  1. National Board Certification
  2. Conferral of an advanced degree
  3. RIDE or national recognition (Milken Award, State Teacher of the Year, or Presidential Award for Math and Science)
  4. Completion of NISL Executive Development Program or served as a NISL facilitator
  5. Achieves RIDE certification in limited number of shortage areas identified by RIDE

LEAs may approve professional learning activities for educators in one or more of the following categories:

  • Subject matter/content knowledge and skills
  • Pedagogical knowledge or pedagogical content knowledge and skills
  • Curriculum implementation knowledge and skills
  • Enhance educator effectiveness

An hour of approved professional learning equals one Professional Learning Unit (PLU). LEAs will verify in the Personnel Data Collection system that the educator has completed all required PLUs. RIDE will not collect individual PLU evidence, but educators should maintain their own records. 

One Year Special Provisional Certificate

A One-Year Special Provisional Certificate may be issued to educators who hold Initial, Professional or Advanced Educator Certificates and did not obtain approval or did not complete professional learning unit requirements. Educators holding the Special Provisional certificate must complete the missing PLUs during this certificate's one-year cycle and submit evidence to the school/district to complete the electronic sign off process.