Certificate Renewal for Administrators
Administrative (Type 75) Certificate
Renewal and Registration
Requirements for Renewal
Effective July 1, 2003 and amended July 1, 2004, public school administrators in Illinois are required to:
- Complete the Introduction to the Evaluation of Certified Staff course prior to evaluating certified staff.
- Complete one Administrators' Academy course during each fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) in which he or she is hired in an administrative position. (Note - Introduction to the Evaluation of Certified Staff does not fill the annual requirement for the year in which it is taken.)
- Complete at least 20 hours of qualifying professional development activities for every year in the certificate's registration period in which he or she is hired in an administrative position. For a full five-year period, this would mean that 100 hours are required. Professional development must be accumulated over a minimum of one separate activity for each year of active status. For example, an administrator who uses his or her administrative certificate for 4 out of 5 years must complete 80 hours of professional development consisting of at least 4 separate activities.
- Maintain evidence of completion for each professional development activity and be able to produce this document if audited. Note - ISBE does perform random audits of professional development records.
Administrators are no longer required to submit a professional development plan, to complete activities associated with old plans, or to submit paperwork to their district or co-op.
Special Cases and Notes
- If you are employed as a teacher AND an administrator during the same semester, you will complete teacher professional development requirements if you served as a teacher for more than 50% of the day, OR you will complete administrative professional development requirements if you served as an administrator for more than 50% of the day.
- If you served as exactly 50% teacher and 50% administrator, you may choose which set of requirements to fill for that semester.
- During the 5 years of your certificate’s registration period, ISBE recognizes there to be exactly 10 semesters. For each of those semesters, you will need to indicate for which certificate (your teaching certificate or your administrative certificate) you were responsible for professional development. See “Verify/Correct Your Exemption Status” on Page 4 of the “Renewing Your Certificate Online for Administrators” guide.
Using the ECS System to Renew and Register
The ECS database system is the system in which the Illinois State Board of Education maintains records of all of its certified education professionals. One of the benefits of this system, which was implemented in 2006, is the access that it gives educators to maintaining the accuracy of their own records. In ECS, you can:
- Update your personal and contact information.
- Update your academic information.
- Record your professional development activities.
- View your personal professional development requirements, based on your qualifications
- and work history.
- Submit your renewal and registrations online.
Click the button below for step-by-step instructions on using the ECS system.
Qualifying Professional Development Activities
Activity AC - Successful Completion of College Course
Description: College course work can be undergraduate, graduate, or post graduate from any accredited college or university.
Required Documentation: Grade slip or transcripts (originals or copies).
Activity AI - Participation in an Institute
Description: Participating in an institute is intended to be an activity in which the administrator attends an institute being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. Institutes generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Proof of institute registration or participation (issued by institute provider) AND institute brochure, flyer, or agenda.
Activity AM - Participation in a Seminar
Description: Attending a seminar is intended to be an activity in which the administrator attends a seminar being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. Seminars generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Proof of seminar registration or participation (issued by seminar provider) AND seminar brochure or flyer.
Activity AN - Participation in a National Conference
Description: Participating in a national conference is intended to be an activity in which the administrator attends a national conference being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. National conferences generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Proof of conference registration or participation (issued by conference provider) AND conference brochure, flyer, or agenda.
Activity AR - Participation in a Regional Conference
Description: Participating in a regional conference intended to be an activity in which the administrator attends a regional conference being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. Regional conferences generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Proof of conference registration or participation (issued by conference provider) AND conference brochure, flyer, or agenda.
Activity AS - Participation in a State Conference
Description: Participating in a state conference is intended to be an activity in which the administrator attends a state conference being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. State conferences generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Proof of conference registration or participation (issued by conference provider) AND conference brochure, flyer, or agenda.
Activity AW - Participation in a Workshop
Description: Participating in a workshop is intended to be an activity in which the administrator attends a workshop being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. Workshops generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Proof of workshop registration or participation (issued by workshop provider) AND workshop brochure, flyer, or agenda.
Activity AY - Participation in a Symposium
Description: Participating in a symposium is intended to be an activity in which the administrator attends a symposium being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. Symposiums generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Proof of workshop registration or participation (issued by workshop provider) AND workshop brochure, flyer, or agenda.
Activity FM - Providing Formal Mentoring to an Administrator
Description: The Provided Formal Mentoring activity is intended to allow time spent in providing mentoring in a formal mentoring program to be counted toward professional development. The mentoring program must have been established by administrator's school district, a college, or a professional organization and have formal, written procedures to qualify as a mentoring program.
Required Documentation: Proof that district/college/professional organization has established a mentoring program for new or all administrators, name(s) of administrator(s) receiving mentoring, and log.
Activity IS - Independent Study / Research / Project
Description: An independent study or research project must be designed by the administrator to pursue an area of study not covered by an established curriculum. Administators are expected to establish in advance the questions they propose to investigate and what they intend to do to carry out the investigation.
Required Documentation: Report showing outline of study/research/project which includes the following:
- brief description (minimum of two paragraphs)
- list of all related references (research, studies, etc.)
- log showing dates and times of work.
Activity PI - Making a Presentation at an Institute
Description: Presenting at an institute is intended to be an activity in which the administrator presents at an institute being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. Institutes generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Institute brochure/flyer indicating administrator was the presenter.
Activity PM - Making a Presentation at a Seminar
Description: Presenting at a seminar is intended to be an activity in which the administrator presents at a seminar being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. Seminars generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Seminar brochure/flyer indicating administrator was the presenter.
Activity PN - Making a Presentation at a National Conference
Description: Presenting at a national conference is intended to be an activity in which the administrator presents at a national conference being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. National conferences generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Conference brochure/flyer indicating administrator was the presenter.
Activity PR - Making a Presentation at a Regional Conference
Description: Presenting at a regional conference is intended to be an activity in which the administrator presents at a regional conference being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. Regional conferences generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Conference brochure/flyer indicating administrator was the presenter.
Activity PS - Making a Presentation at a State Conference
Description: Presenting at a state conference is intended to be an activity in which the administrator presents at a state conference being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. State conferences generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Conference brochure/flyer indicating administrator was the presenter.
Activity PW - Making a Presentation at a Workshop
Description: Presenting at a workshop is intended to be an activity in which the administrator presents at a workshop being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. Workshops generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Workshop brochure/flyer indicating administrator was the presenter.
Activity PY - Making a Presentation at a Symposium
Description: Presenting at a symposium is intended to be an activity in which the administrator presents at a symposium being held by a third party that involves registration, produces an agenda, and probably involves travel to a location external to the administrator's home district. Symposiums generally have a title that should be included in the explanation of the activity.
Required Documentation: Symposium brochure/flyer indicating administrator was the presenter.
Activity RB - Read, Wrote, or Listened to a Professional Book
Description: Reading or listening to a professional book is restricted to those books that directly help to improve your knowledge and skills required to perform your duties as an administrator. General books that apply to life skills such as organization or communication are not appropriate for this activity.
Required Documentation: Report which includes the following:
- title of book
- author’s name
- dates and times of reading/listening/writing
- brief description of content (at least four sentences.)
Activity RJ - Read, Wrote, or Listened to a Professional Journal
Description: Reading or listening to a professional journal is restricted to those journals that directly relate to knowledge and skills required to perform your duties as an administrator. General articles in journals that apply to life skills such as organization or communication are not appropriate for this activity.
Required Documentation: Report which includes the following:
- title of journal
- title of article
- author’s name
- dates and times of reading/listening/writing
- brief description of content (at least four sentences.)
Activity RM - Received Formal Mentoring as Administrator
Description: The Received Formal Mentoring activity is intended to allow time spent in a formal mentoring program to be counted toward professional development. The mentoring program must have been established by the administrator's school district, a college, or a professional organization and have formal, written procedures.
Required Documentation: Proof that the district/college/professional organization has established a mentoring program for new or all administrators, name of administrator providing the mentoring, and log showing dates and times of mentoring.
Activity TC - Taught a College Course
Description: The college course that is taught can be graduate or post graduate for any accredited college or university.
Required Documentation: Appropriate page of college catalog/brochure indicating administrator was teacher of specific course or letter from dean of college indicating administrator was teacher of specific course.
Activity AAC - Approved Administrator Academy
Description: When an administrator takes more than one approved Academy in a July 1 to June 30 year, the shortest Academy stays in the Academies section, and all others drop into the professional development section on ECS. The placement is controlled by the number of hours and cannot be modified. This usually becomes evident during the submission of the Statement of Assurance.
Required Documentation: None - participation is entered for you by the academy provider.
