For renewals, Iowa accepts licensure renewal credits from approved Iowa providers including the AEA system, ISEA, PEI, Iowa Safe Schools, MISIC, SAI, or undergraduate or graduate college credits from a nationally accredited institution. If you choose an out-of-state program, college semester hour credits must be earned (not clock hours, CEUs, or staff development). Accreditation may be checked here. Click here for information about credits from Idaho State University.
Credits need to be earned after the issue date of the current license, or be no more than five years old if the license is expired. Credits should be relevant to education or an endorsement area.
IPDP Plans for renewal credit: Holders of a standard, master, professional administrator, or professional service license may use one Iowa Individual Professional Development Plan (annual goal setting) for up to 1/2 of the required renewal credits for their license type.
- Standard license - 1 IPDP plan is 3 credits (6 needed)
- Master educator license - 1 IPDP plan is 2 credits (*4 needed)
- Professional administrator license - 1 IPDP plan is 2 credits (*4 needed)
- Professional service license - 1 IPDP plan is 2 renewal credits (4 needed)
In your online renewal application, upload a completed (spring) IPDP signed by you and your evaluator. The plan should minimally include specific goal(s), planned activities, alignment to building/district goals, alignment to the Iowa teaching standards, data collected, and how the goal impacted student learning. The plan needs to have been completed after the issue date of the current license, or be no more than five years old if the license is expired. The plan must be completed in an Iowa school setting, as the plans are based on the Iowa teaching or administrator standards.
*Specialist and Doctoral Degree holders: 2 renewal credits are required to renew the master educator or professional administrator license. You will need to upload your transcripts showing the degree as well as your renewal credits. The IPDP plan is worth one renewal credit in this case. An evaluator course is required to renew a professional administrator license. A specialist endorsement (such as a reading specialist) is not the same as a specialist degree.
Cooperating Teachers: If you served as a cooperating teacher for an Iowa Teacher Education program, you will need to get an official certificate from the Iowa college showing how many credits were earned (maximum of 2).
- 1/2 credit may be earned by serving as a cooperating teacher for practicum students for 90 hours
- 1 credit may be earned by serving as a cooperating teacher for practicum students for 180 hours
- 1/2 credit may be earned by serving as a cooperating teacher for a student teacher for 1/2 semester
- 1 credit may be earned by serving as a cooperating teacher for a student teacher for 1 full semester
Micro-externships: Educators who participate in a micro-externship will be able to earn one renewal credit per experience.
The micro-externship is a content-related externship work experience in business or industry (not education) pre-approved by the employing school district. This externship will first need to be approved by a school administrator. The workplace learning coordinator should also be informed of the externship (if the district has such a position). A minimum of 40 hours of micro-externship experience are required for this renewal credit. Renewal credits may not be earned if college credits are earned for the same experience.
Click here to view the micro-externship renewal credit form.
National Board Certification: Four renewal credits may be earned for successful completion of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification. This certification may be used one time for either the standard or master educator license. Four renewal credits may also be earned for each National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification renewal and may be used toward the subsequent renewal of either the standard or master educator license.