CLOCK HOUR AND RELICENSURE GUIDELINES

  1. Purpose The Battle Lake Continuing Education Committee recommends teachers to the Minnesota Board of Teaching for licensure renewal based on successful accumulation of 125 continuing education clock hours. All clock hours must be pertinent to the teacher’s licensure area(s).

  2. Philosophy The committee’s goal is to encourage you to improve your professional practice through meaningful and purposeful continuing education activities in a variety of professional growth categories. The committee will not grant clock hours for experiences that are primarily for personal rather than professional improvement, or for experiences that duplicate experiences without new or enhanced professional development value (Minnesota rule 8710.7200).

  3. Membership The committee is comprised of seven members: five licensed teachers; one administrator; and one community member.

This year’s members are:

  • Jen Kerzman (Chair)

  • Andrea Bellig

  • Jodi Himmelspach

  • Mike Scholten

  • Ryan Severson

  • Anita Schaller

  • Paula Christensen (Community Member)

Meetings: The committee will meet the second week of each month: NovemberFebruary, and May.

A notice will be placed in the faculty announcements one week prior to the meeting date as a reminder of the upcoming committee meeting.

  1. Procedures and Guidelines

    Every five years, you must accumulate 125 clock hours of continuing education to renew your teaching license. You may not bank hours.

    • Activities must be pertinent to your teaching license(s) and have a clear pedagogical focus (training on how to teach the content to students). Work not targeted toward teachers, often does not meet this standard.

    • Meetings do not qualify for continuing education clock hours per se. Clock hours will be granted for time spent on professional development when adequately verified by an agenda, handout, etc.

    • Apply for clock hours by filling out the appropriate form using the clock hour form. Verification must be submitted for each activity. Apply for clock hours as soon as you have completed the activity.

    • Clock hours are not granted for time spent at lunch, on breaks, etc.

    • Plan ahead! Please note the date of the final committee meeting for the year.

    • Travel and work experience must be pre-approved per state law.

    • Teachers that hold the following certification may use the certification in lieu of some of the 125 clock hours as long as the certification is maintained and verification is provided:

      *National Board of Professional Standards Certification

    • If you were not employed by Battle Lake the last time you renewed your license, please have your former district transfer your clock hour information to the state site.

    • Requirements --Among your 125 clock hours, you must include activities in at least two categories. (This is generally not a problem.)

    • Activities that specifically address these seven topics: 

      • Positive Behavioral Intervention Strategies

      • Scientifically-Based Reading Instruction

      • Understanding the Key Warning Signs for Early-Onset Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents with an additional hour of:

        • Suicide Prevention Training

      • Meeting Needs of English Language Learners (Specific reflection requirements) 

      • Cultural Competency (Starting with renewals in 2020)

2. Clock Hour Categories – State of Minnesota rules regarding these categories can be found in Appendix A.

Category A: Relevant coursework completed at accredited colleges and universities.

  • Sixteen clock hours are granted for each quarter credit earned and 24 clock hours for each semester credit earned.

  • Courses taken for no credit (audit) earn 15 clock hours per each semester credit earned upon verification via accredited college/university.

  • Teaching a college course will earn the hours of time in class.

  • Verification includes a grade report or transcript. Photocopies are acceptable.

Acceptable Examples 

  • On-campus courses

  • Online courses

Category B: Educational workshops, conferences, institutes, seminars, or lectures in areas appropriate to licenses held.

  • Activitiesmust be organized, structured, learning experiences presented andattended for the purpose of professional development in education.

  • Clock hours cannot include travel time to the workshop, registration, meals, or coffee breaks.

  • Verification includes an attendance certificate (or an agenda signed by the workshop sponsor) indicating the hours of attendance and topics covered.

Acceptable Examples

  • Workshops 

  • State and national conferences

  • Education Minnesota Conference

  • Field Trips

Field trips may earn clock hours for those items that are directly related to your field. Hours will only be granted once for each field trip duringeach five-year renewal period and preapproval must be given by the committee. If preapproval is not asked for, hours will not be granted.

Unacceptable Examples

  • Business or administrative portions of meetings

  • Field trips that haven’t been preapproved by the committee

  • Field trip hours for supervision of students on a bus, meals, overnight hours

  • Personal growth activities without a direct pedagogical application

  • Activities intended for non-education careers

Category C: Staff development activities, inservice meetings, and courses.

  • Verification includes an attendance certificate (or an agenda signed by the workshop sponsor) indicating the hours of attendance and topics covered.

Acceptable Examples

  • District workshops

Unacceptable Examples

  • Faculty meetings

  • Staff work days

  • Department leader meetings

  • Activities and courses intended for non-education careers 

  • Business or administrative portions of in-service meetings

Category D: Site, district, regional, state, national, or international curriculum development.

  • Verification includes a written statement with validation of hours of participation from the administrator of the educational unit responsible for the curriculum development and a sample of the curriculum that was written.

  • Curriculum study committees are not eligible for clock hours

Category E: Engagement in formal peer coaching or mentorship relationships with colleagues that addresses one or more of the standards in part 8710.2000.

  • There is a maximum of 30 hours for this category for each five-year renewal period.

  • Verification includes a written statement with validation of hours of participation from the administrator of the mentorship or peer-coaching program.

  • Presenting at district workshops is an example of an acceptable activity

Category F: Professional service in the following areas:
(1) Supervision of clinical experiences of persons enrolled in teacher preparation programs.

  • There is a maximum of 30 hours for supervising student teachers for each five-year renewal period.

  • Only direct supervision of student teachers (in your classroom) qualifies under this category.

  • You will receive 16 clock hours for supervising a student teacher for a quarter, and 24 clock hours for a semester.

  • Verification includes a written statement with validation of hours of participation from the college representative/supervisor.

(2) Participation on national, state, and local committees involved withlicensure, teacher education, or professional standards. 

  • Verification includes a written statement with validation of hours of participation from the chair of the committee.

(3) Participation in national, regional, or state accreditation. 

  • erification includes a written statement of hours of participation from the head of the accrediting organization.

Category G:Leadership experiences in the following areas: (1) development of new or broader skills and sensitivities to the school, community, or profession; (2) publication of professional articles in a professional journal in an appropriate field; or (3) volunteer work in professional organizations related to the areas of licensure held.

  • There is a maximum of 30 hours for this category for each five-year renewal period.

  • Clock hours in this category are granted for leadership roles – not just membership or participation.

  • Verification includes a copy of the article, a certificate of participation, or a written statement with validation of hours from the head of the organization.

  • If you teach the same college course(s) or present the same staff development session(s) multiple times, you may earn clock hours only once for each course or session during each five-year renewal period.

Acceptable Examples

  • Being an officer in a professional organization related to your field of licensure

  • Authoring an article in a professional journal

  • Professional learning communities (PLC)

  • College lectures

  • Teaching college courses (contact hours)

  • Presenting at district staff development sessions

  • Presenting at state, national and international conferences

Unacceptable Examples

  • School Improvement Plan meetings 

  • Teaching Sunday School

  • Singing in a church choir 

  • Playing in a community band

  • Serving as an officer in a PTA or PTO 

  • Coaching sports

  • Volunteering at your child’s school 

  • Participating in Community Ed sports leagues

Category H:Opportunities to enhance knowledge and understanding of diverseeducational settings in the following areas: (1) experiences withstudents of another age, ability, culture, or socioeconomic level; or (2) systematic, purposeful observation during visits to schools and to related business and industry.

  • There is a maximum of 30 hours for this category for each five-year renewal period. (The committee may limit the number of hours) 

  • Verification includes a written validation of hours from an appropriate representative of the school or business.

Acceptable Examples

  • Exchange teaching in a setting different than your own

  • Tutoring inner-city students

  • Observing in schools with different demographics

  • Judging a science fair at a different school

  • Touring a business employing a workforce different than your students (secondary vocational teachers)

Unacceptable Examples

  • Coaching your child’s sports team 

  • Teaching Sunday School

  • Substitute teaching

Category I: Pre-approved travel or work experience: (1) travel for purposes of improving instructional capabilities related to the field of licensure; or (2) work experience in business or industry appropriate to the field of licensure. 

  • Both travel and work experience must be pre-approved.

  • There is a maximum of 30 hours for this category for each five-year renewal period.

  • One week of pre-approved travel or work experience for purposes of improving instructional capabilities equals 10 clock hours.

  • Pre-approval application should include a detailed itinerary or work plan and educational objectives.

  • Verification includes a detailed accounting of time spent as well a summary of how the travel or work will make you a better teacher.

Acceptable Examples

  • Travel to Spain or Latin America for a Spanish teacher 

  • Construction work for an industrial tech teacher

  • Language interpreter for a foreign language teacher

Unacceptable Examples

  • Spring break to Daytona Beach

3. Renewing Your License
You can renew your license online at https://education.state.mn.us/MIDMS/login.jsf?AppI...

4. Applying for Clock Hour Approval Turn in completed forms with appropriate documentation to either Jen or Jodi.