Human Resources → Educator Certification Information → New Educators → Form 440-24 → Current Maryland Certificate Holder Information
Current Maryland Certificate Holder Information
The Form 440-24A is for educators who currently hold or previously held a Maryland professional certificate or for educators who hold a professional eligibility certificate (issued by MSDE).
INSTRUCTIONS: Read the explanation for the corresponding area that has a checkmark on your specific Form 440-24A. If one or more areas are checked it means…
Section including your Name, Employee ID, and Assignment/Location
“We have all official documentation necessary to process your application for Maryland certification on file.”
This means that all official transcripts, etc., are on file to request your initial Maryland certificate. As a reminder, if you have completed courses in addition to anything you submitted during the hiring process, please submit an official transcript to our office.
See Submitting Official Transcripts for information about submitting official documentation.
“Please submit the following official transcripts to the Contracts Assistant in the Department of Recruitment and Staffing within 30 days of this dated form to avoid a salary penalty or termination of permanent employment.”
This means that official transcripts are needed to complete your certification file or verify salary lane placement. An official transcript must bear the seal and signature of the registrar. Please note that even if you believe you have already submitted an official transcript, it may have been incomplete; therefore, we are requesting a complete document.
In addition, we may also require official documentation for MSDE approved CPD (continuing professional development) credits completed or taken in other Maryland counties.
“Please submit a copy of your ____________ certificate/license _____________”
This means that we need a copy of your out-of-state teaching certificate or Maryland State Board of Examiners (MSBE) license. MSDE makes certain allowances based on previously held certification.
Section re MSDE Certification Requirements: Reading Coursework
MSDE requires teachers to complete a specific number of credits in reading depending on their area of certification. See Reading Coursework Requirements & Info for detailed information.
“You have completed ___ of the ___ shrs. of credit needed in reading content for your field of certification. You still need:”
This means that you still need reading content coursework to meet the MSDE requirement for your area(s) of certification. The reading content coursework you still need is indicated in that section under “Elementary/ ECE” or “Secondary/PK-12” level reading courses. Go to Reading Coursework Requirements & Info for information about available coursework options by clicking on the appropriate link, “Elementary” or “Secondary/PK-12” reading courses.
Section re MSDE Certification Requirements: Special Education Coursework
MSDE requires educators holding specialist and/or administrator certification to complete 3 semester hours in a course of Introduction to Special Education or Mainstreaming. If you have completed this requirement, you will see “Special Education” under “Ancillary Credits” on page one; otherwise, you must complete an appropriate course by the date indicated.
Section re Certificate Type, Validity Dates, Salary Lane/Step, Area(s) of Certification, and Highly Qualified Information
“You will receive the following certificate:”
This indicates the type of MSDE certificate you will download from the MSDE Educator Information System (EIS) portal, including the validity dates, your highest degree earned, and your area(s) of certification.
See MSDE General Certificate Requirements for detailed information, including renewal requirements, about the specific type of certificate you will be receiving.
- Validity Dates - These are the start and expiration dates of your certificate. By the expiration of your certificate, all renewal requirements must be met.
- Initial Salary Lane/Step - This refers to the salary lane and step at which you were employed. Please remember that this refers to salary only and not to certification requirements. For example, “MEQ” does not necessarily mean that you have met the MSDE requirements for the equivalency needed for the Advanced Professional Certificate. For details about salary lanes, see Salary Advancement Information.
- Area(s) of Certification - These are the endorsements or certification areas which you are eligible for under current MSDE certification regulations.
- Highly Qualified (HQ) - This indicates the following based on the federal mandate, No Child Left Behind (PDF)
- “Yes” means the certification area is a core academic subject for which you are designated HQ. If you are elementary 1-6 and middle school certified, the grade levels 1-6 or 1-8 indicate which grades you are designated HQ to teach
- “No” means the certification area is a core academic subject for which you are NOT designated HQ. See the comments section of your Form 440-24 for instructions on obtaining this designation.
- “NA” means the certification area is not a core academic subject and does not need the HQ designation. However, if you are certified in special education and are the teacher of record for a core academic subject, then you will need to meet the requirements to be designated HQ in the applicable subject(s).
Ancillary Credits (additional MSDE course work requirements you have completed) - This indicates the number of MSDE reading credits you have completed and/or if you have completed a course in Introduction to Special Education or Mainstreaming
MSDE requires teachers to complete a specific number of credits in reading depending on their area of certification. See Reading Coursework Requirements & Info for detailed information. For example, if you need 12 semester hours and have completed 6 semester hours in reading, you will see “Reading 6” in this section.
MSDE requires specialist and administrator certified educators to complete 3 semester hours in a course of Introduction to Special Education or Mainstreaming. If you have completed this requirement, you will see “Special Education” in this section. This does NOT mean you are certified to teach special education. If you need to meet this requirement, it will be indicated in the “MSDE Certification Requirements: Special Education Coursework” section.
Section re For Certification Unit Use Only
As stated on the form, this section is for our use only; however, please note that all educators new to MCPS initially receive a “Provisional Contract for Conditional or Resident Teacher Certificate Holders.” Once we have received all the necessary documents and you are eligible for standard or advanced certification, you will receive a regular contract. You will continue to hold a provisional contract if we are missing the necessary items or if you are conditionally or resident teacher certified.
Section re MCPS Employment Contingencies
If either box is marked in this section, see Local MCPS Employment Contingencies & Requirements Information for detailed information about the requirement and course options.
Section re Comments
This area is very important! If there is anything indicated in this section, please read the entire section very carefully. If you have any questions about any item in this section, please email the person in the Certification Unit indicated in the Outlook email you received with your Form 440-24.
If nothing appears in the comments area, then disregard this section.
Form 440 General Information page