Montgomery County Community College

ACT 48 Credit for Educators

Background

ACT 48, which became effective in July 2000, requires all Pennsylvania educators holding Pennsylvania public school certification including Instructional I and II, Educational Specialist I and II, Administrative, Supervisory, Letters of Eligibility, and all vocational certificates to participate in on-going professional education. An educator can comply by earning:

• 6 credits of collegiate study, OR
• 180 hours of continuing professional education programs, activities, learning experiences, OR
• Any combination of credits or activity hours equivalent to 180 hours.

One credit equals 30 activity hours. All credits and activity hours must be related to an educator’s certificate type or area of teaching assignment. These credits or hours must be attained every 5 years for all types and areas of certification to maintain active status.

ACT 48 for Continuing Education Courses

Montgomery County Community College is an approved educational provider of learning activities required by ACT 48. Some non-credit courses have been designed to qualify for ACT 48, although the educator is responsible for ensuring that the course content has applicability for his/her certificate type and area of assignment and the final decision to award hours rests with the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Once the Continuing Education manager has verified that the educator has earned the hours based on class participation and attendance, this information will be conveyed to the College Registrar who will report the hours on behalf of the educator to the Bureau of Curriculum and Academic Services at the Pennsylvania Department of Education in Harrisburg. *

The educator will receive two copies of a letter from the College verifying the completion of the learning activity: one copy for the educator, and one that the educator can forward to his/her school.

How to Request ACT 48 Hours

1. Register and pay for a Continuing Education course that the College has identified as being designed to qualify for ACT 48 hours/credits, and that has applicability to your certificate type or area of teaching assignment.
2. Complete the “ACT 48 Request Form” that you can obtain via:
   1. Your instructor: he/she can find this Procedure and a copy of the Request Form in his/her class packet, or
   2. Download Request Form here.
3. Mail, email, or fax the Request Form to the individual specified on the form. After your class has ended, your attendance and class participation will be verified. Once reviewed and approved by the manager, your Request Form will be forwarded to the College’s Registrar for submission to Harrisburg. *
4. Once the Pennsylvania Department of Education has approved your ACT 48 credits, they should show up on your record in Harrisburg within several weeks. To check your ACT 48 record on the PDE Management System, go to www.pde.state.pa.us and click on “ACT 48 Reporting System.” If you have any questions about the Request Form, contact the individual listed on the Request Form.

* Please allow a minimum of three weeks for processing.