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Certification

Welcome to the DeKalb County School District Certification Department information page. The Certification Department is primarily responsible for facilitating all aspects of the certification process for DeKalb County School District personnel. This includes management of applications for renewals for expiring credentials and assisting new employees in obtaining certification credentials issued by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC).

  • Goals

    • Ensure all candidates for classified and certified positions meet certification rules and guidelines set forth by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC)
    • Streamline the hiring process and ensure candidates selected to be interviewed possess the qualifications required for the role

  • Objectives

    • Thoroughly screen the qualifications of all classified and certified candidates by careful examination of transcripts, certificates, test scores, high school diplomas, evaluations, licenses, leadership certifications, and out of state certification reciprocity
    • Apprise Human Resources Managers and Building Level Administrators of key changes, updates, and certification requirements

  • Responsibilities
    Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

    • Evaluate qualifications for classified and certified employees for initial candidacy; certificate endorsements and upgrades; re-certification; and certificate conversions
    • Manage the evaluation tracking process for educators identified with a rating of needs development or unsatisfactory and work with department head to implement a remediation plan
    • Provide ongoing training via in-person and virtual platforms to Managers and Administrators regarding key changes and updates to certification requirements

Certification Requirements

All professional educators in the DeKalb County School District are required to adhere to certification rules and guidelines set forth by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). According to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) section 20-2-200, all teachers, service personnel, administrators, and paraprofessionals must hold a certificate issued by the GaPSC in the appropriate field, subject, grade level, or assignment.

GaPSC Rule 505-2-01(9) stipulates that it is the responsibility of the individual educator to meet all requirements and to maintain a valid certificate. Professional educators should not allow their educator’s certificates to lapse. Failure to maintain a valid and professionally qualified certificate at all times, in accordance with Georgia Law, may be considered grounds for termination or non-renewal of contract.

The GaPSC handles all matters pertaining to the issuance of teaching certificates in the State of Georgia. For information on eligibility, reciprocity, testing requirements, and applications, please contact the GaPSC directly at www.gapsc.com.

To become a Certified Teacher, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
  • GACE Content Assessment in the content area of interest
  • For Special Education consultative teachers only – the content test is not required for employment
  • GACE Ethics Assessment – Test code 360
  • Educators must enroll in a state-approved educator certification program within the first school year of teaching

Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE)

Assessments are required for all professional certificates in the State of Georgia:

  • Content Assessment
    Tests a variety of content knowledge areas. Each middle grade assessment is a single test that consists of selected-response questions and constructed-response assignments. All other content assessments are composed of two tests. Each test consists of selected-response questions and one or more constructed-response assignments.
  • Educator Ethics Assessment
    The modules focus on professionalism in education in teachers’ and educational leaders’ relationships with their students, their schools, their colleagues, and their communities – as well as on ethical understanding to guide decision making, and the specific regulations and expectations that educators face in Georgia.

For more information about the GACE Assessments, visit gace.ets.org or call 855-225-7178.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Any professional serving in public schools must hold a valid GaPSC certificate appropriate to the field of employment.

A bachelor’s degree or higher. If your highest degree is a bachelor’s degree and it was earned less than 10 years prior to the date of application, you must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5. If you do not, you may still qualify by submitting proof of acceptance into a GaPSC-accepted educator preparation program or an accredited advanced degree program;

  • Passing score on the GACE Program Admission Assessment or an exemption. An exemption must be documented by a copy of an official score report for an eligible exam;
  • Induction level or higher passing score on the appropriate GACE Content Assessment. If you are seeking employment as a consultative Special Education teacher, you are not required to pass the GACE content assessment before being eligible for certification;
  • Completion of the Georgia Educator Ethics Assessment (Test Code 360).

Hold an associate’s degree or higher in any subject from a GaPSC-accepted accredited institution, or…

  • Have completed 2 years of college coursework (60 semester hours) above the remedial level with a grade of “C” or better at a GaPSC-accepted accredited institution, or…
  • Have passed the GACE Paraprofessional Assessment and hold a minimum of a high school diploma or GED equivalent.

Long-Term substitute teachers must be certified. Day to day substitute teachers must hold the minimum of a bachelor’s degree with a 2.5 GPA or higher.

Official transcripts may be transmitted directly by the College/University in a secure electronic format such as Parchment or e-Script to the DCSD at officialtranscripts@dekalbschoolsga.org. The College/University may also send your official transcripts to the GaPSC at mail@gapsc.com.

Applications are processed in the order in which the completed package is received by the GaPSC. Please monitor your MYPSC Account for application status updates and correspondence. Average processing time fluctuates based on workload, and tends to be longest during the busy summer months.

MyPSC is a secure website for Georgia educators and applicants for educator certification. Here you can view or print your certificate, read correspondence sent to you, update your personal information on file with the Professional Standards Commission, and access other PSC resources by visiting mypsc.gapsc.org/Register.

You may call the GaPSC at 404-232-2500. The call center is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or you can visit their website at www.gapsc.com.
Certification Specialists
  • 678.676.0068
  • certification@dekalbschoolsga.org
  • Applicant Vetting Process
  • Certificate Endorsements
  • Certificate Upgrades
  • Re-Certification
  • Certificate Conversion
  • Certification Audit
  • Teacher Performance Evaluations
  • Certification Consultation
  • Certification 101 Training