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LPDCs are groups sanctioned by the State to review coursework and professional development activities proposed and completed by educators to determine if state certification and licensure requirements have been met.

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LPDCs are responsible for reviewing and approving Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDPs), coursework and other professional development activities that educators propose to complete for the purpose of license renewal.

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These links provide support for LPDC’s.

• Resource Guide for Establishing an LPDC
• Regional Support Team
• Registration and Approved Signatures
• Forms
• Become an e-Signer

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If the LPDC does not have its own IRN at this time we ask that you register. It should require only 5 minutes or less to request registration for a new or existing LPDC using the new online CORE LPDC system.

This online system enables ESCs, school districts and schools to request new LPDC registrations, and to update LPDC address and staffing information. The LPDC data will update the ODE OEDS-R system and contribute to ODE's planned transition to more automated and efficient processing of educator licensure renewals.

Once the LPDC has been registered with an IRN it is not necessary to re-register each year. The date associated with the LPDC indicates the year it was registered. A change request is only necessary when updating and changing the coordinator and designees.

It is the LPDC’s responsibility to maintain and update the LPDC roles when necessary. The OEDS administrator cannot change the coordinator or designee roles. This is done through CORE, using the SAFE Account of the active LPDC coordinator or LPDC designee. The change needs to be completed prior to an LPDC coordinator or LPDC designee leaving the district.

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All teaching, non-teaching and associate personnel (including interpreters and treasurers) who:

• hold a certificate, a professional or an associate 5-year license, and
• are employed full- or part-time in the school, school district, agency or institution the LPDC represents, and
• who wish to fulfill the license renewal requirements.

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Educators who hold certificates or 5-year licenses who substitute teach or interpret on a regular basis in the school or district the LPDC represents may work with the LPDC if its operational procedures include that provision. If there is no such operational procedure, substitute teachers must work directly with the Ohio Department of Education in order to fulfill license renewal requirements.

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School social workers, school speech-language pathologists, school nurses, school audiologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapy assistants and physical therapy assistants are required to maintain licensure through their respective Ohio professional licensure board. To renew five-year professional Ohio Department of Education pupil services licenses in these areas, educators must maintain their other board license. By doing so, they meet all Ohio Department of Education renewal requirements and therefore, do not need to work through the LPDC. These educators renew their license by submitting a renewal application with proof of current professional board licensure directly to the Ohio Department of Education.

While ODE-licensed school counselors and school psychologists are not required to maintain concurrent professional licensure through the Ohio Counselor, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapy Board (counselors) or the Ohio State Board of Psychology (psychologists), some individuals do hold both the ODE license and a professional board license. Holders of five-year professional ODE pupil services licenses for school counselor or school psychologist who also hold a corresponding professional board license may renew the ODE license based on maintaining licensure through the respective professional licensure board, and do not need to work through an LPDC. Holders of five-year professional ODE school counselor or school psychologist licenses who do not maintain a concurrent professional board license are required to work through the LPDC to renew their ODE licenses.

Holders of two-year provisional teaching or school counselor licenses, and teachers working under the four year Resident Educator license, do not work through the LPDC to renew provisional licenses or to advance from a provisional license or Resident Educator license to a professional license.

Individuals may apply directly to the ODE Office of Educator Licensure to renew a provisional license, in order to obtain another provisional license if they do not hold a position that enables them to complete the Ohio Resident Educator Program under a Resident Educator license.

Individuals who have completed an Ohio teacher induction program (Entry Year Program or Transition Resident Educator Program) also apply directly to the ODE Office of Educator Licensure, having had their application signed by the superintendent or designee and the mentor.

Once the professional license has been obtained, regular LPDC procedures apply to the renewal of the professional license.

Educators holding alternative resident educator licenses, including career-technical workforce development teachers, do not work through the LPDC.  Once the professional license has been obtained, regular LPDC procedures apply to the renewal of the professional license

Educators holding an alternative principal license, alternative administrative specialist license, or alternative superintendent license do not work through the LPDC to renew the alternative license. Once a professional license is obtained in the area in which the alternative license was formerly held, regular LPDC procedures apply to the renewal of the professional license.

Educators holding a one-year temporary pupil services license or one-year supplemental teaching license do not work through the LPDC to renew the temporary or supplemental or to advance to the standard license in the area in which the temporary or supplemental license was held. Once a professional license has been obtained in the area, regular LPDC procedures apply to the renewal of the professional license.

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An IPDP is a document prepared by individual educators as a record of personal professional development goals and as a document of their achievement.

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Check with your LPDC for the specific form used for your district.  A recommended template can be found at:   IPDP Recommended Template

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• When leaving a district/school, as soon as possible after employment and before engaging in any additional coursework or professional development activities, the newly hired educator must submit an IPDP to the new LPDC in accordance with the operating procedures of the new district.

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• In order for the new district to honor professional development activities from a previous school district, the educator must submit a Verification Form for Educators Leaving the LPDC to the new district.

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The CORE licensure system allows users to apply for new and renewal licenses online. The process also provides a secure environment for educators to update their demographic data and pay licensure fees online using a credit card.  More information can be found here:  CORE licensure system

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Once an LPDC approves a completed IPDP for license renewal, the individual completes the form for license renewal through his or her SAFE account.

• Renew a License
• Renewing 5 year licenses
• SAFE Sign-Up Everyone needs a SAFE Account

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Information about advancing licensure can be found at:

• Advancing from a 2 year provisional to a 5 year license
• Ohio’s 4-Tiered License Structure
• Advance to a Senior Professional or Lead Professional educator license

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To ensure that all appropriate professional development activities may be considered to meet renewal requirements, the IPDP should be written and submitted to the LPDC for approval as soon as possible after the issuance of the license to be renewed.

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To qualify for licensure renewal, the educator must complete one or a combination of the following: 

• Six (6) semester hours of coursework related to classroom teaching or the area of licensure.
• Eighteen (18) continuing education units (CEUs) which represent 180 contact hours of professional development OR engagement in equivalent other activities (EOAs) related to classroom teaching or the area of licensure as approved by the LPDC of the employing school, district or agency since the issuance of the license to be renewed.

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When an educator retires or takes employment in a new district, the former district will provide verification of the IPDP approval, including coursework and continuing education approval, including coursework and continuing education that is completed and accepted.

It is the educator’s responsibility to request and retain the approved and signed form, Verification Form for Educators Leaving the LPDC, sample found here: Verification Form for Educators Exiting the LPDC and submit it to the new LPDC at the time of employment in the new district; or if no longer employed by a district to the Ohio Department of Education at the time of application for renewal.  If the plan was not completed in total, a new plan to address the time period remaining in the renewal cycle will have to be written and approved by the new LPDC.  Or, if the educator is not employed, the remaining credits will have to be completed by taking coursework at a college or university prior to application to the Ohio Department of Education.

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Ohio educators who have multiple license types now have flexibility regarding the alignment of license validity periods.  Since the implementation of licensure, a “one-license approach” has been utilized and multiple license types have been combined on one professional license spanning the same time period.

For more information click here:  Aligning licenses

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• This decision is determined by the practices and procedures of the Local Professional Development Committee. The primary responsibility of the Local Professional Development Committee is to review educators’ Individual Professional Development Plans and ensure that the identified goals and strategies are relevant to the needs of the district, the school, the students and the educator. Such decisions should be based on the committee’s local criteria and be aligned to the Ohio Standards for Professional Development.

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• This is a decision made by the local Professional Development Committee.  Consult the practices and procedures of your local LPDC for a plan of operation.  Whether licenses are issued together or separately, educators should continue to work with their LPDCs to ensure that IPDPs are properly maintained.

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