Teaching and Non-Teaching Work Experience Credit

Service Not Recognized Service as a tutor, clerical paraprofessional, or day-to-day substitute teacher is not recognized for professional educator experience credit. Experience credit is not awarded for a period of time designated as a leave of absence except as required by Workmen's Compensation and the Uniform Services Employment Re-employment Rights Act (USERRA). Long-Term substituting may count toward experience credit. Submit substitute experience verification on Form E (section B).

Instructional Teaching Assistant Service Service as an instructional teaching assistant qualifies for experience credit. One year of experience credit is awarded for each two years of service as an instructional teaching assistant before the bachelor's degree was earned. One year of experience credit is awarded for each year of service as an instructional teaching assistant after the bachelor's degree was earned. Use Form E (section B) to have instructional teaching assistant service verified. All Non-Teaching experience verification forms must also have an official job description attached or it will not be considered. Official means on company letterhead with employer signature or if can't be put on letterhead, it must have a signature of an official from the company.

Professional School Experience Service

Credit awarded for professional school experience is calculated according to these rules:

• Full-time work in a school unit of not less than six calendar months within one fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) earns one year of experience credit (excluding experience in a one-teacher private school).

• Part-time work requires a minimum of 15 hours per week to establish experience credit in a school unit. One year of experience can be earned, if the experience totals 6 calendar months of full-time experience during a single fiscal year.

• Partial years of full-time or part-time experience can be combined for experience credit. For example, two years of part-time work can be combined for one year of experience, if it is equivalent to 6 months of full-time experience. Full-time experience of less than 6 calendar months in a fiscal year can be combined with another partial year of part-time or full-time experience to equal one year of experience credit.

Use Form E (section A) to get Professional (teaching) experience credit verified.

Credit for College Teaching Service Credit for college teaching experience is calculated as follows: teaching two courses (six semester hours or class hours) is considered half-time work; teaching four courses (twelve semester hours or class hours) is considered full-time work.

Use Form CE to get Post-Secondary (college/university) Teaching Experience verified.

How to Apply for Experience Employed educators should submit all experience verification forms to the Licensure Specialist. The fee for requesting experience credit is $60 and must be paid by VISA or MasterCard and the fee is non-refundable regardless if experience credit is granted. The Licensure Specialist will make the request via the on-line licensure system.

If the educator is not employed with a school system, the educator can make the request to add experience through the on-line licensure system. The experience forms will need to be uploaded when making the request.

Forms You May Need:

• Form_CE

• Form_E

Non-teaching work experience can be credited toward an individual's total licensure experience rating by recommendation from a North Carolina Local Education Agency (LEA). Recommendations will be made by the Licensure Specialist for the school district.

One year of experience credit can be awarded for every two years of full-time relevant non-teaching work experience completed before the individual earned a bachelor's degree. One year of experience credit can be awarded for every year of full-time relevant non-teaching work experience completed after the individual earned a bachelor's degree.

For Class V Career-Technical Trade and Industry Education licenses, one year of experience credit can be awarded for every year of full-time relevant non-teaching work experience after the individual has completed the required training and work experience to qualify for the provisional license. Definition of Relevant Non-teaching experience – professional work experience in public or private sectors of employment that is directly related to an individual's area of licensure and work assignment.

Eligible experience:

• was at least half-time (20 hours or more per week);

• was completed after age 18;

• did not include on-the-job training; and

• was paid and documented.

Credit for non-teaching work experience is not transferable. Non-Teaching experience is granted based on relevance of the former position(s) to the new educator's assignment.

All Non-Teaching Experience credit requests must also have official job descriptions attached. Official means signed by an official from the previous companies. Non-Teaching Experience can be verified by using Form NE. There is also a $60 processing fee to have experience reviewed by the state. The fee can only be paid by VISA or MasterCard. The fee is non-refundable regardless if the experience is granted.

Non-Teaching experience must also be recommended by a school system and verified that the experience is "relevant" to the educator's current assignment. For this reason, only school systems can request review of Non-Teaching experience. Educators should submit all completed experience forms, job descriptions and fee to the Licensure Specialist.

Forms You May Need:

• Form_NE

The military and the local school system jointly support JROTC programs. Junior ROTC instructors must receive total compensation that equals active duty pay. Any difference between military retirement pay and active duty pay is jointly supplemented by the federal government and the employing LEA.

Military experience shall be awarded up to a maximum of 10 years for JROTC instructors, based on a minimum of 20 years of service and retirement from the military service.

A JROTC license will have to be requested by a school district. All paperwork and military papers will be submitted by the employing school system.

Brass to Class Eligibility

The NCDPI Licensure Section has established rules according to G.S. 115C-302.3(a) for awarding credit for salary purposes to principals, assistant principals and teachers who served in the Armed Forces of the United States; have retired or who have received an Honorable Discharge.

The policy includes the following provisions:

• One full year of experience credit shall be awarded for each year of full-time relevant non-teaching work experience completed while on active military duty in the Armed Forces of the United States and earning a bachelor's degree.

• One full year of experience credit shall be awarded for each two years of full-time relevant non-teaching work experience completed while on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States and before earning a bachelor's degree.

• One full year of experience credit shall be awarded for every two years of full-time instructional duties performed in an instructional setting while on active military duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, regardless of academic degree held while serving in instructional roles. This applies to military veterans initially employed by a NC LEA starting July 1, 2014. The experience must be verifiable on government issued service documents. This provision does not apply to JROTC instructors covered under a separate policy.

• One full year of experience credit shall be awarded for every two years of full-time service in a leadership role while on active military duty in the Armed Forces of the United State, regardless of academic degree held while serving in a leadership role. This applies to military veterans initially employed by a NC LEA starting July 1, 2014. Members eligible for this work experience credit are: commissioned officers, warrant officers, and non-commissioned officers. Junior enlisted members that have not completed formal military leadership training are excluded from eligibility for this credit. The experience must be verifiable on government issued service documents. This provision does not apply to JROTC instructors covered under a separate policy.

Non-Teaching Military Experience can be verified by using Form ME. There is also a $60 processing fee to have experience reviewed by the state. The fee can only be paid by VISA or MasterCard. The fee is non-refundable regardless if the experience is granted.

Non-Teaching experience must be recommended by a school system and verified that the experience is 'relevant' to the educator's current assignment. For this reason, only school systems can request review of Non-Teaching experience. Educators should submit all completed experience forms and fee to the Licensure Specialist.

Professional school personnel whose work is interrupted by active military service are eligible for experience credit for the time of active service based on General Statute 115-151 enacted in 1945. The statute reads:

The State Board of Education, in fixing the State Standard Salary schedule for teachers, principals, and superintendents as authorized by law, shall provide that teachers, principals, and superintendents who entered the armed or auxiliary forces of the United States after September 16, 1940, and who left their positions for such service, shall be allowed experience increments for the period of such service as though the same has not been interrupted thereby, in the event such persons returned to the position of teachers, principals, or superintendents in the public schools of the State after having been honorably discharged from the armed or auxiliary forces of the United States.

Submit Form M and a copy of military separation papers (DD214 or equivalent) to request experience credit for active military service that interrupts a professional educator's work. There is also a $60 processing fee required. The fee can be paid by check (made payable to NCDPI), money order, or credit card by using Form CC. The fee is non-refundable regardless if the experience is granted.

If employed, submit Form M, the DD214 and licensure fee to the Licensure Specialist for this school system. If not employed, mail to:

Department of Public Instruction
Licensure Section
6365 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-6365

Forms You May Need:

• FORM_M