TEACH Applicant Guide

The Educator Application and Certification Hub (TEACH)

Guide for Applicants and Certificate Holders

Contents

Registration ................................................................................................................................................... 2

When should I apply? ................................................................................................................................... 7

Submitting an Initial Application for Certification ........................................................................................ 8

Note about Education Information ........................................................................................................... 9

Note about Certification Assessments .................................................................................................... 10

Note for Military Applicants.................................................................................................................... 11

Disciplinary Action and Criminal History ................................................................................................. 12

Submission and Review .......................................................................................................................... 12

Renewing/Reinstating a Professional Certificate ........................................................................................ 13

Note about the Certificate Tab ............................................................................................................... 14

Note about Identification........................................................................................................................ 14

Note about Continuing Education .......................................................................................................... 14

Note about Experience ........................................................................................................................... 16

Note about Assessments ........................................................................................................................ 16

Note for Military Applicants.................................................................................................................... 16

Disciplinary Action and Criminal History ................................................................................................. 16

Submission and Review .......................................................................................................................... 16

Adding an Endorsement to a Professional Certificate ................................................................................ 18

Note about Education Information ......................................................................................................... 19

Note about Assessments ........................................................................................................................ 19

Submission and Review .......................................................................................................................... 20

Downloading a Copy of Your Certificate ..................................................................................................... 20

Registration

All applicants and certificate holders will need to complete a one-time registration to access TEACH.

Visit https://certificationhub.msde.maryland.gov and select ‘Click here to Register’.

Complete all required fields on the Registration page, then select ‘Submit Registration’. If you do not

wish to receive text message updates throughout the application process, select the checkbox next to

“Opt out of receiving text message notifications. Messaging rates will apply.”

Once submitted, an email containing a temporary password will be sent to the email address provided

during registration.

Use the temporary password sent to your email to ‘Log In’. Your username is the email you provided

during registration.

You will now see the following authentication screen, which alerts you that a code has been sent to your

email address. You will use this code to validate your identity.

Copy the code from the email below.

nter this code into the field.

ou will now be prompted to change your password.

fter changing your password, you will be logged into your applicant dashboard. If you are a certificate

holder, you should see a variety of online services, as well as your certificate. If you are a new applicant,

you may begin the application process.

When should I apply?

After reviewing the Routes to Initial Certification and How to Apply sections of the MSDE certification

website, if you can provide all of the required documentation, you are ready to apply. Please proceed

to the next section which provides steps for submitting an initial application for certification.

Submitting an Initial Application for Certification

If you have never held a certificate in Maryland, you will be presented with the opportunity to select a

Category of Certification to begin the application process. You may choose multiple categories.

o move forward, you must click on the link underneath the categories of certification to review the

eligibility requirements.

Once reviewed, you may choose the category(ies) of certification you are seeking. Once selected, scroll

down and choose “next.”

o move forward, you will need to answer the following question: “Do you meet the requirements to

move forward?” If you answer ‘no,’ you will be redirected back to the Dashboard. If you answer ‘yes,’

the application will open.

e sections of the application are found in the tabs on the left-hand side of the screen.

ou must complete all tabs to submit the application. To move past a tab that you do not have

information for, choose “I do not have any information for this section.”

ou may choose to complete the application in its entirety or over time. Any changes you make in the

application will automatically save when you leave the Dashboard. If at any time you would like to

delete the application, choose the Delete button located next to the application in the Application

Details section of the Dashboard.

Note about Education Information

You will be required to submit official transcripts as part of the application process. Select the “Add

Education” button for each transcript you are submitting. You must complete all required fields to save

the entry.

You will be asked to select one of the following options for the submission of your official transcript.

This selection tells the MSDE (or your employer if you are employed with a local school system) how to

expect your transcript.

Transcripts may be submitted in one of the following ways:

• Ordered from Parchment, which will be sent directly to TEACH; or

• Electronically sent to certificationtranscripts.[email protected] directly from an alternative e-

transcript service; or

• Mailed to the MSDE office of certification directly from the Institution of Higher Education or in

a sealed student mailer; or

• Sent directly to your employer if you are under contract with a Maryland local school district or

state-operated school. Check with your employer for method of transcript receipt.

If you need to submit a transcript from another country, you will need to provide an official copy of an

evaluation of that transcript from an MSDE-recognized foreign transcript evaluation agency. You will be

asked to choose one of the following options when you add that education entry in TEACH:

If you have completed an alternative educator preparation program that is approved to lead to

certification in another state, you will be required to upload documentation from the program or state

department of education demonstrating completion. When adding this entry, choose the degree,

“Alternative Educator Preparation Program.”

Note about Certification Assessments

Many applicants are required to submit certification assessments as part of the application process. If

you are not sure if you need to submit assessments, please review the Routes to Initial Certification.

Should you need to submit Maryland required assessments, review the Test Information section of our

website:

When submitting assessment scores in TEACH, you will be asked to choose whether the assessment is a

“Maryland-required assessment” or an “other assessment.”

An applicant who is qualifying via a Route to Initial Certification that requires Maryland certification

assessments will select the Maryland Required Assessment radio button for each assessment submitted.

You may choose to upload a copy of your test score report in TEACH or indicate that you have selected

the MSDE as a recipient for that score. Please note that selecting MSDE as a recipient for a test score

does not initiate the application process. You must complete an application to request certification.

If you are submitting assessment scores from another state, you will choose “other assessment.” You

will be required to upload the out of state score report(s) and documentation of the passing scores from

that state.

Note for Military Applicants

Those applicants who are current service members, veterans, spouses of current service members, and

spouses of veterans, are entitled to expedited service. These applications will be processed within 30

days of receipt. You will be required to submit documentation in the Military tab of the application to

verify your military status.

Disciplinary Action and Criminal History

Please read the questions you are answering carefully. If you answer “yes” to any of the questions in

this tab, you will be required to provide additional information and documentation. Once an application

is submitted with an affirmative answer in this section, an investigation will occur to determine if you

are eligible for certification in Maryland.

Submission and Review

When you have completed each tab of the application, use the Application Submission tab to submit

your application to the MSDE. If deficiencies are identified in your application, you will receive a

notification through TEACH (or through your local school system employer). You will have the

opportunity to submit additional documentation if deficiencies are found.

If you are under contract with a local school system, State-operated school, or nonpublic special

education program, the MSDE will work directly with your employer during the application review

process. Those applicants should contact their employer directly should questions arise prior to and

after submission of an application. All other applicants may contact c[email protected] with

questions. Please check your TEACH Dashboard for application status updates. You will also receive

email notices throughout the process.

Once a determination of eligibility is made, you will receive a notification to pay the $10.00 fee through

your TEACH Dashboard. You will not be able to pay until a determination of eligibility is made.

If you are under contract with a Maryland local school system, please contact your employer to

determine if you will make a payment through TEACH or if your employer will make a payment on your

behalf.

You will not have the ability to submit an additional application for certification while an application is

pending.

Renewing/Reinstating a Professional Certificate

Log into TEACH.

Choose “Renew my Unexpired Certificate” under Online Services if you have an active certificate.

If reinstating an expired certificate, choose “Reinstate my Expired Certificate.”

The sections of the application are found on the left-hand side of the screen.

To move past a tab that you do not have information for, choose “I do not have any information for this

section.”

The application will start on the Certificate tab. Click the link to review the renewal requirements. You

will not be able to move forward until you review the requirements.

Once you have reviewed the requirements, you are ready to complete the renewal application. You

may complete the application in its entirety or over time. Each time you close the application, your

changes will automatically be saved. If at any time you would like to delete the application, choose the

Delete button located next to the application in the Application Details section of the Dashboard.

Note about the Certificate Tab

Select the box next to the active certificate you would like to renew. If you are applying to renew to a

new certificate that you have never held (e.g., PEC to APC) you do not need to select anything. MSDE (or

your employer if you are under contract with a Maryland local school system) will determine the

appropriate certificate for renewal.

Note about Identification

If you have not already done so, you will be required to provide proof of identity on the Personal

Information tab. Acceptable documentation options are listed in the document drop down.

Note about Continuing Education

In the renewal application, you will have the opportunity to submit information in the Continuing

Education tab and the Education tab.

If you need to submit transcripts showing completion of coursework at a college or university, you will

need to submit this coursework in the Education tab and select “No degree earned” for the degree

option.

You will be asked to select one of the following options for the submission of your official transcript.

This selection tells the MSDE (or your employer if you are employed with a local school system) how to

expect your transcript.

Transcripts may be submitted in one of the following ways:

• Ordered from Parchment, which will be sent directly to TEACH; or

• Electronically sent to certificationtranscripts.[email protected] directly from an alternative e-

transcript service; or

• Mailed to the MSDE office of certification directly from the Institution of Higher Education or in

a sealed student mailer; or

• Sent directly to your employer if you are under contract with a Maryland local school district or

state-operated school. Check with your employer for method of transcript receipt.

If you have completed Maryland-approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) coursework, or if

you have completed professional development to renew a certificate from another state, you may use

the Continuing Education tab to upload your documentation.

Note- Advanced Professional Certificate holders who are under contract with a Maryland local school

system, State operated, or nonpublic special education program, may use this tab to submit

documentation of equivalent credit earned through your employer. Other applicants may not use

equivalent credits to renew their certificate.

Note about Experience

If you do not have additional education experience to submit at renewal, you may choose “I do not have

any information for this section.” to save the tab and move forward. If you are under contract with a

Maryland local school system, your employer will enter this information for you in TEACH once the

application is submitted.

You may not see all your Maryland employment history through TEACH. If the MSDE (or your Maryland

local school system employer) needs you to provide verification of experience, you will be notified

through TEACH.

Note about Assessments

Any assessments that were submitted prior to the release of TEACH (April 27, 2022) will not be visible in

the Testing tab of TEACH. These assessments are on file if the certificate holder (or employer on your

behalf) submitted a copy of the score report to the MSDE. You do not have to provide additional copies

of assessments that you have already provided.

Note for Military Applicants

Those applicants who are current service members, veterans, spouses of current service members, and

spouses of veterans, are entitled to expedited service. These applications will be processed within 30

days of receipt. You will be required to submit documentation in the Military tab of the application to

verify your military status.

Disciplinary Action and Criminal History

Please read the questions you are answering carefully. If you answer “yes” to any of the questions in

this tab, you will be required to provide additional information and documentation. Once an application

is submitted with an affirmative answer in this section, an investigation will occur to determine if you

are eligible for certification in Maryland.

Submission and Review

When you have completed each tab of the application, use the Application Submission tab to submit

your application to the MSDE. If deficiencies are identified in your application, you will receive a

notification through TEACH (or through your local school system employer). You will have the

opportunity to submit additional documentation if deficiencies are found.

If you are under contract with a local school system, State-operated school, or nonpublic special

education program, the MSDE will work directly with your employer during the application review

process. Those applicants should contact their employer directly should questions arise prior to and

after submission of an application. All other applicants may contact [email protected] with

questions. Please check your TEACH Dashboard for application status updates. You will also receive

email notices throughout the process.

Once a determination of eligibility is made, you will receive a notification to pay the $10.00 fee through

your TEACH Dashboard. You will not be able to pay until a determination of eligibility is made.

If you are under contract with a Maryland local school system, please contact your employer to

determine if you will make a payment through TEACH or if your employer will make a payment on your

behalf.

Adding an Endorsement to a Professional Certificate

A certificate holder may add an endorsement to an active professional certificate (i.e., PEC, SPC, APC) by

selecting the Add Endorsement to an existing certificate link in TEACH under Online Services

The sections of the application are found on the left side of the screen.

To move past a tab that you do not have information for, choose “I do not have any information for this

section.”

To save the Instructions tab, you must review the requirements to add an endorsement by clicking on

the link provided.

Once you review the requirements, you are ready to apply.

Note about Education Information

You have the option to submit additional official transcripts as part of the application process. You are

not required to submit transcripts that have previously been submitted. Select the “Add Education”

button for each transcript you are submitting. You must complete all required fields to save the entry.

You will be asked to select one of the following options for the submission of your official transcript.

This selection tells the MSDE (or your employer if you are employed with a local school system) how to

expect your transcript.

Transcripts may be submitted in one of the following ways:

• Ordered from Parchment, which will be sent directly to TEACH; or

• Electronically sent to certificationtranscripts.[email protected] directly from an alternative e-

transcript service; or

• Mailed to the MSDE office of certification directly from the Institution of Higher Education or in

a sealed student mailer; or

• Sent directly to your employer if you are under contract with a Maryland local school district or

state-operated school. Check with your employer for method of transcript receipt.

Note about Assessments

Any assessments that were submitted prior to the release of TEACH (April 27, 2022) will not be visible in

the Testing tab of TEACH. These assessments are on file if the certificate holder (or employer on your

behalf) submitted a copy of the score report to the MSDE. If you are unsure as to whether MSDE has

your score on file, upload an additional copy using the Testing tab.

When submitting assessment scores in TEACH, you will be asked to choose whether the assessment is a

“Maryland-required assessment” or an “other assessment.” If you are applying for a teaching

endorsement by submitting a content assessment, you must submit the Maryland required assessment.

Please note that selecting MSDE as a recipient for a test score does not initiate the application

process. You must complete an application to request certification.