Short answer
How do Pennsylvania teachers keep a certificate active and move up the salary schedule?
Under Act 48, Pennsylvania educators complete 6 collegiate credits, 6 PDE-approved continuing professional education credits, 180 hours, or a combination every five years. Each semester credit counts as 30 Act 48 hours. Separately, a Level I certificate converts to Level II after 24 post-bachelor's credits and three years of service. Lanes and steps follow each district's schedule, built above the state's statutory minimum.
Source: PDE General Act 48 FAQ. Checked .
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How does Act 48 keep a Pennsylvania certificate active?
Act 48 ties continuing education to whether a certificate is active. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) tracks it in the Professional Education Record Management System (PERMS). Its General Act 48 FAQ sets out the cycle:
- The requirement. Every five years: 6 collegiate credits, 6 PDE-approved continuing professional education credits, 180 hours of continuing education, or a combination.
- The period. It starts on the effective date of the initial Instructional certificate, and a new five-year period starts the day after the prior one ends.
- Falling short. A certificate becomes inactive but stays valid. An inactive educator cannot serve as a professional employee, and the certificate reactivates once the missing hours are reported to PERMS.
- Voluntary inactive status. Removing it takes 30 hours or 1 credit earned within the previous 18 months.
- Who watches the record. Educators are expected to monitor their own PERMS record.
PDE's Options to Earn Act 48 FAQ explains how college work counts. "Each semester credit is worth thirty (30) Act 48 hours," and a quarter credit is worth 20. Courses must relate to an area of the educator's assignment or certification, which PDE reads broadly. The institution must be accredited, or the provider Act 48-approved. Pennsylvania colleges upload credits to PERMS when the educator asks the registrar; out-of-state colleges send an official transcript to PDE.
The state's certification staffing guideline CSPG 8 (December 7, 2023) restates the three routes and adds one for inactive educators: they "may substitute 180 days per school year in the area of their certificate scope."
Level I to Level II is a separate requirement
PDE says plainly that "Act 48 and the requirement to convert from Level I to Level II are separate issues." Its Level I to Level II page lists what conversion takes:
- 24 credits earned after the bachelor's degree, with at least 6 in the Level I content area or in improving professional practice. PDE-approved intermediate unit credits are accepted; Act 48 hours are not.
- Three years of satisfactory service in Pennsylvania.
- Completion of a PDE-approved induction program.
- Form PDE 427 A, with the superintendent's recommendation.
All of it must be finished before six years of actual service. Level II credits also count toward Act 48 only if they were earned in the current five-year period.
One course can serve more than one purpose, but each rule checks it separately. A semester credit can count toward Act 48, toward Level II and toward a salary lane. Whether it does is up to PDE for the first two and the district for the third.
The license renewal hub sets Act 48 beside other states' cycles, and clock hours, CEUs and semester credits explains the conversions.
How do Pennsylvania teachers move to a higher salary lane?
The Public School Code sets a statutory floor. Section 1142 lays out minimum salaries and increments by class column and step, with each step after the first being a year of service in the district. Classes A through D cover teachers by standard or college certificate, with C and D for classes of exceptional children. A master's degree "or its equivalent" adds two steps within the class, and teachers move up at least one step each year. When a district adopts a scale above the mandated one, the section says the district has not thereby altered the step.
Section 1142.1 adds a minimum salary for full-time teachers, without reopening existing contracts.
In practice, district salary schedules and collective bargaining agreements decide lanes, which credits count and when a move takes effect. Credits beyond the bachelor's often serve Level II, Act 48 and a lane change at once, but each contract writes its own rule for the lane. Our lane change guide and how to read a salary schedule cover the vocabulary.
What do the largest Pennsylvania districts require?
School District of Philadelphia
Read the full Philadelphia guide →
The agreement with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers runs September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2028. Effective August 16, 2025, eligible employees "receive credit on lanes for approved educational credits," and increments fall on the anniversary date.
- Lanes on the 2026-27 schedule: BA, MA or equivalent, MA+30 and Doctorate, steps 1 to 11, plus a Senior Career Teacher schedule.
- Above the master's: for hires after September 1, 1985, placement is subject to approval of the content of the academic work, which "shall not be unreasonably withheld."
- Senior Career Teacher: from September 1, 2026, MA+30 or a doctorate plus Step 11 of the MA+30 or Doctorate lane.
- Outside experience: credited less one year.
Pittsburgh Public Schools
The agreement with PFT Local 400 runs July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2028. Its information packet shows two systems, split by hire date.
- Hired before July 1, 2010 (Article 79): two schedules, "Bachelor's Degree" and "Master's Degree, Master's Equivalent, Bachelor's Degree + 30 Credits," steps 1 to 11.
- Hired on or after July 1, 2010 (Article 80): a single step schedule with no degree columns, steps 1 to 12.
- Practical point: for post-2010 hires, credits do not change the schedule; for earlier hires, 30 credits past the bachelor's reach the master's-equivalent schedule.
Full district guides for Pennsylvania
Before you enroll
- Open your PERMS record. See where your current Act 48 period ends and how many hours are posted.
- Check Level II status. If you hold Level I, count credits earned after your bachelor's toward the 24 and watch the six-year limit.
- Match the course to your certificate. Act 48 credit must relate to your assignment or certification area.
- Ask HR about lane credit before you enroll. Philadelphia approves content above the master's; Pittsburgh's schedule depends on hire date.
- Get credits into PERMS. Ask a Pennsylvania registrar to upload them, or have an out-of-state college send PDE an official transcript.
The provider directory groups semester-credit providers by need, and the comparison table shows their costs and formats side by side.
Pennsylvania questions teachers ask
How many Act 48 hours is a college credit worth?
PDE counts each semester credit as 30 Act 48 hours and each quarter credit as 20.
What happens if I miss my Act 48 requirement?
The certificate becomes inactive but stays valid. An inactive educator cannot serve as a professional employee, and the certificate reactivates once the missing hours are reported to PERMS.
Do Act 48 hours count toward Level II?
No. Level II needs 24 credits after the bachelor's; PDE accepts approved intermediate unit credits but not Act 48 hours.
When does my Act 48 period start?
On the effective date of your initial Instructional certificate. Each new five-year period starts the day after the previous one ends.
Does Pennsylvania have a state salary schedule?
School Code section 1142 sets minimum salaries and increments, and section 1142.1 a minimum for full-time teachers. Districts set their own schedules above that floor through local agreements.
Sources
- General Act 48 FAQ, Pennsylvania Department of Education. Checked
- Options to Earn Act 48 FAQ, Pennsylvania Department of Education. Checked
- CSPG 8, Continuing Professional Development, Pennsylvania Department of Education. Checked
- Level I to Level II, Pennsylvania Department of Education. Checked
- Public School Code of 1949, section 1142, Pennsylvania General Assembly. Checked
- Public School Code of 1949, section 1142.1, Pennsylvania General Assembly. Checked
- Agreement, School District of Philadelphia and PFT, 2025-2028, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. Checked
- Salary schedule, 2026-27 school year, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. Checked
- Teachers and professionals agreement packet, 2024-2028, Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers Local 400. Checked
- Contract, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. Checked
Reviewed November 11, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error