Do you have a current Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) on file with the Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC)? Your IPDP expires along with your license. You must create and submit a new IPDP each time you renew your 5-year license. You cannot start earning credits that you will use to renew that license five years in the future until your new IPDP is approved by the LPDC.

The State of Ohio stipulates that the LPDC cannot approve conversion to licensure based on credits (both college coursework and CEUs) that were earned prior to submission and approval of an educator’s IPDP. All credits must be earned after an educator IPDP is approved.

One issue that occurs too frequently involves members who neglect to submit their IPDP in a timely manner and find themselves scrambling for credits at the last minute. Additionally, those who do not have a continuing contract with the district and do not meet the Feb. 1 renewal deadline will find themselves on the non-renewal list.

Members who hold a 5-year license must know the issue date of that license and the approval date of their IPDP. The approval date of your IPDP must be after the issue date of your current license. To review your information in PD Planner, do the following:

* Log in to CiMS (columbus.schoolnet.com). If you cannot remember your password, click “Trouble Logging In?” Your user name and password will be emailed to you.
* After logging in, click on the “Educator Development” tab.
* Under PD Profile, select “My PD Profile.”
* Click on “PD Plans” tab (beneath your name) to view your IPDP records. Your status must state “Approved.” The date listed under “Submitted” is your IPDP approval date.
* Click on the “Activities” tab to view your CEU records. You can count all CEUs that are designated as “Completed” and earned since the issue date of your current license and since the approval date of your IPDP. You must have 18 CEUs to qualify for renewal. The LPDC does not track college/university credits in PD Planner. To convert semester hours or quarter hours to CEUs, use these conversion equivalents: one (1) semester hour = three (3) CEUs and one quarter hour = two (2) CEUs.