Making Sense of Credits

Making Sense of Credits: A tutorial for PA School-Based SLPs

So many initials and so many dates!

• Have you ever found yourself wondering what credits were which?
• Do I need both PDHs and ASHA CEUS?
• What happened to CMHs?
• Someone online said that I only need PDHs, is that true?
• Why do I need Act 48?

A Brief Tutorial on the Credentials that School-Based SLPs May Hold

PDE Issued Certificate	Certificate of Clinical Competence	PA State License
Certification (pa.gov) Required to Work in Schools Per PDE? – Yes.  This is the only requirement per PDE. Type of Issuing Body: An executive department of the State of PA. Credential and Regulatory Credential Type:  Certificate (both the Educational Specialist and Instructional Certificate) Common Names:  Teacher Cert, Level 1 or Level 2, Ed. Specialist Cert   Required to Bill Access Billing? - No	American Speech-Language-Hearing Association | ASHA Required to Work in Schools Per PDE? – No   Type of Issuing Body: Professional Credentialing Organization   Credential Type:  Professional Certificate   Common Names:  ASHA CCC’s, the CCC’s, CCC-SLP   Required to Bill Access Billing? – Need either CCC or License	Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology | Department of State | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania   Required to Work in Schools Per PDE? – No   Type of Issuing Body: A licensing/regulatory agency of the State of PA   Credential Type:  License   Common Names:  License   Required to Bill Access Billing? – Need either CCC or License

 

What the credit types?

A school-based SLP who has the ASHA CCCs, Pa State Board Licensure, and holds either an instructional certificate or educational specialist certificate from PDE, must maintain ACT 48 hrs and ASHA PDHs.

Credit Requirements Simplified

Credential	Renewal Period	Credits
ASHA CCC	Renewed Yearly in December	30 hours every 3 years	Must have CCC or License to bill school-based Access.
PA License	Renewed Biannually in July (even years)	20 hours every 2 years	Must have License or CCC to bill school-based Access
PDE Certificate	Level 1 valid for 6 years of service   Level 2 – Maintain Act 48	180 hours every 5 years	Required to work in schools

 

A Closer Look

ASHA Credits

ASHA requires 30 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) (formerly certification maintenance hours (CMHs). or 3.0 ASHA CEUs per 3-year cycle. SLPs can be on one of three maintenance cycles. Your end year depends on when you became certified. Credits cannot be stored for the following cycle. Courses must be taken during your cycle in order to count on that cycle.

ASHA PDHs can be tracked in 2 ways:

1. ASHA CE Registry
2. Self-Recorded

 

Difference in Terminology

ASHA refers to general coursework completed toward keeping your ASHA certificate as PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOURS (PDHs).

Due to this, many practicing SLPS use the terms PDHs and ASHA CEUs interchangeably.

There are distinct differences.

 

ASHA PDHs (Formerly CMHs)

A professional development hour is 1 hour spent in a professional development course. Hours can be accumulated in 1 or 1/2-hour increments.

These hours can occur if you attend a pre-registered ASHA CEU session with self-reporting (i.e., not using the ASHA CEU registry) or through sessions that were not pre-registered for ASHA CEUs.

For ASHA Certification, you do not have to use the CEU registry or attend ASHA CEUs to maintain your certificate. This may be different for state licensure maintenance.

For a list of acceptable types of PDHs please click on the link below.

Please note that these are not guaranteed and must all be self-tracked.

If you do not use the registry or you attend sessions that are not ASHA CEU registered, you will complete a Compliance Form at the end of your cycle.

Acceptable Types of PDHs

Professional Development Activities (asha.org)

 

Printing a Certificate of Attendance

Please wait at least 30 days for attendance to be credited to your WisdomWhere account. Time to complete the attendance survey and time to verify attendance between zoom and the survey can take time to process after an event. During busier conferences or event times of the year, this verification can take a little longer. If you requested Act 48, you will receive notification via the registered email. The certificate will be available then.

To retrieve your certificate of attendance from the PaTTAN WisdomWhere system:

Go to https://www.solutionwhere.com/wwpattan/pattan/

• At top right corner of screen, click Logon, and enter your Username (NOT email address) and Password
• When it opens up, she'll see on the left side of the screen, it will say "My Events"
• Click "Complete"
• Click View Log OR enter specific date of training (completed trainings will show)
• Click the icon in the "Certificates" column next to the name of the desired training.
• IMPORTANT!!! Be sure to LOG OUT when finished

 

Record Keeping Form for PDHs

Record Keeping Form for Professional Development Hours (PDH) Audit (asha.org)

 

ASHA CEUs

This credit type is pre-registered with ASHA by an ASHA CE administrator at an approved provider. Your attendance is reported by the ASHA CE provider. This type of credit is visible on your ASHA CEU registry. Each hour is reported an .1

3.0 ASHA CEUs are required to meet 30 continuing maintenance hours.

The ASHA Website has a breakdown of converting PDHs to ASHA CEUs as well as academic coursework to PDHs.

Your state license board may require ASHA CEUs.

In PA, ASHA CEUs are the required continuing education credit for state license maintenance. If you utilize the ASHA CE Registry, the credits automatically transfer for renewal.

ASHA CEUs are the only way to earn an ACE award.

ASHA Current Maintenance Cycles

Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2024

Jan 1, 2023- Dec 31, 2025

Jan 1, 2024- Dec 31, 2026

 

Ethics Requirement

Starting with your first cycle AFTER January 2020, all CCC holders are required to get one hour or .1 ASHA CEUs in ethics. Ethics is a specific code in the ASHA Continuing education system. At this time, Ethics ONLY is required for ASHA. It is not a requirement of PDE or the PA Board of Examiners.

When to get the Ethics requirement?

Credits for this requirement are only applicable to your first cycle AFTER January 2020. Please refer to the graphic below to determine your starting date. Any courses you attend before your ethics cycle will not count towards your requirement.

Ethics Credit Cycles

Current Cycle	1st Ethics Cycle after 2023	Deadline for 1st Ethics Round	2nd Ethics Cycle	Deadline for 2nd Ethics Round
January 1, 2023-December 31, 2025	January 1, 2020-December 31, 2022	December 31, 2022 - Complete	Currently In	December 31, 2025
January 1, 2024-December 31-2026	January 1, 2021-December 31, 2023	December 31, 2023 - Complete	Currently In	December 31, 2026
January 1, 2022-December 31-2024	January 1, 2022-December 31, 2024	December 31, 2024	January 1, 2025-December 2027	December 31, 2027

 

More Information on Ethics Requirements

Professional Development Requirements for the 2020 Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Certification Standards (asha.org)

 

More Information on CCC Maintenance

Certification Maintenance Frequently Asked Questions: General Information (asha.org)

 

DEI Credits

Starting in your first cycle AFTER 2023, you will need 2 CMHS or .2 ASHA CEUs in DEI. This appears to be being phased in just like Ethics, meaning you will not need it until the next cycle AFTER 2023.

Credits for this requirement are only applicable to your first cycle AFTER January 2023.

DEI Credit Cycles

Current Cycle	1st DEI Cycle after 2023	Deadline for Credits	Currently in Cycle?
January 1, 2023-December 31, 2025	January 1, 2023-December 31, 2025	December 31, 2025	Yes
January 1, 2024-December 31-2026	January 1, 2024-December 31, 2026	December 31, 2026	Yes
January 1, 2022-December 31-2024	January 1, 2025-December 31, 2027	December 31, 2027	No

 

A Note...

All questions regarding ASHA Certification maintenance should be directed to ASHA. PaTTAN is an ASHA CE provider; however, PaTTAN is not able to answer any questions specific to an individual’s ASHA membership.

 

---

State Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

At PaTTAN, we do not interpret the rules of the State Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; however, we do get many questions regarding continuing education as an ASHA CE provider.

The State Board requires 20 hours of Continuing Education every 2 years.

ALL licensed SLPs are on the same renewal cycle.

More Information on State Licensure

Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology | Department of State | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

 

Act 31 Resources

Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Continuing Education Providers | Department of State | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

 

ACT 48

What is ACT 48?

Act 48 of 1999 requires all Pennsylvania educators holding Pennsylvania public school certification (including Instructional I and II, Educational Specialist I and II, Administrative, Supervisory, Letters of Eligibility, and all vocational certificates) to participate in ongoing professional education.

 

What are the requirements?

180 hours in a 5 year period

What does this mean for an SLP?

Any SLP who holds a certificate from PDE, either instructional or educational specialist, is required to participate in Act 48 hours. Hours can be a dual offering of Act 48 and ASHA CEUs or Act 48 alone.

Where do I find Act 48 Hours?

School districts, Intermediate Units, and PaTTAN are all approved providers of Act 48 sessions. Additional opportunities can occur at state conferences ( e.g., PSHA) on the SAS website, and by private providers of continuing education. Check with your district or IU for additional information on maintaining ACT 48 credits.

Determining your amount of ACT 48 hours

To view your progress go to the PERMS (Professional Educator Record Management System) webpage. Once there, enter your Professional Personnel Identification (PPID) number in the box provided. Your Act 48 information will be displayed.

This webpage will list your specific Act 48 period, a total of the hours recorded, and the number of hours still needed to complete requirements. If you do not have your PPID, you may retrieve your number by following the instructions provided under "Find your Professional Personnel ID (PPID)."

General Act 48 FAQ

General Act 48 FAQ (pa.gov)

 

Converting ASHA CEUs to Act 48 Hours

Act 48 Conversions – PSHA

 

 

Act 126

• Required every 5 years.
• 3 hour minimum.
• LEA reported.

Act 126 Information

Act 126 - Child Abuse Reporting (pa.gov)

 

 

This tutorial was last updated on 2/15/2024.

All credit information was current as of 3/17/23. Please check with the respective credential agencies' websites for more information.