Courses for Tennessee Teachers

Tennessee Professional license holders must earn 60 Professional Development Points (PDPs) during each 5-year license cycle. Using college coursework, each semester credit hour equals 10 PDPs — so two 3-credit graduate courses (6 credits total) fully satisfy the entire 5-year renewal requirement. Teachers who have completed two years of qualifying teaching experience during the license period may also use that experience in lieu of PDPs.

Yes. Tennessee SBE Policy 5.502 accepts graduate-level coursework from regionally accredited colleges and universities as a PDP activity (1 semester credit = 10 PDPs). All of CFT's university partners — University of Massachusetts Global, Valley City State University, CSU Pueblo, and Adams State University — hold regional accreditation. Courses must relate to improving educator effectiveness, and documentation (official transcript) must be submitted through TNCompass.

The Practitioner license is the initial license issued to new Tennessee educators. It is valid for 5 years and requires 30 PDPs (or 3 semester credit hours) to renew. The Professional license is issued to educators who have met advancement requirements — typically three years of acceptable teaching experience and 30 PDPs, plus a recommendation from the director of schools. Professional license renewal requires 60 PDPs every 5 years. A single 3-credit CFT course fully satisfies the Practitioner renewal requirement and covers half the Professional renewal requirement.

Tennessee uses a lane-based salary schedule where your pay is determined by your degree level and years of experience. The primary lanes are: BS (Bachelor's degree), BS+10, BS+20, MA (Master's degree), MA+10, MA+20, MA+30, EdS, and PhD/EdD (highest available lane). To advance lanes, you submit official transcripts to your district HR department showing the additional graduate credits earned. Lane changes typically take effect at the start of the next school year or semester, depending on your district's policy.

Yes — this is one of the most powerful aspects of earning graduate credits through CFT. The same official transcript from your university partner can be submitted through TNCompass for PDP documentation and to your district HR department for salary lane advancement. You earn the renewal PDPs and the lane advancement simultaneously from a single course investment.

The 2021 Tennessee Literacy Success Act (TLSA) requires certain educators to complete a qualifying literacy course or assessment before license renewal. This requirement applies to educators with specific endorsement areas (primarily those teaching reading, English/language arts, and certain elementary grades). It is a separate requirement from the 60 PDP renewal requirement and must be completed independently. Check the TDOE's TLSA guidance or your TNCompass account to determine whether this requirement applies to your endorsement area.

All Tennessee educators must submit licensure transactions — including PDP documentation and renewal — through TNCompass at tncompass.org. Paper applications are no longer accepted. Log in, click the Transaction tab, select "Renew License," and submit your PDPs with supporting documentation (official transcript for college coursework). If you are employed in a Tennessee public school, your PDPs will be approved by your director of schools or designee. If you are not employed in a public school, PDPs are approved by the Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation (OELP).

Yes. All Credits for Teachers courses are 100% online and self-paced. There are no set class times, no live sessions to attend, and no commuting. Most teachers complete a 3-credit course in 4–8 weeks while continuing to teach full-time. You can work on coursework during evenings, weekends, or summer break — entirely on your own schedule.