Submitting and Tracking External Credit Requests (ECR)

When you participate in professional development outside of your district—such as university coursework, state conferences, regional workshops, or third-party certifications—you may be eligible to earn professional development credits or hours toward your district transcript and license renewal.

Depending on your district's guidelines, external credits typically follow a two-phase workflow:

1. Pre-Approval (Before the Event): Get administrative approval before attending or registering.

2. Credit Verification (After the Event): Upload your certificate of completion or official transcript to have credits awarded to your official record.

Prerequisites & Checklist

Before starting your submission, make sure you have the following information on hand:

• Title of the course, workshop, or conference

• Organization or sponsoring institution (e.g., college, regional ESC, professional association)

• Start date, end date, and total requested contact hours / CEUs

• Digital copy of the course description, syllabus, or event brochure (PDF, DOCX, or image)

• (For post-attendance) Digital copy of your certificate of completion, attendance verification, or official/unofficial transcript

Phase 1: Submitting a Request for Pre-Approval (Before Attending)

Step 1: Navigate to External Credit Requests

1. Log in to your PowerSchool Professional Learning portal.

2. From the main navigation menu, select External Credit Requests (or navigate to My Requests > Transfer / External Credit).

3. Click the + New Request (or Submit New Credit Request) button in the top right corner.

Step 2: Select the Relevant Workflow

1. In the Select Workflow dropdown, choose the option that matches your activity type (e.g., Out-of-District Workshop, Graduate Coursework, or State Conference).

2. Review the brief description and policy guidelines displayed on the screen.

3. Click Continue.

Step 3: Complete the Form

Your personal information (Name, Employee ID, Primary School / Location) will populate automatically. Complete the required form fields marked with an asterisk (*):

Step 4: Review and Submit

1. Review all entered information for accuracy.

2. Click Submit for Approval.

   • Tip: If you need to gather additional details, click Save as Draft to return and finish later without losing your progress.

3. You will see a green confirmation banner, and the request status will update to Pending Pre-Approval.

Tracking Your Request & Approval Status

You can monitor the real-time progress of your request at any time:

1. Return to External Credit Requests and select the My Submissions tab.

2. Locate your request in the table. The Status column indicates its current stage:

Phase 2: Submitting Completion Proof (After Attending)

Once you have completed the professional learning event, submit your proof of attendance to finalize your credits.

Step 1: Open Your Pre-Approved Request

1. Log in to Professional Learning and navigate to External Credit Requests.

2. Locate the request with the status Pre-Approved.

3. Click the request title or select Action > Submit Completion Proof.

Step 2: Enter Final Attendance Details

1. Confirm the actual dates attended and the final number of hours completed (adjust if actual hours differed from your initial estimate).

2. In the Proof of Completion upload area:

   • Upload your official certificate of completion, sign-in sheet, or grade report/transcript.

   • Accepted file types: .pdf, .docx, .jpg, .png (maximum size: 25 MB).

3. (If required) Enter a brief post-event reflection or summary of takeaways in the reflection field.

Step 3: Submit for Final Credit Review

1. Click Submit for Credit Approval.

2. The request status will transition to Pending Credit Approval, notifying district administrators to verify and award your hours.

Phase 3: Viewing Your Transcript & Exporting Records

Checking Your Updated Transcript

1. Go to My Transcripts (or Professional Growth > Transcripts).

2. Filter by the current school year or credit category.

3. Your newly approved external credits will appear with the activity name, provider, completion date, and verified credit totals.

Downloading a PDF Copy for Your Records

If you need a formal copy for state license renewal, board submission, or HR payroll audits:

1. Open the completed request under External Credit Requests.

2. Click the Export / Download PDF button in the upper right.

3. Save or print the formatted PDF report, which includes full activity details, attached verification, and time-stamped approver signatures.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What happens if an approver reassigns my request?

In multi-tier workflows, an approver (such as a principal) may reassign your request to another administrator (such as a subject-area supervisor) for specialized review. The status history log at the bottom of your request will display the reassignment along with any accompanying notes.

2. Can I edit my request after submitting it?

• Before approval: While a request is in Pending status, you can open it and select Recall / Edit to make changes. This moves it back to Draft status, requiring you to re-submit once edits are complete.

• After approval: Once pre-approved or finalized, core fields cannot be edited. If details changed substantially, contact your district TCM administrator.

3. How will I know when my request moves to the next step?

Automated system email notifications are dispatched whenever:

• Your pre-approval is approved or declined.

• An approver requests additional documentation.

• A reminder prompt is sent to upload completion proof.

• Final credit has been awarded and posted to your transcript.

4. Who should I contact if my request is pending for an extended period?

Check the Approval Timeline tab inside your open request to see which approver or review level currently has the request in their queue. You can reach out directly to that designated administrator or your district's Professional Learning coordinator.