Professional Development Points (PDPs)

 

Below is a summary, taken directly from the DOE website, of how you can earn PDPs. For the full text, click here.

Professional Development Options

The following options and examples outline professional development activities that count toward recertification. In an effort to ensure that all activities are professionally relevant and academically meaningful, certain activities that in the past were eligible for PDPs are no longer eligible. For example, PDPs will not be awarded for attendance at a professional conference or participation in a self-directed study group. The options for this round of recertification will assist educators in developing an ongoing individual professional development plan consistent with the educational needs of the school and/or district while providing flexibility in the kinds of activities that are eligible for professional development points for recertification.

1. Undergraduate and Graduate Courses, Seminars or Institutes

Colleges and universities offer upper-level undergraduate and graduate-level courses of study. School districts, collaboratives, museums, scientific institutes, cultural institutions and other providers may offer equivalent courses of study after obtaining approval from the Department.

Upper-level (except where otherwise noted) or equivalent or lower-level undergraduate course:1 semester hour = 15 PDPs

A graduate-level course of study or its approved equivalent in the content area (addressing topics listed under subject matter knowledge for the certificate), or an upper-level undergraduate course or its approved equivalent when the content is substantially new to the educator, will be considered Advanced Academic Study and will be awarded more PDPs. For example, an elementary teacher with limited content expertise in the area of mathematics may take an upper-level undergraduate course in mathematics and receive 22.5 PDPs per semester hour. A high school mathematics teacher taking the same course would receive 15 PDPs per semester hour, as this would not be substantially new content for the individual.

Upper-level undergraduate course or approved equivalent (only when substantially new to the educator) 1 semester hour = 22.5 PDPs . Graduate-level course or approved equivalent 1 semester hour = 22.5 PDPs

2. Audited Courses

Undergraduate or graduate course or equivalent audits 1 semester hour = 7.5 PDPs

3. Instructor of a Graduate-level Course or Approved Equivalent for Educators

An instructor of a graduate-level course or approved equivalent is eligible to receive 45 PDPs per semester hour for the first time the course is taught in a five-year renewal cycle.

4. Department-Sponsored Initiatives

The Department of Education will offer 1.5 PDPs per clock hour for professional development programs it sponsors that total at least 10 hours, include a product or pre- and post-content assessment; and include a follow-up component.

For those Department-sponsored activities that do NOT have a pre- and post-content assessment only 30 PDPs can be counted toward recertification in a five-year cycle. For example, educators who successfully participate in Mentor Training Institutes may count 30 PDPs toward recertification. On the other hand, educators who participate in Summer Content Institutes may count more than 30 PDPs toward recertification since these Institutes have a pre- and post-assessment. Summer Content Institutes will provide up to 67.5 PDPs to educators who successfully complete Institute requirements.

The Department will not offer PDPs for one-day workshops or conferences, informational sessions or meetings.

5. Performance Assessment

Achieving a passing score on a performance assessment approved by the Massachusetts Board of Education will earn an educator 120 PDPs, 90 in the content area of the certificate and 30 in pedagogy. The Department is currently developing performance assessment options for Board review.

6. Initiatives sponsored by Districts, Collaboratives or Registered Providers

Educators who participate in school- and district-based in-service programs that focus on strengthening professional knowledge and skills in content areas are eligible to receive 1 PDP per clock hour. Educators may receive PDPs after the successful completion of a professional development program (minimum of 10 hours on a topic) with an observable demonstration of learning that could include a written product or other documentable product.

Some professional development programs are not readily measured in clock hours or may result in a large number of hours. The Department has established the maximum number of points per year for some programs in an effort to encourage educators to participate in a variety of professionally relevant and academically meaningful activities. Educators who participate in the following professional development programs within a five-year renewal cycle are eligible to receive 1 PDP per contact hour, but may not apply more than the identified maximum number of points per year toward recertification. Educators may apply the earned PDPs toward either the content-based pedagogy/professional skill area or the elective points or both depending upon whether or not the pedagogical activities are content-based.

Eligible Program Maximum Number of Points Per Year

Mentoring: 15 PDPs from districts that have submitted a mentoring plan to the Department of Education

Peer Coaching: 15 PDPs

Peer Assistance and Review Programs: 15 PDPs

Cooperating Teacher: 15 PDPs

National Board of Professional Teaching Standards: 120 PDPs for successful completion (30 PDPs in content, 60 PDPs in pedagogy and 30 PDPs in elective)

7. Team for Accreditation or Inspection

Eligible Program Maximum Number of Points Per Year : Team member... 30 PDPs in five year cycle; School faculty member preparing for visit... 30 PDPs in five year cycle

8. Educator Designed Activities


Educators may earn PDPs through an educator designed professional development activity that results in a professional product.

ProfessionalConference: While PDPs are no longer awarded for attendance at a professional conference, educators are eligible to receive 30 PDPs the first time they make a presentation at a professional conference in a five-year renewal cycle. In addition, educators who attend a professional conference may extend their learning by developing a school-based activity or curriculum, or by publishing written material as described below. These activities will assist educators in earning PDPs for recertification.

School-Based Activity: Educators may earn PDPs for developing and implementing an activity for students, parents or teachers that incorporates the learning standards of the curriculum frameworks. Educators may earn 1 PDP per clock hour with a maximum of 30 points in all in a five-year cycle when the school-based activity is distributed or implemented within a local school, district or university. Educators may count PDPs from school-based activities toward the recertification content requirement when the activity is directly related to the content area of the certificate.

Examples: Design and coordinate a series of Family Mathematics Nights within a school; Design and coordinate extended learning activities for students; Design and implement a series of seminars for teachers and/or parents. Training topics might include: Developing and implementing standards-based units; Designing instructional practices that support learning in a standards-based classroom; Supporting special needs students within a standards-based classroom; Supporting gifted and talented students within a standards-based classroom

Presenters/Trainers: Educators who develop and present a minimum of 3 separate sessions in a professional development series are eligible to receive twice the number of PDPs given to participants, with the presenter receiving a minimum of 10 PDPs and a maximum of 24 PDPs. These points may be counted the first time the training is provided in a five-year cycle.

Curriculum Development : Educators who author a new curriculum unit that is published in a school or district guide or formally shared in other ways, including software, student text book or professional resource may earn 15 points per curriculum unit and may accrue up to 60 points in five years.

Published Written Materials:

Doctoral dissertation: 90 PDPs in five years

Master's or CAGS thesis: 45 PDPs in five years

Book(s): 90 PDPs per book

Professional journal articles or chapters in a professional book: 30 PDPs per chapter or articlein a book or journal

Published results of action research: 30 PDPs in five years

9. Continuing Education Units

Courses provided by professional development providers that meet specific standards are often measured in Continuing Education Units (CEUs) as defined by the International Association for Continuing Education. 1 CEU = 10 PDPs

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From the DOE website: "Educators are required to review their individual professional development plans (IPDPs) with supervisors at least every two years to review goals and amend the plan if needed..... Approval of the plan means that 80% of the proposed PDPs in the plan are consistent with the educational goals of the school and/or district and that the plan is designed to enhance the ability of the educator to improve student learning. Supervisors do not have the authority to reject individual plans that are consistent with school and/or district educational goals and are designed to improve student learning.

The following standards must be applied when reviewing and approving Individual Professional Development Plans:

Proposed activities in the plan are designed to improve student learning.

Proposed activities in the plan are consistent with and aligned to school and/or district goals.

Approval of an individual professional development plan shall not be unreasonably withheld. A supervisor is obligated to approve an individual plan if the goals and proposed PDPs meet the standards for review and approval as outlined in the previous section. A supervisor cannot reject a plan because in the supervisor's opinion another activity would best meet the identified needs of the school or district. In other words, supervisors may not require an individual educator to participate in a specific professional development activity unless the activity is identified through collective bargaining. In addition, if the activities in an individual professional development plan are legitimately aligned with one school and/or district goal, the supervisor cannot reject the plan because the supervisor believes that the teacher should focus on another school and/or district goal.

A supervisor must grant or deny approval of a plan within 30 days of receipt of the plan. Denial must be accompanied by a written explanation for the failure to approve the plan. If a supervisor fails to act within 30 days, the educator may seek additional review provided by the regulations. Administrators providing additional local review must grant or deny approval of a plan within 14 days. If no decision has been made after 14 days, the educator may seek additional review from the department.

In the event that a plan is rejected by a supervisor, teachers and other educators who report to the principal may seek review of the denial from the superintendent of schools."

District Obligations

School districts are required annually to adopt and implement a professional development plan for all principals, teachers, other professional staff employed by the district and school council members. Districts are also required to set forth a budget for professional development within the confines of the foundation budget. The plan should identify specific content to be addressed, including training in the teaching of the curriculum frameworks and other skills required for the implementation of the Education Reform Law, including participatory decision making and parent and community involvement (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 38Q).

The Education Reform Law also requires school councils to develop annual School Improvement Plans. Schools are required to include professional development for school staff and allocation of professional development funds in the school budget in the School Improvement Plan.

School districts and collaboratives will strengthen the recertification program by offering quality professional development activities that are consistent with the educational needs of the school and district. School districts and collaboratives must support and encourage professional growth by providing professional development that enhances the ability of educators to improve student learning. The Department encourages districts to offer educators at least 10 hours of professional development on a given topic.

School districts and collaboratives may sponsor the professional development options (with the exception of Department-sponsored initiatives) outlined in the previous section. School districts and collaboratives are considered providers and will award the appropriate number of PDPs to educators who have successfully completed a district-sponsored professional development activity. Districts must maintain records of all professional development offerings.

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