Professional Development Requirements - Educators

Activity Description

Recommended Credit

Completing College Coursework

Successfully complete coursework from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.  Coursework must be directly related to the educator’s license or endorsement areas and must address the State-approved standards.

• 1 semester hour= 15 clock hours of PD
• 1 quarter hour = 10 clock hours of PD.

Attending a Workshop, Seminar, or Symposium

Attending an entire workshop or series of workshop sessions on the same or related topics, or attending an entire seminar or symposium with one focus.  The purpose of the activity is to increase participants’ knowledge and/or skills, specifically impact student growth, achievement, and well-being.

• 1 clock hour for each hour in attendance, not including meals or breaks.
• Credit should not be given for attending motivational or inspirational sessions, or any intended solely for entertainment, promotional, or commercial purposes.

Supervising a Student teacher or Pre-Student Teacher for Clinical Placement

The educator is named as the supervising teacher by an approved IL teacher preparation program, or the supervisor of one or more teacher education students in a pre-student teaching clinical placement or practicum.

• 1 clock hour for each hour of professional development received by the supervising teacher for the activity.
• The portion of actual PD time (learning) must be identified separately from the activity as a whole.
• The activity should be limited to no more than once every school year for any particular teacher.

Receiving Mentoring in a Formal Program

Participants in pre- and post- observation meetings with the mentor include discussions of the observation session from both the recipient’s and the mentor’s perspectives; receives mentor feedback and recommendations; and teaches or works under observation by the mentor.

• 1 clock hour for each hour of professional development time (learning) the recipient received from the mentor.
• Intended for first-year employees within a school district.

Preparing to Teach a College or University Course

Preparing to teach coursework at an Illinois regionally accredited institution of higher education that is related to the educator’s PK-12 teaching assignment or endorsements, and addresses the professional standards.

• 1 clock hour for each of professional development time (learning) the educator derives from preparing to teach a course.
• The same course preparation, taught multiple times, can only be counted once.

Preparing to Present at a Workshop, Seminar, or Symposium

Preparing to present at a workshop, seminar, or symposium on a topic that is related to the educator’s PK-12 teaching assignment or endorsements and meets the PD requirements.

• 1 clock hour for each hour of professional development time (learning) the educator derives from preparing to present at a workshop or conference.
• The same workshop or seminar preparation can only be used once.

Engaging in Independent Study or a Research Project

Engaging in a research project under the auspices of an approved provider in which a written protocol identifies the educational issue to be investigated, the methodology to be used, and the hypothesis.

• 1 clock hour for each hour of professional development time (learning the educator derives from the research or findings as supported by a written summary of the inquiry, its results, describes what the educator has learned, and identifies the implications of the experience for the individual’s future teaching.