CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION GUIDELINES

  • According to Act 48, each professional staff member is responsible for his or her own professional development. Act 48 requires each professional to maintain active certification during a five-year compliance period. The categories for professional development options suggested by PDE in the Act 48 document are:  

    1. Six credit hours of collegiate study (graduate level),
    2. Six credit hours of CPE courses (PDE and IU/Pennsbury can seek this status for particular courses and workshops),
    3. 180 hours of CPE programs, activities, or learning experiences, and
    4. Any combination of collegiate studies, CPE courses, or other programs and activities equivalent to 180 hours. It is important to note that one credit of collegiate studies or CPE courses is equivalent to 30 hours of CPE programs, activities, or learning experiences.

    The Pennsbury School District is one provider for the individual’s professional development opportunities. The Pennsbury School District has determined its own set of programs, activities, and learning experiences that will qualify as Continuing Professional Education hours in accordance with this law.

    CPE programs, activities, or learning experiences for the Pennsbury School District as a provider of services include the following:

    1. Teacher Induction workshop hours, 
    2. District in-service days including speakers and professional development activity such as trade day workshops,
    3. District designated workshops, and
    4. Attendance at conferences found on the approved providers’ list.

    Act 48, or CPE credit hours, are awarded for collegiate study and are provided through the District for summer workshops, in-service days, and curriculum-related workshops as each addresses student achievement and student attainment of standards. Portions of the District's Plan are listed in this section. Complete copies may be reviewed in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction or in the offices of any of Pennsbury's schools.   

     

OVERVIEW OF PENNSBURY SCHOOL DISTRICT ACT 48 PROCEDURES

  • Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

  • Requirements  

    Act 48 requires that certified staff accumulate 6 collegiate credits, 6 PDE-approved in-service credits, or 180 hours of in-service credits over a period of five years beginning June, 2000, or upon the effective date of issuance of the initial certificate. The third five- year cycle for most employees began July 1, 2010. 

    Each collegiate or PDE in-service credit is equal to 30 continuing education hours.   Collegiate credits and PDE-approved in-service credits shall be accepted.  

     

    Pennsbury as Provider

    Pennsbury provides in-service programming, summer workshops, and after school curriculum meetings and workshops to meet the Act 48 mandate.   The District will enter credits and hours into the PDE tracking system for participants for its approved programs.

    Pennsbury’s approved Act 48 Continuing Professional Education Plan states that the framework for all approved workshops address student achievement of State standards and strategies of  the Pennsbury School District Strategic Plan.  

     

    Pennsbury-provided summer workshops will be offered for CPE credit.   The options will be clearly  documented in the registration materials on MyLearningPlan.

     

    Outside Providers

    The staff member holding Pennsylvania professional educator certification is  responsible for accumulating the needed credits to renew certification.   Educators may, therefore, attend any in-service program or workshop that counts as a topic appropriate for CPE credit.   Be aware that it is the employee’s responsibility to ensure that the outside provider is approved by the State and will register credits with the State.    The District will not track or enter credits offered by an outside provider if they are not first approved by District personnel through the Education Leave process.

     

    Education Leaves

    The Offices of Curriculum and Instruction, Administration and Athletics, and Special Education approve and process District Education Leaves.   Credits for approved CPE hours must be related to an area of the professional educator’s assignment and certification. Upon completion of the approved program, the District will enter the CPE hours into the tracking system if the provider does not.

    CPE Hours

    The State only accepts CPE credit hours as they are accumulated in half-hour increments.   This means that quarter-hour participation does not tabulate with the State’s data system.  

     

    Collegiate Credits

    Collegiate credits earned at in-state colleges and universities will be entered by the institution as the provider.   Credits earned through out-of-state colleges and universities will be entered by Pennsbury, if the college does not directly report the hours to PDE.   If the transcript is submitted for s alary credit, it is not necessary to submit a duplicate for Act 48   credit.

     

    Tracking System

    Pennsbury has created a centralized data input system that sends CPE information directly to PDE.   All appropriate Education Leaves and in-service and workshop registrations are sent to this central location for input. You can access information about the status of your Act 48 credits by clicking onto PDE’s website at

     https://www.perms.ed.state.pa.us/Screens/wfPublicAccess.aspx