Professional Development

Frequently Asked Questions - Answers

All numbers in parentheses following the answers on this page refer to specific sections of the Rules approved by the State Board of Education.

General

Where can I find the Rules for Professional Development (PD)? Top | Back to FAQs: The Rules Governing Professional Development, July 2005 may be found at the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Web site, ArkansasEd.org. In the navigation box on the left side of the page, under Rules, select Current Rules from the drop-down box. You will find the PD Rules in a PDF file listed alphabetically under the Ps for Professional Development. All numbers in parentheses following the answers on this page refer to specific sections of the Rules approved by the State Board of Education.
What is professional development; what is a professional development program and what is the purpose of professional development? Top | Back to FAQs: Professional development is a coordinated set of planned learning activities that are based on research, are standards based and continuous. A professional development program is a course of instruction intended to provide content which fulfills the requirement for professional development credit for teachers and administrators licensed by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). The purpose of professional development programs is to improve knowledge and skills in order to facilitate individual, school-wide, and district-wide improvements for the purpose of increasing student achievement. (3.01; 3.11; 2.02)
How much professional development is required every year and who is responsible for acquiring it? Top | Back to FAQs: The Rules Governing Professional Development require that all certified employees of Arkansas public schools shall complete a minimum of sixty (60) hours of approved professional development each year, beginning with the 2005-2006 school year. Also, sixty (60) hours of approved professional development annually will be required to renew a teacher or administrator license in order to maintain a valid teaching license. The ArkansasIDEAS Web site, www.ArkansasIdeas.org, provides multiple opportunities for professional development, all of which are at no cost to licensed Arkansas educators. (4.01; 4.10)
Is there a difference in the focus areas for the administrator? Top | Back to FAQs: Yes, there is a difference. Each administrator should have no less than three (3) hours of professional development designed to enhance understanding of effective parent involvement strategies and the importance of administrative leadership in setting expectations and creating a climate conducive to parent participation. Also, each administrator is required to have professional development training in data disaggregation, instructional leadership, and fiscal management. (4.03.3; 4.03.4)
What is required for professional development programs to be approved by the ADE? Top | Back to FAQs: In order to be approved by the ADE, the professional development programs must meet the National Staff Development Council standards described in section 5.01 of the Rules and relate to the focus areas set out in section 5.02 of the Rules.
When must the required professional development hours be earned? Top | Back to FAQs: The 60 hours professional development requirement must be fulfilled between July 1 and June 30 or June 1 and May 31 of the year for which it is applied, as approved by the local district. The local district shall document the district’s option. (4.02)
In addition to a school plan, is each district required to have a professional development plan? Top | Back to FAQs: Yes. School and district professional development plans shall be included in the ACSIP and shall be reviewed annually by the school/district and the ADE. (7.09)
Who is involved in developing, implementing, and evaluating the district school professional development plan? Top | Back to FAQs: Teachers, administrators, and classified school employees shall be involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of their respective professional development offerings under the school or district plan. (6.03)
In the approved district professional development calendar year (June 1-May 31 or July 1-June 30), when can professional development be scheduled? Top | Back to FAQs: Professional development can be scheduled at any time. There are no set requirements for scheduling before, during or after the teacher/student interaction days. Professional development may occur during the instructional day. The Rules state that professional development that occurs during the instructional day or outside the employee’s annual contract days may apply toward the 60-hour minimum professional development requirement as approved by the district/school. (4.06)
How are professional development hours documented for earning the required 60 hours and for renewing a license? Top | Back to FAQs: Each school district maintains all documents for its employees that reflect completion of professional development programs, whether such programs are provided by an outside organization or by the district itself. The superintendent will be responsible for posting, in APSCN, the total number of hours of professional development for each of his/her teachers completed for each school year. If an application for renewal is submitted, written verification of the professional development, as well as work experience, must accompany the application. A form for this purpose is available on-line. The administrator shall input the total number of professional development hours that a teacher has completed in the calendar year, not just the minimum of 60 hours, which is the default. The Rules state that each school district shall report the amount of all professional development programs completed by its employees to the ADE at the time and in the matter specified by the ADE. (7.06; 7.07)
How is professional development verified for teachers employed outside the public school arena? How do I submit verification of professional development? Top | Back to FAQs: The teacher is responsible for maintaining personal copies of the documents of completion for every activity. Those will be presented to an administrator or immediate supervisor for approval and verification if the teacher is employed. The administrator or supervisor will be responsible for verifying completion of the required annual 60 hours including parental involvement, technology, and Arkansas History (when applicable) each year or when the teacher applies for the renewal of a standard license. A teacher who is not employed at the time of application for renewal of a standard license must submit the documents of completion at that time to the Professional Licensure unit of the ADE. All Institutions of Higher Education will be required to maintain documentation for its employees who wish to meet the professional development hours to maintain a teaching and/or administrative license. (4.15)
Can professional development paid for by Federal funds count toward the State’s 60-hour requirement? Top | Back to FAQs: Federal funds shall not be used to pay for state-required professional development hours. Federal funds may be used to pay for hours above the 60 professional development hours required by the state.

Professional Development Activities

What are some of the ways to meet the professional development hours? Top | Back to FAQs

Approved professional development takes on many forms. Professional development may be earned in the following ways and may be counted toward the 60-hour requirement with the approval of the school district:

Conferences/workshops/institutes
Mentoring/peer coaching
Study groups/learning teams
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification
Distance learning/on-line opportunities
Internships
State/district/school programs
College/university course work
Action research
Individually-guided as noted in the individual professional development plan (5.04)

What types of activities or programs cannot be included in the required professional development hours? Top | Back to FAQs

No professional development credit shall be given for professional development programs that do not meet the criteria and standard requirements set out in Sections 5.02 of the Rules. The ADE shall approve professional development programs other than those delivered by the school district or education cooperative. Specific activities which do not qualify, include, but are not limited to, such activities as making and putting up bulletin boards; clerical work associated with documents such as ACSIP, AIP and IEPs; or administrative faculty or team administrative meetings. (5.05.04)

May I take college courses to get my professional development? Top | Back to FAQs

Under certain conditions set forth in section 4.04 of the Rules Governing Professional Development, a three-hour undergraduate or graduate-level college credit course from an accredited college or university may count as fifteen (15) hours of professional development. No more than half of the required 60 hours of professional development may be met through college credit hours. (4.04.3) A form is provided on the ADE Web site to use as a request for approval of 15 hours. It should be submitted to the Professional Licensure Office. (4.04)

Can someone who is making a presentation or providing professional development receive extra credit for professional development? Top | Back to FAQs

Yes. The amount of time spent in presenting may be counted twice. For example, the presenter of a two-hour seminar may count it for four hours of professional development. (5.05.05)

Does teaching a college course count for professional development hours? Top | Back to FAQs

No, this is no different than teaching in a K-12 classroom. It is your teaching assignment and would not count for use as professional development credit.

When you take a course on the ArkansasIDEAS web site do you get technology hours as well? For instance if you take a 2 hour course on Arkansas History, do you get your Arkansas History hours as well as counting that toward your 6 technology hours? Top | Back to FAQs

The courses on the ArkansasIDEAS site may not be credited as Educational Technology hours unless they specifically deal with Educational Technology training or integration in the classroom. There is a specific Library of Technology courses on the ArkansasIDEAS site that may be used to meet the Educational Technology requirement. For example: An Arkansas History course is delivered via a technology component; the course itself is not about learning to use or implement technology in the classroom.

Are there charges for professional development courses in the ArkansasIDEAS portal? Top | Back to FAQs

There is no charge for the professional development that is offered via the ArkansasIDEAS Portal if the person signs into the system and goes through the registration process as directed. There are over 4500 hours of no-cost professional development available to Arkansas teachers on the ArkansasIDEAS Portal. However, if a teacher enrolls in a course on PBS Teacherline without going through ArkansasIDEAS, then yes, there would be a price listed and charged for the PBS course. The PBS Teacherline courses are only available at no cost through the ArkansasIDEAS Portal.

Special Situations

How can I get professional development when not employed in an Arkansas public school, educational cooperative or university? Top | Back to FAQs: It is the responsibility of the individual to acquire the annual professional development when not employed in a public school setting. Check the Web site ArkansasIDEAS. ArkansasIDEAS offers many no-cost online professional development opportunities. You may contact the local school district and/or a nearby Educational Service Cooperative about participating in professional development programs as space is available. You may also check the ADE Web site for possible workshops or activities being offered. Many private schools, state agencies and non-profit professional organizations offer ADE-approved professional development programs that are available to the state’s educators. (4.10)
If I’m not employed in a public school, who pays for the professional development that I have to complete? Top | Back to FAQs: If there is a cost attached to an approved professional development program, the individual would be responsible for the cost of the program at the discretion of the employer. The ArkansasIDEAS Web site, www.ArkansasIdeas.org, provides numerous opportunities for professional development, all of which are at no cost to licensed Arkansas educators.
Who will approve the professional development for renewal for teachers not working? Top | Back to FAQs: All ADE-approved professional development programs will be documented by the program provider and submitted by the applicant to the Office of Professional Licensure. A form used to document individual activities, to be signed by the program provider, is posted on the ADE Web site at http://ArkansasEd.org/teachers/prof_dev.html
I have read the Rules for professional development and believe it addresses employed teachers. Where does it say that teachers not working have to get professional development? Top | Back to FAQs: Even for teachers not currently working it is mandated that sixty (60) approved professional development hours will be required annually in order to renew a teacher or administrator license. (4.10; 4.11)
Everything I have read about professional development says professional development is to be based on student achievement and the school improvement plan. How does that apply to me when I’m not employed by a school district? Top | Back to FAQs: All approved professional development activities should relate to the focus areas listed in the Rules Governing Professional Development and are the means by which educators acquire or enhance the knowledge, skills, and expectations necessary to increase student learning, no matter the setting. (5.02; 5.03)
I just moved from another state and began teaching in the middle of the year. Am I still responsible for 60 hours of professional development for this school year? Top | Back to FAQs: Yes. Any employee who misses the regularly scheduled professional development activities for any reason must make up that time in other approved professional development activities during the approved timeframe. (4.08)
If my professional development hours were completed out of state, will I receive credit for them? Top | Back to FAQs: The awarding of professional development credit for an out-of-state professional development program is at the discretion of the participant’s district/school or supervisor All accepted professional development activities should meet the requirements set forth in the Rules and relate to and meet the school district’s improvement plan or teacher’s individual professional development plan. If employed in Arkansas, the participant’s school district administration will make the decision to accept or reject the out-of-state PD. For renewal purposes, professional development activities/hours awarded out of state will be reviewed and accepted or denied by the Office of Professional Licensure.
If I miss getting 60 hours of professional development one year, why should I try to get it the other years, since I won’t be able to renew under General Renewal Requirements anyway? Top | Back to FAQs: There are alternate ways to renew a license other than the General Renewal and professional development is required for that as well as for all other years whether one year is incomplete or not. The purpose of implementing professional development is to improve teachers’ knowledge and skills for the goal of increasing student achievement. Research provides evidence that student performance is improved when teachers support teaching and learning with new strategies, assessments, and goals.
I am a newly retired teacher. My school district needs me to help with testing, but they require a licensed teacher. I do not want to take 60 hours of professional development every year to keep my license current just so I can help them once a year. Why should I? Top | Back to FAQs: Act 628 of 2007 allows retired teachers to renew their licenses without meeting the professional development requirement.
I am a college instructor and I want to keep my license current. Why should I have to get 2 hours of parental involvement and 6 hours of educational technology? I have no contact with public school-age children. Top | Back to FAQs: The Rules, based on Arkansas law state that the 60 hours required to renew a current license shall include the hours for parental involvement and the hours for educational technology regardless of job assignment. (4.10)
I do not have a Standard 5-year license at this time. Am I required to obtain 60 hours of professional development? Top | Back to FAQs: It is not required that you obtain the 60 hours until you receive the Standard 5-year license. However, if teaching in a public school, you may be required to participate in the professional development activities required by the district/school. (4.01)