Professional Development Points
Initiatives Sponsored by District
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) |
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.
Source: http://www.doe.mass.edu/recert/2000guidelines/sect2.html
PDPs - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Educator Licensure - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education