What PD You Need to Maintain Certificate
A Principal must oversee PD that is aligned with the school’s goals.
by Bob Reich
The NY State Education Department requires teachers and administrators to complete 175 hours of professional development every five years. You can complete 175 hours in one year or spread it over five years.
All staff serving under an SBL or SDL certificate must complete 175 PD hours every five years. Those serving under an SAS or SDA certificate are not required to take 175 PD hours but they should not be excluded from any PD opportunities.
Principals are in charge of professional development for teachers and Assistant Principals to ensure that the PD programs are aligned with the school’s goals in terms of student achievement and the school’s overall progress. Principals must also approve activities staff choose to meet the PD requirement. (Network leaders and superintendents are responsible for approving PD for Principals, Education Administrators and Supervisors of ...)
NYSED regulations require that the DOE submit an annual report chronicling the names of those who have completed PD during the five years. Principals are required to review and approve a form called 175 Professional Development Tracking for each required staff member every year.
Fax the completed form to (718) 935-2720. If you send it by email, get a “read receipt.” Note: If you are on leave, there is a reduction in the number of hours required, but some PD remains as a requirement. The form is pretty self explanatory asking for the name, certificate title, file number and district/borough/ school for each individual.
1) Make sure your employee provides you with the complete name or title of the PD activity.
2) Under the heading “Provider” make sure to cite what agency provided the activity, e.g., NYC DOE, outside vendor or college.
3) Under “Date(s) of Activity (Start to Finish), provide the specific date(s).
4) Under “Number of Hours Obtained for Activity,” fill in the number of hours the activity is worth in PD hours. A college course is 15 PD hours per credit, so a three-credit class is worth 45 PD hours. Other activities are worth the number of hours you spend in class, so a three-hour activity is worth three hours of PD credits.
The individual employee and the Principal both sign the form and agree to the following: “I have reviewed the completed professional development activities and I am in agreement with/and approve the activities listed above.” Early in the school year, a Principal should tell the staff to submit the 175 Form in advance for approval of PD hours before a staff member participates in the activity.
For more information on this topic, visit www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/maintaincert.html.
Those with a PD requirement have plenty of programs from which to choose including the Executive Leadership Institute (ELI’s) workshops. See the back page to learn about ELI’s three weeks of programs this summer.
