PDU Pilot Prepares for 2006-2007
Nearly two hundred teachers and SSPs successfully completed the process for Professional Development Units through a pilot program during the current school year. A total of 250 originally submitted applications, and of that group, 185 successfully submitted portfolios or came to reflection session to complete the process.
All participants submitted a plan in the fall that described how they would study a teaching technique or other topic, demonstrate it in their practice and reflect on what they learned. Plans were approved or sent back for revision to meet the standards for study, demonstration and reflection. Educators could work on a PDU in a group or individually.
The educators were able to submit a portfolio with artifacts, or to come in person to a session where they would reflect on what they had learned in small group sessions with educators, citizens and their peers who were also completing professional development units.
All 185 educators who completed the process were successful. Some chose university credit for their work, while others chose to bank their PDU for a salary increase through ProComp.
Feedback from surveys taken by the reflection participants was overwhelmingly positive. The surveys suggested that more sample PDUs, support and clearer criteria be provided to help future PDU participants know what artifacts to include in their portfolio.
Next year, PDU participants will have three options for submitting PDUs: 1) Participating in a reflection event, 2) submitting a portfolio and 3) completing a pre-approved PDU that satisfies the three-part requirement. Educators must spend at least three months completing the study-demonstrate-reflect steps of earning a PDU.
Classes or workshops that educators complete over the summer could apply to the “study” portion of a PDU for the 2006-07 school year. However, educators should be aware that PDU plans cannot be approved until after September. The first review of completed PDU's will begin in November.
May 23, 2006