Welcome to PD Center

In this module, you will: understand WHY changes were made to the Learning Standards for Early Childhood; understand WHAT changes were made to the Learning Standards for Early Childhood (including the Science domain); know WHEN transition to the Learning Standards for Early Childhood begins; know WHERE the Learning Standards for Early Childhood can be accessed; and know HOW teachers and programs are expected to implement the new standards.

This course was created in accordance with Act 55 of 2017 that updated the section of the Pennsylvania public school code addressing how school districts and intermediate units address educational opportunities focused on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

This module introduces each Act 55 required areas and supports pre-service teachers in understanding why they are essential components of Pennsylvania’s educator preparation expectations. Participants will explore how these topics appear in real school environments and how this knowledge strengthens their readiness for field experiences and future classroom practice.

This five-hour module focuses on addressing learning gaps of students. This module begins with a basic understanding of what learning gaps are, includes factors that contribute to learning gaps, and identifies different types of learning gaps. It then moves into strategies to identify learning gaps, as well as practical strategies to address learning gaps. The module concludes with ways teachers can assist in preventing learning gaps for students. This module is best suited for teachers of all grades and subjects who are teaching and who assist teachers in the classroom.

Participants will explore strategies to diversify and provide choice among assessments (including group/team assessments) that are aligned with outcomes and PA Core Standards. This module also examines how to effectively share assignments, assessments, and rubrics with additional audiences (e.g., parents, school, community, blogs, and websites) in order to inform, improve, and acquire meaningful feedback from multiple perspectives about the entire assessment experience.

Participants will create several alternative resources for grouping students, with a focus on differentiation. This module explores advanced use of materials and resources that support outcomes and engage students in meaningful learning.

Participants will examine when to make major or minor adjustments to a lesson/unit, opportunities for teachable moments that build on student interests, and persistent approaches for students who need help. More responsibility is passed along to students who can offer feedback about what is and isn’t working. Participants will become advocates for students, educating families, and forming effective partnerships with students, teachers, and other stakeholders. PLEASE NOTE: Advanced Strategies for Flexible and Responsive Teaching is best suited for teachers who are experienced with flexible and responsive teaching. Teachers with a novice knowledge-base or who need the foundations of grouping students should consider enrolling in Fundamentals of Flexible and Responsive Teaching. Those with intermediate skills should consider Flexible and Responsive Teaching.

After completing this course, you will know and understand the purpose of the Pennsylvania Family Engagement Birth through College, Career, Community Ready Framework, identify the key components included in the Framework, and identify ways that the Framework is relevant and is a tool for your work and specific roles.

This course is specifically designed for Chief School Administrators and consists of four modules. These modules will: (1) review the laws and regulations governing educator conduct in Pennsylvania and the legal processes for addressing misconduct; (2) discuss the student-teacher relationship, emphasizing the importance of establishing and maintaining appropriate boundaries; (3) examine the concept of sexual misconduct by educators; and (4) address the legal and ethical responsibilities of reporting educator misconduct, including sexual misconduct. Successful completion of this course will satisfy, in part, the training requirements of Act 126 of 2013, Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Act.

Participants will explore methods for engaging students in meaningful work, clarifying limits, facilitating student choice, and encouraging accurate communication.

Participants will leverage relevant resources to ensure a classroom-to-career workforce connection. This module emphasizes the need to access existing and current government research as well as employer job vacancies to make connections between actual workforce needs as well as the relationship to classroom content and career readiness. Participants will also take the next step with a stakeholder action plan and build the relationship between career readiness in the learner to the jobs in the workplace. As those connections are made, participants will align instructional content and curriculum to current workforce demands to prepare students for postsecondary career success with relevant content.

Participants will explore ways to sustain a partnership with an employer in their workforce region to support an alignment of instructional content to a pathway (if applicable) or to specific cluster careers in that industry sector. Participants will also partner with at least two cross-curricular teachers to develop a lesson plan for an authentic project-based learning experience. Connections will sustain the industry partnership to provide work-based learning opportunities for teachers and students to better prepare students for post-secondary career success to advance meaningful career pathways.

In this module, participants will explore Pennsylvania’s Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education, included under the Common Ground design. This course is required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to identify competencies and develop associated standards for educator training in Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education under Chapter 49(Opens in a new window.). The Pa. School Code offers a definition of Culturally Relevant and Sustaining. Note the emphasis on topics surrounding cultural awareness—including mental wellness, trauma-informed approaches to instruction, and technological and virtual engagement: ""Culturally relevant and sustaining education - Education that ensures equity for all students and seeks to eliminate systemic institutional racial and cultural barriers that inhibit the success of all students in this Commonwealth—particularly those who have been historically underrepresented. Culturally relevant and sustaining education encompasses skills for educators including, but not limited to, approaches to mental wellness, trauma-informed approaches to instruction, technological and virtual engagement, cultural awareness and emerging factors that inhibit equitable access for all students in this Commonwealth."" While there are a multitude of competencies in these three areas, this module attempts to provide an introduction to the concepts as detailed in the list of competencies. A deep understanding of these concepts requires much more attention than this abbreviated course.

Participants will define rules, directions, and procedures as they apply to the classroom and analyze strategies for effectively communicating them to students. This module shares strategies for practicing and reinforcing classroom procedures as well as how to evaluate methods for communicating directions clearly to all students.

This module examines how and when teachers should provide information about student progress and the instructional program to families. Participants will explore how to successfully engage families in the instructional program with professionalism and keen cultural sensitivity, as well as how students can participate and contribute ideas to the program.

In this module, participants will explore mental health literacy in the context of Pennsylvania initiatives such as Pennsylvania Career Ready Skills (PA CRS), equitable practices, trauma-informed teaching, and accelerated learning. This foundation can help educators to develop positive, safe learning environments for themselves and their students.

According to the Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Practices Commission (n.d.), "In recognition of the magnitude of the responsibility inherent in the education process and by virtue of the desire to maintain the respect and confidence of their colleagues, students, parents and the community, educators shall be guided in their conduct by their commitment to their students, colleagues and profession." In short, educators are held to a higher community standard than other occupations. In this module, participants will examine the Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators, and the Model Code of Ethics for Educators in order to understand and put into action professional and ethical behavior.

In this module, participants will learn about curriculum design types and models to assist them in understanding how the curriculum they will audit was developed and organized. Participants will review curriculum evaluation/audit tools presented in the previous module, as well as explore a new tool for evaluating the curriculum. Finally, participants will go through the steps of a curriculum audit, as well as use the tools presented, to conduct both a lesson and unit audit of their curriculum. Through this activity, participants will identify areas for improvement, prioritize them, and develop measures of success for the areas of improvement. Conducting a Curriculum Audit is the SECOND in a pair of two prerequisite modules. Since each subsequent module relies on the previous module's content and assessments, you need to take them in this order: Curriculum Audit: Introduction, and then Conducting a Curriculum Audit.

Based on the skills you gained and planning you conducted during and after the first two modules, this final module, Creating a Culture for PA Career Ready Skills (CRS) Sustainability, represents a culminating point for effective professional practice. This module provides resources to engage in long-term sustainability of integrated social-emotional learning (SEL) practices.

This module emphasizes the foundation for creating a classroom of mutual respect, care, and trust. Participants will explore the qualities that characterize effective, caring teachers and identify the ways in which their beliefs and expectations about teaching and learning can inform and sustain their leadership abilities.