Welcome to PD Center

In this 2-hour module, you will: become familiar with the principles, standards, and policies that a paraprofessional must follow; understand how biases and differences can influence our practice supporting students and working with other professionals; and understand why continued learning is an important practice for paraprofessionals.

This course is designed specifically for teachers and is structured into four informative modules. These modules will: (1) review the laws and regulations that govern standards of conduct for educators in Pennsylvania and the legal processes for addressing misconduct; (2) discuss the student-teacher relationship, with a focus on establishing and maintaining appropriate boundaries; (3) examine the concept of sexual misconduct by educators; and (4) address the legal and ethical responsibilities regarding the reporting of 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.

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.

The purpose of this module is to introduce the key features and content of the Structured Literacy approach to Pennsylvania educators. The goal is to understand the underpinnings of this approach, to deepen literacy instruction knowledge, and to examine/align current instructional practices to Structured Literacy. Recent legislation in Pennsylvania has mandated changes in preservice training and in the professional development section of local education agencies’ (LEAs) Comprehensive Plans. 22 Pa. Code § 49.14(4)(i) requires the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to identify competencies and develop associated standards for educator training in structured literacy. Structured literacy supplements core instruction with an increased focus on the five essential components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension). Act 55 of 2022 (Section 1205.8). The continuing professional development plans of each school entity must include training in structured literacy competencies/standards for the five specified certification programs.

This module will introduce you to Pennsylvania’s approach to trauma-informed schools with a goal of developing common language and providing a comprehensive introduction to trauma and trauma-informed schools.

In this 4-hour module, you will: examine strategies for addressing the diverse learning needs of individual students; gain insight into how disabilities can influence development and affect both students and their families; learn how to foster growth, independence, and self-advocacy in students with disabilities; and, develop an appreciation for diversity and the value of individual differences.

This course is tailored for non-certified school based professionals/staff members and consists of four modules designed to enhance understanding of educator conduct. The modules will: (1) review the laws and regulations that govern educator conduct in Pennsylvania and the legal processes for addressing misconduct; (2) discuss the student-teacher relationship, focusing on the establishment and maintenance of appropriate boundaries; (3) examine the concept of sexual misconduct by educators; and (4) address the legal and ethical responsibilities to report 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.

In this 3-hour module, you will: understand the purposes and rationale of various types of assessments and data collection processes, as well as the link between these assessments and individualized instructional planning; apply multiple types of data collection strategies; and use strategies and methods to collect accurate data.

In this 2-hour module, you will: demonstrate understanding of the unique learning needs of individual students, understand the impact of disabilities on development for individual students and their families, promote the growth of students with disabilities and encourage their independence and self-advocacy skills, and understand and value the diversity and individual differences.

This module will discuss child development through a neurodevelopmental focus.

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 module will discuss self-care from an organizational and individual perspective.