Guidance for IHPDS on Core Courses

Some Fundamentals At this point in time… – Your agency is continually working on a Program Improvement Plan – Based on that Program Improvement Plan, action steps are being developed with the help of your Lead Consultant and are being documented in the Consultation Form – Tying into the above mentioned plans, individual instructors are developing Individual Professional Development Plans

Core Courses Who? – The Core Courses are for instructors with Individual Professional Development Plans that relate to the content of the core course because of the immediate needs of the learners they serve.

Core Courses Core Courses ARE Tied to an instructor’s personal professional development plan Approved by content experts Blended professional development activities Tied to classroom practice and will have a job-embedded application Relevant to the needs of the learners receiving instruction Core Courses ARE NOT To be chosen at random A catalog from which to shop All available all the time What? For a frequently changing list of the core courses, go to

Pennsylvania Adult Education Resources

Core Courses Where? – Online – Face to face – Blended (see Slide 16 for further information on blended professional development activities)

Core Courses When? – MyLearningPlan

Core Courses Why? – Standardized courses throughout the state

Core Courses How? View the calendar in MyLearningPlanMyLearningPlan

Core Courses Who? Teachers/staff have IPDP What? Match courses with teacher needs Where? Varies, often blended When? Each course has a different schedule Why? Standardized courses across the state How? Register online through MLP

Upon Course Completion Meet with teacher to select one or two (or more) changes he/she will make in his/her practice as a result of taking the course AND decide how to measure change as a result of the implementation Follow up after a period of time to see what changes have occurred When applicable – for tuition reimbursement - submit to Sheila Sherow, Receipt of tuition Certificate of completion

What is a Blended Professional Development Activity? It is a mix of face-to-face and online (including courses, webinars, and other electronic formats) professional development, and is focused on classroom application with feedback. initial activity + implementation activity + capstone activity knowledge & skills with constructive feedback Administering a test Creating a lesson Teaching using a strategy with feedback Teacher reflections Teaching logs observation Online discussions Summary Reinforce key info Teacher exchange Initiate additional, more in-depth PD Face-to-face Webinar DVD Text assignment

What is Job-Embedded Professional Development? Job-embedded professional development is grounded in day- to-day teaching practice and focuses on teachers’ content- specific instructional practices with the intent of improving student outcomes.

Thank You Please don’t hesitate to contact your Lead Consultant with any further questions.