Professional Development Units

The KYAE professional development system encourages the application of best practices and new ideas. Program directors and instructors are encouraged to take ownership of PD activities that will support student goals and the goals of the program. The system awards professional development units (PDUs) based upon the depth of the PD experience rather than hours of seat time. Instructors earn PDUs by investigating research-based practices, testing the practices in the classroom, reporting their findings and promoting best practices to their colleagues.

Investigate new practices (1 PDU), e.g., learn by attending a workshop, conference or reviewing professional literature.

Disseminate what is learned with colleagues (3 PDUs), e.g., lead a study circle with local peers or present a training event at a regional or state level meeting.

Demonstrate expertise by sharing effective practices across the nation (4 PDUs), e.g., present at a national conference or publish an article in a professional journal related to the professional experience.

Apply and evaluate knowledge and skills in the classroom (5 PDUs), e.g., develop and use lesson plans based on what was learned at the conference and examine its effectiveness with student performance data.

The annual requirements are as follows:

• Staff working 20 hours or more per week must complete a minimum of 8 PDUs annually. The completion of 8 PDUs for experienced instructors working 20 hours or more per week must include at least one job-embedded activity.
• Staff working fewer than 20 hours per week must complete 2 PDUs annually. A record of each PD activity must be maintained in staff folders at the local program office.
• Substitutes and staff working fewer than 50 hours per year have no PD requirement.

The system recognizes the needs of new and experienced adult instructors and program directors are different.  New staff need to be exposed to a core set of knowledge about adult students, curriculum and instruction in adult basic education, and KYAE policies, procedures and expectations.  To meet that need, new instructors, instructor aides and program directors will need to complete the Required Professional Development Checklist.