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 employed an average of 20 hours or more each week — 8 PDUs
• Staff employed an average of 19.75 hours or less each week — 2 PDUs
• Less than 50 hours per year requires no PD.

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 and program directors will complete one of the following specialty tracks: ABE/GED, corrections, English as a Second Language, family literacy, workplace, program director or program director/instructor. See PD Requirements for 2007-08, pp. 38-40.