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Wappingers Falls, New York 12590

NYSED 175 and 75 Hour Professional Development Requirement 
Holders of the Professional certificate must complete 175 hours of professional development and holders of the Level III Teaching Assistant certificate must complete 75 hours every 5 years in order to maintain certification.   The ultimate goal of all efforts in this area is to increase the capacity of teachers and teaching assistants to enable and assist all students to higher academic achievement.

Guiding Principles

The design of professional development will be a result of a district's professional development planning process. Enhanced teaching and learning is the foundation upon which individuals and districts should plan the content of all professional development.

Subject matter content of professional development activities/experiences is clearly connected to student achievement of the NYS Learning Standards.

Professional development activities/experiences are planned with the NYS Teacher Standards as underpinning.

Professional development activities/experiences should respond to student achievement data including but not limited to assessment of school work, New York State assessments, School District Report Cards, and one other data related to local teaching and learning needs.

Professional development is shaped by teaching staff needs, as evidenced by such data as aggregate results of annual professional performance reviews.

The professional development planning process is dynamic, reflecting teaching staff and student performance benchmarks of increasing rigor as skill levels are attained.

Professional development results in a demonstrated increase in teaching staff knowledge and understanding, teaching staff skillfulness, and teaching staff professional values.

Professional development activities/experiences are assessed on an on-going and continuous basis for intended impact. Defensible evaluation tools/methods must be used to determine modifications to planned activities/experiences.

Professional development is, to the greatest extent possible, site-based and connected to daily school experiences.

Professional development enables the teaching staff to deepen their knowledge base and remain current in their content area and instructional strategies.  
 
 
 
Teaching staff learning opportunities are clearly constructed, based on effective teaching research, and involve educators in the design and implementation of such opportunities.

Content of courses, workshops, and other professional development experiences should be directly related to: enhancing teacher/teaching assistant subject matter knowledge, teacher/teaching assistant knowledge, use and application of appropriate teaching techniques,
broadening and enhancing teacher/teaching assistant abilities to apply more accurate and appropriate assessment methodologies, and
enhancing teacher/teaching assistant skills in effectively managing individual students and classroom in both heterogeneous and homogeneous settings.

http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/resteachers/175.htm#3