Professional Development Requirements and CEU Information

Public Act No. 12-116 - An Act Concerning Educational Reform

Per Section 39 of PA 12-116, passed in 2012, as of July 1, 2012, CEU requirements for all teachers HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. Instead, as of July 1, 2013, districts must offer professional development as part of a plan developed by their district PD committee. The committee guidelines, which have been in place since the passage of PA 10-220a in 2010, are also below.

CT General Statutes (PA 12-116) require that professional development must:

• Be a comprehensive, sustained, intensive approach to improving teacher effectiveness
• Foster collective responsibility for student performance
• Be job-embedded, and take place mostly in small groups or on an individual basis
• Include how to integrate reading, literacy & numeracy enhancement, cultural awareness, and teaching ELLs into instructional practice
• Be informed by teacher evaluation

The entire bill can be found here.

In-service training. Professional development committees. Institutes for educators. Cooperating teacher program, regulations.

Per PA 10-220a - which was passed in 2010 and was not eliminated by the passage of PA 12-116-a professional development committee must meet certain requirements, which are as follows:

• Must include members of bargaining units, chosen by such units;
• Must be responsible for development, evaluation & annual updating of PD plan for district certified employees.

Also Per 10-220a, a professional development plan:

• Must include ongoing & systematic assessment and improvement of PD and teacher evaluation;
• Must provide training for administrators in evaluation;
• Must relate to regular and special student needs;
• May provide for inclusion of career incentives & parent involvement.

If you have any questions about any of the above requirements and/or changes, please contact Michele Ridolfi O'Neill, CEA Educational Issues Specialist, at micheleo@cea.org.