Background: One of the criteria for renewing the ABE Certificate of Performance is the completion of 2 credits (30 hours) of staff development within three years. Activities eligible for credit are listed on page 6 of the Renewal Application. Item #2 is “Professional Development offered through local program and approved by Nevada State Leadership Team.” This document describes the process for obtaining such approval for local in-services.

Purpose of approval process: To ensure high quality, meaningful professional devel­opment specific to training ABE educators on how to teach/tutor adults. Professional development must support the objectives of the Certificate of Performance. It must be geared to content (versus program planning or administration). For example: orientation to program, individual program processes, or administering assessments would not be approved for credit because they are adminis­trative functions, not instructional functions. But how to use CASAS/TOPSpro to im­prove instruction or new methods of teaching reading would be appropriate topics.

Guidelines:

1. At least one month before activity, submit following information to Sharyn Yanoshak, saylv@cox.net:

1. Title of workshop/training.
2. Audience (E.g., new or experienced teachers? Of ABE, GED, or ESL? Which levels?)
3. Short description and objectives of training. Include specific outcomes of training — what will participants walk away with?
4. Short bio of presenter.
5. Preliminary agenda showing hours on-task (workshop seat time plus estimated time to complete follow-up activity).
6. Description of a follow-up activity if planned (follow-up activity highly recommended)!  Note: This activity is to be completed by participant within a month after the training; it is intended to show the efficacy/outcomes of training. (Did the training “take?”) Participants will return paperwork that shows the follow-up was done to the program).
    

2. Approval is by the leadership team (people with current leadership grants); others may be consulted to ensure adequate expertise and representation of all stakeholders.
    

3. For approved workshops, it is the responsibility of the individual program to:

1. Verify participation and ensure compliance (e.g., with follow-up activity) if required.
2. Do a short immediate evaluation the day of the workshop that shows participants’ initial response to the training.
3. Issue Certificates of Completion for the training to workshop participants. (Participants will use the certificates as evidence of professional development when they renew their Certificates of Performance.) The Certificate of Completion must contain at least the following information: workshop date, title, and objectives; course # (assigned when workshop is approved); credits earned toward ABE Certificate of Performance renewal; signature of program director or designee to verify complete participation (attendance and follow-up work). WORD sample. PUB sample.
4. Keep paperwork on file for at least 5 years.