PD Requirements / Regulations

There are a variety of laws and regulations which impact school personnel. Please click on the title in order to see the drop-down information.

Act 48

Act 48 of 1999 required on-going professional education for Pennsylvania public school employees holding the following certification:

Instructional I & II
Educational Specialist I & II
Administrative
Supervisory
Letters of Eligibility
All Vocational Certificates

(Please note: PA Inspired Leadership (PIL) supercedes Act 48; therefore, individuals who must complete PIL hours are not also required to complete Act 48 hours.

As a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) approved Act 48 provider, CIU 20 offers workshops and courses for credit that meet PDE requirements and allow educators to gather knowledge and skills necessary to be effective classroom teachers and school leaders.

Additional information regarding Act 48 is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Education Website.

PIL / Act 45

The Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership (PIL) Initiative provides new and experienced school administrators with professional development and support focused on increasing student achievement statewide. The No Child Left Behind federal legislation mandates that all students must achieve proficiency on state testing by the year 2014. The PIL Initiative will provide educational leaders with the knowledge to help their schools meet this goal.

After January 1, 2008, the following positions are required to complete their Act 48 requirements by participating in PIL approved professional development:

Principal
Assistant/Vice Principal
Superintendent
Assistant Superintendent
Vocational-Technical School Director
Intermediate Unit Executive Director
Intermediate Unit Assistant Executive Director

Please also visit the PIL website for more information on legislation, FAQs, approved programs and upcoming events. For detailed information about Region 2, which includes CIU 20, please visit the PIL Region 2 website.

Paraprofessionals

There are several laws which impact the requirements and ongoing training required to be a paraprofessional in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

No Child Left Behind requires that all individuals entering the paraprofessional field to be Highly Qualified. Individuals are required to hold an Associate’s degree or higher, or have earned at least 48 credits post-secondary training or have passed a rigorous local assessment in reading, writing and mathematics. Interested individuals need to contact each school district or intermediate unit to learn more about their procedures for obtaining the Highly Qualified designation.

Chapter 14 of the PA School Code requires paraprofessionals working with special needs children to have 20 hours of professional development per year. Please see our upcoming events for training opportunities. Also check the PaTTAN website for further training opportunities.