Statewide Release

December-February Professional Learning Opportunities
Below you will find a list of upcoming courses that are now available for enrollment in the PD Portal. For more information about any of these courses, please visit the PD Portal, open the course catalog, and review the syllabus. If you are interested in enrolling in a course, please consult with your in-house professional development specialist (IHPDS) to determine if the course meets your professional learning goals.

Courses Beginning in January

Improving Instruction for Supplemental Distance Learning - starts January 10, enroll by January 7.

eData Courses - enroll by January 7.
  • Introduction to eData v2 for Adult Education - starts January 11.
  • Introduction to eData v2 for Family Literacy - starts January 18. Please note that participants who are new to the eData system should also register for Introduction to eData v2 for Adult Education.

BEST Plus 2.0 Test Administrator Training - starts January 24, enroll by January 20.

BEST Plus 2.0 Scoring Refresher - starts January 24, enroll by January 21.

New: Advancing Equity in Adult Education - starts January 10, enroll by January 6.
This training is designed to help all agency staff develop some common language and frameworks for understanding systemic oppression and inequity as well as understanding the role of power, privilege, and minoritization as applied to policies, procedures and practices within your organization. Led by national trainers, this eight-week course will include both synchronous and asynchronous activities.
Courses Beginning in February

Tutor Coordinator Basics - starts February 2, enroll by January 31.

ESL Basics: Second Language Acquisition and Principles of Second Language Teaching - starts February 4, enroll by February 3.

Student Support Coordinator Basics - starts February 7, enroll by February 2.

Family Literacy Foundations - starts February 14, enroll by February 11.

ESL Contextualized Lesson Planning - starts February 15, enroll by February 9.

Supporting Adult Learner Transition: The Role of the Student Support Coordinator - starts February 28, enroll by February 25.
Offered on Demand

Introduction to the Foundation Skills Framework
Enroll anytime and have 30 days from the enrollment date to complete the course.

Please note the following regarding PA CASAS and PA TABE 11&12 training:
  • PA CASAS and PA TABE 11&12 training courses will not be offered from November 25, 2021 to January 3, 2022. When training resumes on January 4, courses will once again include the observation assignment. The observation requirement was temporarily waived due to COVID-19 and will be reinstated on January 4, 2022.
  • The Division has provided agency administrators with more information about the delayed observation requirement.
 
Staff Induction Verification Course
New staff members who are participating in the staff induction process enroll in this course after they have completed the required activities.

Staff Induction Module Courses
This series of modules is designed for new agency staff members as part of a customizable onboarding process. Existing staff may also choose to complete these modules at any time.

On-Demand Modules
On-demand modules are offered in the PD Portal to provide participants with flexible learning opportunities on a variety of topics. Please note that these on-demand modules are not part of the series of modules designed for staff induction.

Tutor Training Module Courses
These modules cover the foundational skills needed by volunteers working in adult education programs. The eight modules serve as a component of volunteer tutor and classroom aide training and can be completed at any time.
New module: Learning Differences
Resources in the PD Portal

Agency PD Team
Administrators and in-house professional specialists enroll in the Agency PD Team course in the PD Portal to access essential tools and resources related to professional development at their agency.

Friday Lunchtime Webinar Resources
The Professional Development System offers Friday Lunchtime Webinars most Fridays at noon. Enroll in Friday Lunchtime Webinar Resources in the course catalog to access the complete schedule of webinars, the webinar link, presentation slides, and recordings.

Student Support Coordinator Professional Development Resources
Any adult education staff person who provides student support services can enroll in this space in the PD Portal course catalog. Participants will gain access to resources, including the Student Support Coordinator Hub, Networking Events, and the link to Open Office Hours provided by the Workforce Development System Liaison Project.

Volunteer Tutor and Classroom Aide Webinar Series
Webinars for tutors and classroom aides are held on the second Tuesday of each month from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Topics relate to student goals, academic subjects, technology, and general teaching skills. To access the webinar link, the schedule of upcoming webinars, recordings, and resources shared by the presenters, enroll in the Volunteer Tutor and Classroom Aide Webinar Series in the PD Portal catalog.