Statewide Release

January-March 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

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.
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.

New: Strategies for Working With Students With Learning Differences - starts February 28, enroll by February 25.
This course is designed for instructors and classroom aides who would like an introduction to integrating adaptive techniques into lesson planning and classroom culture in order to support students with learning differences. The content is also applicable to tutor coordinators and volunteer tutors. The course will describe different types of learning differences, how to identify patterns that may indicate a learning difference, and tools and strategies that can be used to address learning differences when working with adult learners.
Courses Beginning in March

Early Learning Accomplishment Profile (E-LAP) and Learning Accomplishment Profile - 3rd Edition (LAP-3) Assessment Implementation - enroll within first seven days of March and complete by March 31.

CCRS Foundations - Math Lesson Planning - starts March 1, enroll by March 1.

BEST Plus 2.0 Test Administrator Training - starts March 7, enroll by March 3.

New: CCRS Advanced Lesson Planning: Preparing Students for Workplace and Academic Success - starts March 8, enroll by March 4.
This course teaches instructors how to develop standards-aligned lessons that prepare students for the academic and technology demands needed for workplace and postsecondary education success. The course builds on the skills learned in the CCRS Foundations courses. Participants will refine standards-aligned lesson planning skills, learn how to incorporate workplace readiness and digital literacy skills, and implement assessment strategies that accurately measure student progress toward meeting learning objectives.

Using and Scoring ACIRI - course runs March 15 - April 15; enroll by March 22 to complete the course by April 15.
Offered on Demand

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

PA CASAS Training Courses
Enroll anytime and have 45 days from the enrollment date to complete the course.
Choose from three course options:
  • PA CASAS Training Paper-Based for practitioners who will administer paper-based CASAS tests.
  • PA CASAS Training eTests for practitioners who will administer CASAS eTests.
  • PA CASAS Training Paper-Based and eTests for practitioners who will administer both paper-based CASAS tests and eTests.

PA TABE 11&12 Training
Enroll anytime and have 45 days from the enrollment date to complete the course.

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.
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.