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2009 Professional Development Institutes

Registration/Application Procedures

All of the institutes are offered at no charge to Massachusetts educators. Current public school educators, especially those who are employed in school districts that have been identified as "high need" districts, educators who need to become highly qualified in the subject areas that they teach, teachers of students with disabilities, and teachers of English language learners will be given first priority for registration.

All current educators from publicly-funded programs covered by the Massachusetts Education Reform Act (school districts, public charter schools, adult basic education programs, preschools, and private day and residential schools that provide publicly-funded special education) may attend the institutes. Institutes are also available for the equitable participation of teachers from grades preK-12 private schools within the geographic area served by the institute.

Registration by teams from schools and districts is encouraged. To register and obtain detailed information, please contact the person listed for the institute of your choice. Since spaces are limited, you should register as early as possible. All institutes are open to educators from schools and districts across the state. Beyond the priorities listed above, participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must attend the entire program of the selected institute, including fall follow up sessions.

Participation Requirements

The majority of the institutes will provide approximately 45 hours of instruction between July and August, 2009 plus approximately 15 additional hours from September, 2009 to January, 2010. Participants are required to attend all sessions, take part in pre-and post-assessments of course content, and complete projects outside of class that demonstrate and deepen their learning. Teachers' institute-related work should be related to their personal professional development plans and should be linked to school and district priorities.

Professional Development Points and Graduate Credit

Participants may earn up to 67.5 PDPs (unless otherwise specified) for attending all sessions, taking the pre-and post-assessments and completing a project that documents their learning. No PDPs will be awarded for partial completion. Most institutes offer optional graduate credit for which participants may register at their own expense.

Cancellation Policy

The Department reserves the right to cancel any institute that does not have sufficient registration. In case of cancellation, teachers who have registered for the institute will be notified by the institute provider prior to the planned opening day of the institute.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Contact Information

The Professional Development Institute program is coordinated by the Center for Curriculum and Instruction at the Department. For general information about the program, please contact Alexia Cribbs, acribbs@doe.mass.edu; 781-338-3581. For information about a specific institute, please contact the provider.