BPS Staff Forms, Resources, and Tools
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Professional Development Request Form
If you would like to attend a professional development conference or workshop and request the District cover the cost, please complete this form, which includes checking with your supervisor for approval. Once the form is submitted, Dr. Tricia Clifford will review your request. **The District does not cover the cost for graduate credits.** Please do not register for the course yourself. If approved, the Executive Assistant, Erin Crowley, will register you for the course and update you once completed. Forms must be submitted at least one week (five business days) before the course is scheduled to start.
**PLEASE NOTE - We are only able to submit payment via a PURCHASE ORDER ONLY. If the course you are interested in does not accept purchase orders, we will not be able to register you and pay for the course.**
Upon completing the workshop or conference, you will be required to write a brief evaluation of it to share in the PD News Group. You will also need to forward confirmation of completion to Erin at erin_crowley@bedfordps.org and HR Department at hrdept@bedfordps.org.
Licensure & Professional Development Reference Sheet (updated August 2021)
PDPs
Professional Development Points (PDPs) are used by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as a way of tracking professional development requirements for recertification. PDPs are used only for the purpose of renewing a professional license. Some courses offer the option of converting PDPs into InService/Graduate credits (typically 15 PDPs = 1 InService Credit) for an additional fee and course work. The additional fee is the responsibility of the staff member. Not all PDPs have this option.
InService Credits
BPS InService credit may be awarded to participants who successfully complete approved courses sponsored by the district that are the equivalent of graduate level courses offered by colleges or universities. The same number of InService credits are awarded as graduate credits, as long as, all the same work is completed. For non-graduate courses, InService credit is issued as 15 contact hours = 1 InService credit. A certain number of InService credits, along with other requirements, are required in order to make a salary lane change. Please refer to HR’s Lane Changes page for more information.
Graduate Credits
Graduate credits are issued by a college or university for coursework taken beyond a degree. There is often an additional fee for graduate credits, which is the
responsibility of the participant. Graduate credits, in combination with InService credits, can be used to make a salary lane change. Graduate credits are transferable to other districts.
Professional Development Committee (PDC)
You can find the link to the new In-District Course Proposal form here: In-District Course Proposal form.
What is the Professional Development Committee?
The Professional Development Committee (PDC) is a joint-labor committee whose purpose is to support faculty in taking and facilitating professional development course tailored to their needs and interests. The PDC has an annual budget of $20,000 that is used to fund inservice courses, to publicize professional development offerings, and to provide faculty covered under the teacher contract with partial reimbursement for courses taken at accredited institutions and some PDP providers.
How can I facilitate a course through the PDC?
- Propose a course to the PDC, using the In-District Course Proposal form. (The coursework must be rigorous, related to participants' teaching assignments, and completed outside the school day.) Wait for PDC approval of the course.
- Recruit a minimum of seven faculty members to take the course.
- Facilitate the course, keeping attendance records, and ensuring that all participants fulfill its requirements.
- Survey the participants using the PDC Course Evaluation form, and submit these forms to the PDC upon completion of the course.
- Facilitators will receive $750 per Inservice credit; participants will receive Inservice credit automatically after completion of the course.
How can I receive partial reimbursement from the PDC for courses I have taken?
After determining the amount of committed instructors' stipends, the PDC may use the balance of the $20,000 budget allocation to recommend the awarding of reimbursement up to 50% for courses taken by individual teachers. Please note that there is no guarantee that enough funds will be left over to fund the full 50%, and plan accordingly.
- First, make sure you are not eligible for graduate study reimbursement through the School Committee. (See the article on Professional Improvement in the BEA-BPS contract on the District Documents and Communications page.)
- Complete the Course Approval for Reimbursement Form (PDC) by the April 1st deadline, and submit it to the PDC Committee via
- Nicole Myles (Nicole_Myles@bedfordps.org)
- Note that the study needs to be rigorous, related to your job assignment in Bedford, and completed outside the work day.
- Submit evidence of successful completion of appropriate courses, along with the evidence of payment of the relevant charges.*
- The PDC will recommend course reimbursement to the Superintendent by May 15th. Course reimbursement should be pro-rated with distinctions made for professional vs. non-professional status teachers. Final approval will rest with the Superintendent of Schools.
*If you are taking a late spring or early summer course that begins before June 30th, you still need to meet the April 1st deadline. Fill out the form with proof of enrollment in the course, and submit it by April 1st. As soon as you have successfully completed the course, send that evidence to Central Office, as well.
How can I serve on the Professional Development Committee?
Four members of the PDC are appointed by the Superintendent, and four are appointed by the BEA President, ideally one representative from each school. Ask the BEA President if there is an opening at your school this year. The faculty co-chair of the PDC is awarded three Inservice credits, and other faculty representatives are awarded one.
The forms below are "view-only." To edit a form directly, go to "File->Make a copy," and edit it in your own Google Drive. You may also download or print the files to fill out by hand.
To propose a course, please use the NEW In-District Course Proposal form.