The Professional Growth Plan, or PGP is a way for teachers to gain clock hours by documenting specific happenings in their classroom. PGPs allow educators to create their own meaningful professional development. The process is simple: a goal is created, standards are aligned, an action plan is created, evidence is collected, and the process is reflected upon. Only one PGP may be completed each year, with 25 clock hours being awarded for the completion of a Professional Growth Plan. CTE Teachers should be encouraged to complete STEM based PGPs as all teachers with a CTE certificate (conditional, initial, or continuing) must complete STEM requirements as a part of their renewal. Completing a yearly STEM focused PGP will make your renewal process easier and you can accumulate clock hours faster.
Completing the PGP
Completing the PGP is straightforward. The Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board website has a template (Professional Growth Plans (PGPs), 2021), complete with highlighted required fields. There are links embedded within the template that offer resources and additional information. A brief explanation of the sections is included below as well as on the Completing a PGP Template, listed below. Required fields within the template should be completed with a minimum of 3-5 well written, detailed sentences where applicable.
Educator Information
This portion includes first and last name, certificate number, district, and academic year. Each of the highlighted fields must be completed.
Self-Assessment and Goal Selection
Self-Assessment: The self-assessment helps the educator select an area of focus for their professional development. Using the provided link takes you to a self-assessment worksheet designed to assist you in selecting the area for your professional development (Professional Growth Plans (PGPs), 2021). You can choose to self-evaluate using this form or simply choose one of the criteria listed under the three standards to focus on. Make sure to enter your selection in the first box on page 2.
Standards: There are three standards listed under Teacher Benchmarks: effective teaching, professional development, and teaching as a profession. Within each of the benchmarks are three career levels: residency, professional, and career level. For each of the teacher benchmarks, an explanation of the residency level will be provided.
The three standards are broken down into specific criteria. One to two of these criteria should be selected as your PGP goal (listed as 2 on the Completing the PGP Template below). This link on the website has with broader definitions of each of the criterion (Teacher Benchmarks, 2021).
Standard 1: Effective teaching:
· Criteria 1 – Using multiple instructional strategies to address individual student needs
· Criteria 2 – Integrating subjects across content areas
· Criteria 3 – Using a variety of assessments to monitor and improve instruction
· Criteria 4 – Creating a safe, productive learning environment
· Criteria 5 – Planning curricula for diverse student needs
· Criteria 6 – Ensuring cultural sensitivity/competence
· Criteria 7 – Integrating technology
· Criteria 8 – Involving and collaborating with families, neighborhoods, and communities
· Criteria 9 – Integrating SEL Standards
Standard 2: Professional Development:
· Criteria 1 – Utilizing feedback and reflection to improve teaching practice
· Criteria 2 – Using standards for self-assessment, plan and implement professional growth
· Criteria 3 – Seeking new learning to remain current in the field
Standard 3: Teaching as a profession
· Criteria 1 - Advocating for diverse needs of each student (only choose if you are choosing professional or career on the career continuum.)
· Criteria 2 - Collaborating in and contributing to school improvement
· Criteria 3 - Serving in formal and informal leadership roles
· Criteria 4 – Providing meaningful feedback to colleagues
Professional Growth Goal(s): Once you have selected the criteria, create a goal for your professional development. You will also need to describe the relationship to your self-assessment as well as how it relates to your area of focus.
Intended Outcomes: Describe your expectations as a result of completing your goal. Explain the impact that it will have on your students.
Professional Growth Action Plan
This section describes the activities you will do as well as the proposed evidence you will collect during your professional growth and development.
Activities: This section should give a detailed explanation of the activities you will engage in that support your professional growth and development goal.
Proposed Evidence: Evidence that you are planning to collect should be listed here. The list of acceptable items is broad and includes, but is not limited to, reflections from professional learning, notes from a Professional Learning Community you participated in, student work or other student data.
Evidence and Reflection
This section should be completed after you have completed your professional growth goal. A detailed description of the evidence you collected should be included. Your actual evidence should be attached to the completed PGP. Screenshots of your evidence with identifying student information blacked out are typically acceptable.
Evidence collected: A detailed description of the evidence collected should be entered here.
Reflection: This entry is a reflection on your professional growth and activities from your PGP. Examples of what you learned or how ideas and activities were integrated into your instruction and their outcomes are appropriate. You may also wish to include how you will continue with your learning as it relates to future professional development.