[Course Title]
[Choose a short title that is straightforward and accurate. The title should
be self-explanatory so that participants will know what the course is about
just by reading it. Ambiguous “catchy” titles are confusing. ]
[Department Name]
[Date(s), Location(s)]
Instructor(s):
Titles:
Email:
Phone:
Relevant experience/credentials:
Registration Link: mmsd.org/pdcatalog
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You must register/enroll in the PD Catalog to receive credit.
Be respectful to your instructor and colleagues by enrolling or withdrawing at least 1
week prior to the course start date.
The Course Start Date is the last day to enroll, withdraw, or change credit choice.
(unless indicated as earlier). After this day, you cannot enroll, withdraw, or change
credit choice.
Participants
[Describe the intended participant groups (e.g., K-5 teachers, high school science
teachers, bilingual teachers, administrators, clerical, special education assistants,
etc.). Accuracy here greatly helps.]
Course Description
[Provide a concise description of the course in fewer than 100 words.]
Course Materials
[List the texts or materials participants should purchase or use. Articles to
read can be provided in a course calendar.]
Participant Outcomes
[Describe what participants should know and be able to do upon completion of
this course.]
Creating Coherence: Alignment to District Priorities
[Describe how this professional development directly aligns to District Priorities
and practices, especially the Common Core State Standards, Gradual
Release of Responsibility, and the MMSD School Improvement Process.]
Delivery Method
[How will this course be delivered? Face-to-face, and/or description of online
course management system (e.g., Moodle, Google Sites, Google Classrooms),
synchronous online learning methods (e.g., Online Webinar, Google
Hangouts), tools and programs/applications (e.g., Google Docs, Wikis, videos,
etc.)]
Credit Information1
Participants must complete the course to receive full credit. There are not partial credit options.
Credit options cannot be changed after the course begins.
1. [Describe relevant credit amounts, options and procedures for PACs, Academic
credits (specify which institution), PD Hours, Extended Employment, and fees
(fees are rare and should first be discussed with the PLLD Department. If courses
are offered during non-contract time, at minimum, they should offer for PACs
and PD Hours. Please understand and do not delete the “end note” (“1” next to
Credit Information above). The end note is listed at the bottom of the syllabus.
2. Important Guidelines:
o The maximum # of PACs for a PD Course or Workshop is 3.0 (30 hours). If you
want to offer more than this, you must offer another, standalone PD (e.g.,
part I, then part II).
o It is important for you to understand credit options and educate your
participants to make credit an efficient PD incentive. This understanding and
clarity will also prevent common credit confusion and issues that become
frustrating and huge “time suckers.”
o This course should be one complete PD opportunity. Participants either
complete or do not complete the course; they either receive full credits or no
credits. Instructors decide whether participants may miss part of or one
session due to special circumstances and still receive full credit.
o Per above, if a course has separate sessions, that are not dependent on
each other, then these separate sessions should probably be submitted as
separate courses.
o The recommendation is that if a course has 5 or fewer sessions, participants
should not miss time. It is also instructor discretion on
attendance/participation requirements related to grading for
academic credit (e.g., grade penalties for missed days for Edgewood
credit).
For example, if you teach a 5 session course, 2 hours per session (10 hrs total,
1 PAC), then when you enter people's PACs credits, they receive 1.0 PACs or
0 PACs. If someone attends 4 sessions, they should receive 0 PACs unless you
have preapproved their absence with some kind of make-up work. (They
will not receive .8 PACs). ]
Full Inclusion
Please communicate any special accommodations to course instructors as soon
as possible. This information will remain confidential with course instructors.
(Keep this language.)
Collaboration and Reflection
[Describe how participants will have opportunities for collaboration and reflection
to internalize learning.]
Assessment of Learning and Feedback
Please complete the electronic survey that will be sent through the PD System after the course
closes.
[Describe evidence/data that will be collected to assess participant outcomes
(products, surveys, etc.) Key questions: What data do you collect to know whether
participant outcomes have been reached? How do you use this data to inform
participant learning? Evidence/data should include:
1. Performance tasks with feedback from the instructor and/or colleagues.
2. Course assignments and/or products. Describe grading, attendance, and/or
participation criteria. Provide criteria (e.g., rubrics) that will be used to
analyze this evidence.
Example of high-leverage practice: Providing opportunities for self-assessment of
practice.]
Course Activities Calendar
[Provide a calendar of activities, assignments that are due (e.g., reading
material), and dates.
 Recommended: Participant opportunities to practice (inside or outside of the
professional development) with follow up discussion/dialogue/feedback. Oneshot workshops are rarely effective in changing practice.
 On the calendar, please include a statement about completing the course
survey.]
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Credit Guidelines for MMSD Courses
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Professional Advancement Credits (PACs) are only for employees in the Teaching
(Collective Bargaining Agreement) Unit. One course PAC equals 10 hours. The total
hours may include face-to- face, online instruction, and extended assignments.
Participation must occur during non-contract time, participants may not receive
extended employment payment (also only available to the Teaching Unit), and
participants may not have hotel, travel, or registration fees paid by the District. District
policy is that PACs are truncated, not rounded up to the tenth. For example, .25 PACs
would be recorded as .2 PACs. For District-offered courses, participants must complete
the course to receive credit; there are not partial credit options. PACs will automatically
be transferred to HR when participants complete a course in the PD Catalog.
https://staffdevweb.madison.k12.wi.us/pacinfo.htm
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Professional Development Hours are for administrators, SEAs, EAs, clerical, substitute
teachers, and other Units who do not receive PACs. PD Hours are also for teachers during
contract time PD. Although PD Hours are not relevant to salary schedule advancements
nor do they count as Academic Credits for licensure, some individuals want them for
their records. https://staffdevweb.madison.k12.wi.us/pacinfo.htm
Academic Credit. If participants choose academic credit (College or University Credit),
they cannot choose PACs. Participants must turn in Academic Credit transcripts to HR for
salary schedule advancements.
Extended Employment is occasionally an option available in the PD Catalog, paid by
the sponsoring Department/School. If this option is selected, PACs are not an option.
Teacher Salary Advancement information is managed by Human Resources:
https://hrweb.madison.k12.wi.us/node/376 (608)663-1864
Find your official credit record, which shows PACs and Academic Credits, by logging into
the GUI400 Icon
in your Novell Application. PD hours do not appear on your credit
record. To find your non-credit record (PD Hours), login to your PD Catalog account.