Each administrator who has less than 30 semester hours of graduate credit beyond a master's degree, and each instructional staff person who has less than 30 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the bachelor's degree shall earn a minimum of 60 units of professional development credits during each five years of employment.

Options for fulfilling Professional Development Requirement:

• six approved college or university hours OR

• three approved college hours and 12 professional development hours OR

• 60 professional development hours may be used toward satisfying the professional development requirement.

These professional development hours must be completed off-contract time and may include a variety of approved delivery systems including workshops, seminars, conferences, independent studies and college hours that are focused on instructional methodology and materials, human growth and development, a District initiative, or are pertinent to the educator's level and area of assignment. Approval of these hours must be received prior to participation. Approval shall be given by the campus principal and the director of instruction upon submission of a written request.
 

Professional Development Activities

All professional development activities must be approved equivalency time activities. An equivalency time activity is defined as follows and must be:

• Held after school hours, on weekends, on school holidays, or during the summer.

• Directed by a qualified professional, must have a clearly defined purpose, and must be designed to improve the professional competency of the participants in their present position or teaching assignment.

• Related to District, campus, or personal development goals.

• A workshop or seminar sponsored by a school or district, an institution of higher education, an education service center, TEA, or a professional organization.

• One semester hour of approved college or university courses, which equals 16 equivalency time hours.
   

The request must reach the director of instruction no later than 15 school days prior to the date of the beginning of the activity being applied for; exceptions shall be considered only on an emergency basis.

In order for credit to be received, a completed attendance record
for participation in an equivalency time activity must be filed with
the director of instruction immediately upon return.