Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership (PIL)
The Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership (PIL) Program is a statewide, standards-based continuing professional education program for school and system leaders. This comprehensive program is focused on developing the capacity of leaders to improve student achievement.
PIL courses, offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), per 24 P.S. § 11-1109 (f) provide PIL induction programming and continuing education credit/hours required for certified administrators serving in PIL-covered positions in Commonwealth schools to fulfill the Act 45 of 2007 requirements.
The Principal Induction Program component addresses the three core PA leadership standards, and the Continuing Professional Education Program addresses the three core and six corollary PA leadership standards in the Framework for Principal Preparation Program Guidelines.
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Continuing Education
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Principal Induction
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Types of Administrative Certificates
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Contact Us
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PIL Continuing Education course registration can be found on the SAS PD Center.
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Courses Beginning July 1, 2024
For Act 13 and Beyond and Leading by Design courses beginning July 1, 2024, there will be a change to the way the courses are scheduled. Unlike previous courses, where participants registered for a course and that registration covered the three days with pre-determined dates, participants will choose each of the three days separately. This new schedule will allow administrators flexibility in determining which training dates best meet their needs.
Participants will choose a Day 1 date, a Day 2 date, and a Day 3 date which best fits their schedule. If a participant wants to have the same facilitators for all three days, the participant can register for the three dates with the same facilitators.
Additionally, participants must complete the pre-requisite day(s) in order to participate in the subsequent day(s). While registering, participants must ensure that the registered days are sequential.
As an example:
o Day 1 class date must come before Day 2.
o Day 2 class date must come after Day 1 but before Day 3.
o Day 3 class date must come after Day 1 and Day 2.
Follow these instructions:
1. CHOOSE DATES
Select the dates for Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 which best fit your schedule.
2. CONFIRM DAYS ARE IN ORDER
Day 2 date comes AFTER Day 1
Day 3 date comes AFTER Day 1 and AFTER Day 2
3. REGISTER
Register on the portal for selected dates.
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Continuing Education Course Descriptions
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Act 45 Continuing Education Hours
The courses below provide participants with 30 Act 45 Continuing Education hours upon successful completion, except for Equitable Education for All Students: Why Leadership Matters (1), which provides participants with 45 Act 45 Continuing Education hours upon successful completion.
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Description:
Act 13 requires a deep understanding of the supervision and evaluative process. School leaders need to be positioned to engage in supervision and evaluation with knowledge, skills, and confidence whether new to the leadership role or experienced. Act 13 and Beyond: School Leaders Driving Instructional Excellence is designed to underscore the importance of the supervision and evaluation model for elevating classroom instruction and building faculty capacity.
NOTE: This course satisfies the Act 13 requirements for new Assistant/Vice Principals and Principals.
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Prerequisite: None
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Number of Weeks: N/A
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Virtual Session Information: 3 full days
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Act 45 Hours: 30 (awarded after completion of all 3 days)
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Available registration coming soon. Please check the SAS PD Center in August or September to see registration for course.
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Description: This course focuses on the strategic integration of AI technologies such as ChatGPT into educational settings. It thoroughly explores generative AI, covering fundamental concepts, practical applications in education, and important ethical considerations. It is designed to equip school leaders with the necessary knowledge and skills to guide their organizations through the effective adoption and application of AI tools.
Critical questions addressed include the enhancement of teaching and learning through AI, essential AI terminology, and the ethical frameworks that should guide its use. Participants will learn to support their staff in integrating AI tools effectively, creating an environment that aligns innovative teaching practices with educational objectives.
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Prerequisite: None
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Number of Weeks: 8
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Virtual Session Information: 2 half days
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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Description: This course is the third in a three-part series on data, available to school leaders who have successfully completed both Foundations: Data to Action and School Level: Data to Action.
School leaders will explore two prongs of data use at the classroom level: how classroom teachers can use data effectively to enhance outcomes for all students; and how school leaders can support, guide, and monitor teachers’ use of data in their daily planning and decision-making. This course examines the use of demographic, perceptual, process, and student learning data at the classroom level to address classroom learning, climate, and culture. This course includes a practical guide for implementing data meetings that address individual students, going deeper to establish a personalized focus.
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Prerequisite: Foundations: Data to Action and School Level: Data to Action
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Number of Weeks: 8
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Virtual Session Information: 1 full day
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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Description:
In this course, school leaders will consider how to support educational excellence by creating a culture of teaching and learning that emphasizes collaboration, communication, engagement, and the empowerment of school board members, teachers, students, families, and community members. With the context of a shared mission, vision, and goals, school leaders will explore and evaluate the social, economic, political, and educational factors that influence the range of possible improvement scenarios for their schools.
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Prerequisite: None
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Number of Weeks: 8
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Virtual Session Information: Two half days
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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Description:
Comprehensive Mental Health for School Leaders (1) is designed to help school leaders understand the core components of comprehensive school mental health as they engage in a planning process around implementation of services. The course focuses on a comprehensive school mental health curriculum and several core features of effective school mental health initiatives.
Participants will examine a range of supports and services that promote positive school climate, social emotional learning, mental health, and well-being, while reducing the prevalence and severity of mental illness. This course examines ways to build or improve a foundation of district and school professionals, including administrators and educators, specialized instructional support personnel in strategic partnership with students, families, and community health and mental health partners. Participants will focus on ways to assess and address the social and environmental factors that impact health and mental health.
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Prerequisite: None
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Number of Weeks: 10
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Virtual Session Information: 1 full day
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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Description: Comprehensive Mental Health for School Leaders in Action (2) is the second course in the PIL Blended Mental Health set. Participants will focus on the next steps for the SHAPE assessment and how to move from theory into practice. The course focuses on what action steps school leaders will take—based on successes and lessons learned—to drive systematic change within their schools or districts. Self-care, purposeful implementation, opportunities for reflection, and the benefits of networking are emphasized.
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Prerequisite: Comprehensive Mental Health for School Leaders (1)
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Number of Weeks: 8
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Virtual Session Information: 2 half days
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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Description: Continuous Improvement I: Get Up and Running with the Essentials focuses on systematically guiding staff through the change process while positively impacting the culture and performance of the school. Participants will explore continuous improvement, designed by and for PA schools and school leaders, as a process requiring collaboration, innovation, and action. While reviewing each step of the cycle of continuous improvement, participants will be introduced to tools and strategies aligned with the phases of the cycle, including monitoring the implementation and the effectiveness of plans. These strategies shift teams from planning to improve implementing their plans and demonstrating improvement, which will lead to actualizing their vision.
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Prerequisite: None
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Number of Weeks: 8
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Virtual Session Information: 1 full day
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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Description: Equitable Education for All Students: Why Leadership Matters (1) is designed to enhance rural, suburban, and urban educator effectiveness to improve academic achievement and promote equitable schools and districts. Using a framework with an emphasis on prevention, response, and recovery, course activities will prepare all school leaders to plan, implement, and sustain a culture of equity in their school environments. Modeling effective practices, conducting needs assessments, composing plans for stakeholder buy-in and support, creating a shared identity, communicating effectively, exploring the roles of academic and disciplinary equity, and applying data to improve and sustain equitable practices are among the topics that school leaders will examine during the course experience. Important: In this course, participants will use existing or new school climate survey data.
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Prerequisite: None
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Number of Weeks: 12
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Virtual Session Information: 2 full days
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Act 45 Hours: 45
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Description:
Foundations: Data to Action (1) is the first in a rigorous three-course series designed to equip school leaders with the knowledge, skills, and practices they need to create and sustain an effective data culture in their schools. This course will explore the various types of data, the types of data, the benefits of using data, and the basic structures and processes that must be in place for administrators to be successful in promoting and sustaining a data-driven school culture.
Note: Activities in early courses will be re-visited in later courses. As a result, all courses in this series must be taken sequentially.
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Prerequisite: None
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Number of Weeks: 8
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Virtual Session Information: 1 full day
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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Description: In an effort to elevate teaching and learning, the instructional leader must lead with purpose and intention in an environment built upon trust, equity, efficacy, and continuous improvement! The school leaders will explore the many ways they can enact instructional leadership designed to elevate teaching and learning. In this course, you will engage in a thoughtful examination of the research, a consideration of your specific school context, reflection on your current leadership practices, and ultimately, a consideration of this question: How can I align my leadership behaviors and actions with the best of what research has to share on effective school leadership?
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Prerequisite:
ONE of the following must be satisfied:
Successfully completed Act 13 & Beyond: School Leaders Driving Instructional Excellence
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Currently hold Administrative Level II Certification
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Number of Weeks: N/A
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Virtual Session Information: 3 full days
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Act 45 Hours: 30 (awarded after completion of all 3 days)
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Description:
School Level: Data to Action is the second course in a three-part series. This course allows school leaders to build upon their work in Course 1 (Foundations: Data to Action), which provided participants with a solid foundational knowledge of the types, purposes, and sources of data.
This second course provides participants with the tools needed to establish and refine school-level use of data through the development and enhancement of various processes, procedures and structures which promote a data driven culture at the school level. Emphasis in the course is on the design and use of a school assessment map, the development of various types of data teams, and the use of a structured data inquiry cycle to facilitate effective root cause analysis and action planning. Throughout this course, school leaders will have opportunities to network and collaborate with others to enhance and/or create procedures and processes in place at their schools.
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Prerequisite: Foundations: Data to Action (1)
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Number of Weeks: 8
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Virtual Session Information: 1 full day
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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Description: Communication is the foundational underpinning of successful relationships and leadership. Clear, focused, and strategic communication with built-in feedback loops assists leaders in executing their vision and managing the continuous improvement process. This course explores core communication processes, typical correspondence, crisis communications, methods to engage multiple audiences, and opportunities for new communication structures. Equipped with communication strategies, a variety of communication modes, appropriate media, and an organized communication plan, school leaders will shape their current practices and enhance their skills for improved leadership.
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Prerequisite: None
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Number of Weeks: 8
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Virtual Session Information: 1 full day
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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Description: Student Career Readiness: Foundations for School Leaders is designed to help school and district leaders understand the rapidly changing nature of work and the Pennsylvania, U.S. and global workforce needs. Leaders will build knowledge of educational delivery systems, policies, structures, and strategies related to career development and career preparation. Specifically, this course will help leaders K-12 school and district leaders will learn how to implement the Career Education Work Standards, meet the Future Ready PA Index Career Readiness Indicators, develop plans to strengthen employer and community partnerships to support career education, increase communication and collaboration with career and technical education administrators, and examine strategies and best practices in career connected learning.
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Prerequisite: None
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Number of Weeks: 8
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Virtual Session Information: 1 full day
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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Description: In Transforming Organizations, participants will develop and enhance the skills and knowledge they need to transform their organizations. When transforming organizations, school leaders must develop a clear vision and collaborative culture. In order to successfully transform organizations, a change in mindset must occur. Transformative change is persistent, purposeful, and intentional. Communication of the intent for transformation, as seen in revised visions, norms, values, expectations, and goals, is essential to enable transformative change. Successful transformative leaders recognize individual and collective contributions and utilize failure as an opportunity to improve school culture and student performance. When navigating systemic transformation, school leaders need to seamlessly integrate digital technologies that support all aspects of the process.
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Prerequisite: None
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Number of Weeks: 8
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Virtual Session Information: 1 full day
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Act 45 Hours: 30
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- Registration for Induction Courses will begin on December 2, 2024 and will be found on the SAS PD Center.
- The new induction program will be one year in length and participants will earn 80 hours at the end of the year.
- The first participants will be those who have been serving at least 4 years. PDE wants to ensure we prioritize those who need to complete this requirement to convert to Level II certificate.
- Update on PIL Induction – A letter from the Secretary of Education:
Dear Pennsylvania Administrators,
I am writing to inform you about an important update regarding the Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership (PIL) program. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is currently transitioning to a new PIL induction program vendor, the Pennsylvania Principals Association. The new PIL induction program is tailored to new building assistant/vice principals and building principals and is timed to be considerate of the workload demands of educators throughout the year.
To accommodate school leaders impacted by this transition, PDE will prioritize building assistant/vice principals or building principals serving in their fourth or fifth year who haven’t yet completed the induction requirement. This will ensure their ability to convert to a Level II certificate. PDE will also provide opportunities for Administrators who did not complete the NCEE induction program to transfer hours and credits to the new induction program regardless of the provider.
PIL induction courses will begin in January 2025, and participants can register for the program on the SAS PD Center.
If you have any questions, please contact RA-EDACT45@pa.gov.
Khalid N. Mumin, Ed.D | Secretary
Department of Education -
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Month
Format
Title
Description
July/August
1.5 in-person days
Launching Leadership Foundations
Launching Leadership Foundations
will provide school leaders with time to plan and prepare for the opening of the school year. Topics include your stump speech, your leadership context, your entry plan and an introduction to the School Leader Paradigm.
September
2 Virtual hours
Mapping Relationships for School Success
Mapping Relationships for School Success
will assist school leaders in identifying internal and external individuals and groups that contribute to the school and community context. Participants will analyze current relationships, the cadence of communication and plan for improvements through a communications plan. Participants will also consider the relationships that are missing and need to be developed.
October
2 Virtual hours
Assessing Classroom Impact
Assessing Classroom Impact
will focus on how staff actions impact student outcomes. Participants will identify teachers into four quadrants regarding learning expectations and environment (relationships), reflect on how staff actions impact student outcomes and plan for leadership actions to improve classroom impact.
November
2 Virtual hours
Leading for Culture
Leading for Culture: Building Sustainable Relationships
guides principals in assessing faculty relationships and connecting the results to their leadership intelligence. Participants will explore practical strategies to build and sustain meaningful relationships, aligning them with the goals of a learning organization.
December
No Session
January
2 Virtual hours*
*Note: In January 2025, this session will be 3 Virtual hours.
Leading a Problem of Practice
Leading a Problem of Practice helps leaders identify and address a challenge in their organization. Participants will learn simple strategies using the Cycle of Inquiry to plan, implement, assess, and reflect on a problem or opportunity in their school/LEA. A theory of action will be developed to guide leaders in planning, implementing, and assessing the impact of their actions.
February
2 Virtual hours
Leading Instructional Supervision
Leading Instructional Supervision
will focus on key strategies for instructional supervision, including classroom observations and understanding the evaluation process. Participants will plan and implement an observation cycle that will ensure compliance with Act 13 requirements.March
2 Virtual hours
Leading a Culture of Safety
Leading a Culture of Safety in Schools
will provide school principals with guidance on building and maintaining a safe school environment. Participants will review state mandates, local procedures, and policies related to school safety, while also exploring practical strategies to support both physical security and the emotional well-being of students and staff.April
2 Virtual hours
Leading Data Literacy
Leading Data Literacy
will review four types of school level data and how these data provide context to the school’s success. Participants will also learn and engage in a collaborative data protocol that works well at the school level.
May
No Session
June
1.5 in-person days
Launching Leadership Wrap Up
Launching Leadership Wrap Up
will review the year of induction and the topics covered. Other topics include finishing a school year well, relaxing and recharging over the summer and finally, preparing for a great start to the next school year.
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- Course Format and Requirements
- The induction course runs for one year and is divided into monthly sessions.
- Principals are required to sign up for the courses on a monthly basis.
- There are no sessions scheduled in December and May.
- September through April sessions will be virtual 2 -hour sessions with the exception of January 2025. January 2025 will be 3 hours to share course logistics. Moving forward, this will be done during the in-person summer kick-off session.
- There are two in-person sessions to begin and end the induction process. These will be a day and a half in length in June, July, and/or August. The specific dates and location will be determined when the induction window opens.
- How to Sign Up
- Visit the Registration Portal, SAS PD Center:
- Select Your Course: Browse the list of available sessions and select the one you wish to enroll in. If the course is full, add your name to the waiting list.
- Enroll for In-Person Session
- Course Completion Responsibility
- Stay on Track: It is your responsibility to sign up each month and complete each session. We recommend completing them in order. Canceling and rescheduling a course can be done in the SAS PD Center at your convenience. YOU DO NOT NEED TO EMAIL THE INSTRUCTOR THAT YOU HAVE RESCHEDULED A COURSE. Your enrollment will be reflected on the roster.
- Review Deadlines: Ensure all assignments and activities for each session are completed by the specified deadlines. Assignments and activities will be announced during the working session.
- Course Benefits and Start Date
- Earn Credit Hours: This course is worth 80 credit hours and fulfills the mandatory induction requirements set forth by 24 P.S. § 11-1109 (f) .
- Special Timing: In January 2025 only, the course begins in January and will be completed next November. This is being offered for people that are at risk of not completing induction requirements within the first 5 years of principal assignment. For example, if you have been serving in the role of a building principal or building vice/assistant principal for the past 4 – 5 years, you would want to begin this course in January.
- Next Start Date: A new induction course will begin in June of 2025 and run authentically for a year. There will be choices of dates and locations for the in-person sessions. You can sign up for these in-person sessions similarly as you do the monthly sessions. Locations and dates will be announced. Check the SAS PD Center for updates.
- Course Format and Requirements
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Entry into any position requires leaders to both “become” while “doing” the job. The School Leader Paradigm exemplifies both aspects of assimilation into a leadership role.
“Becoming” is the intelligences side of the paradigm and focuses on the individual through three intelligences:
- Personal
- Social
- Systems
“Doing” is the domains side of the paradigm and focuses doing the work of a school leader through three domains:
- Culture
- Systems
- Learning
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A leader who uses personal, social and systems intelligences to transform a school into a learning organization through a mindset of growth, service and cultural responsiveness.
- Personal Intelligences – the capacity of the school leader to reason about personality and to use personality and personal information to enhance one’s thought, plans, emotions and life experiences.
- Social Intelligences – A school leader’s set of interpersonal competencies that inspire others to be effective.
- Systems Intelligence – A school leader's understanding of the inner-workings and leadership of complex systems within their learning organization.
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An organization that uses ongoing cycles of inquiry to drive a student-centered culture, vision, mission-focused systems and reflective learning practices that results in producing equitable opportunities and outcomes for students and adults.
- Culture Domain – The school leader’s efforts to create, foster and sustain a student-centered climate and culture where all adults strive to build positive and unconditional relationships with all students, while ensuring equitable access and opportunities to engaging, relevant, timely and culturally responsive programs.
- Systems Domain – The school leader’s efforts to constantly assess a learning organization’s current systems, maintain an ongoing cycle of inquiry focused on dismantling historically inequitable systems and engage stakeholders in a collective effort to establish sustainable student-centered systems.
- Learning Domain – The school leader’s efforts, as the learning leader, to create and sustain a culture of ongoing reflective, culturally responsive and inclusive learning for students, adults and the entire learning organization as a whole.
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Three-part approach to the year:
- Entry into the profession.
- Participants need to be able to articulate their reason for wanting to lead a school. Additionally, school leaders need to lead themselves well prior to and while leading others. What intelligences, dispositions and attitudes must a successful leader have and model daily?
- Entry into a school building.
- What are the formal and informal structures that exist, or need to exist, to lead a school community well? Attention will focus on building leadership capacity in the school and community that fosters student success.
- Learning Leadership.
- A school leader needs to assume the role of lead learner willing to engage in reflection and growth, using data to inform the culture and learning, effective supervision of all personnel and creating a safe and inclusive learning environment.
- Entry into the profession.
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Please visit PDE’s one-stop-shop for more information on Act 45 and PIL courses. To sign up for courses, visit the SAS PD Center.
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An Act 45 administrator is defined as those in one of the following positions:
· Assistant/Vice Principal
· Principal
· Assistant Superintendent
· Superintendent
· Assistant Executive Director
· Executive Director
· Career and Technical Education (CTE) Director
Educators who hold an Administrative I certificate but are NOT currently serving in an Act 45 position are NOT required to participate in administrative induction courses or earn Act 45 credit hours. They will receive Act 48 credit for any courses taken.
Assistant CTE Director
The legislation doesn’t include the title of Assistant CTE Director; therefore, Assistant CTE Directors do not need to complete Act 45 hours. However, please know Assistant CTE Directors are invited to take Act 45 courses as they are a leader in your building. These courses will then count toward Act 48 hours.
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Currently the process is the same and outlined on PDE’s website, PIL ITQ Application and Instructions (pa.gov). Before sending out the application, the provider is verified that they are an Act 48 provider. If they are, then the Act 45 application is sent. If they are not, then they must first complete the Act 48 application.
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Your application must be renewed every 3 years from the time it was approved. Our complete list of providers can be found on our website, Continuing Professional Education (pa.gov). Please review your approval dates, PDE suggests applying 60-90 days prior to the expiration date of 3 years. You should receive an email and a letter 90 days prior to expiration. However, if you don’t, you can use the Continuing Professional Education list to signal when it is time for renewal.
As a reminder, Act 45 Providers must be approved as Act 48 Providers first. If you need to begin that process or renew, please contact RA-EDAct48APP@pa.gov.
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If you wish to register for free Act 45 courses, PDE has an online registration system, found in the SAS PD Center. Continue to check back for additional offerings. PDE maintains a list of Approved Providers who offer courses. Please note, a fee may be required for the courses.
Please visit PDE’s one-stop-shop for more information on Act 45.
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Log into the SAS PD Center and withdraw from the class. Choose My Classrooms from the drop-down menu. Under options, choose Withdraw. Rosters will then reflect the change.
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Only approved providers of approved courses can upload Act 45 hours. Approved Providers can be found on our website, Continuing Professional Education (pa.gov).
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The annual school/district PIMS staffing assignment report informs PERMS that an administrator is no longer serving in an Act 45 position.
When that occurs, the number of Act 45 hours originally assigned to the administrator for that continuing education period may be reduced due to the reduction of prorated years of service in an Act 45 position (e.g., An educator who served as a principal for 2.5 years during the continuing education period would only be required to complete 90 Act 45 hours).
Additional Act 45 hours will not be required until the administrator returns to an Act 45 position. If the former administrator begins a new continuing education period, there will be no assignment of Act 45 hours on the PERMS record. The person will need only Act 48 credit hours to keep all certificates active.
If the administrator did not complete the Act 45 hours assigned for the period actually served, the hours must be completed after they move to the non-Act 45 position (before the end of the current continuing education period) to keep the administrative certificate active.
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Specific requirements for new administrators include:
- New administrators, serving for the first time as a principal, assistant or vice principal and holding an Administrative I certification, must complete the PDE Induction Program or PDE Approved Induction Program within the first five years of service in the position to apply for and convert to an Administrative Level II certification.
- All new principals, assistant or vice principals with an active Administrative certificate must complete the Educator Effectiveness (Act 13) course within the first 6 months of an administrative assignment. This requirement will be met in the PDE Induction Program beginning in October 2024.
- Anyone holding an Administrative I certificate who wishes to convert to an Administrative II must complete PIL Induction or PDE-Approved Induction and serve satisfactorily in the administrative position for at last three years.
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In accordance with Act 45 of 2007, individuals who are employed as a principal or assistant/vice principal in a public school in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the first time after January 1, 2008, must meet the following requirement to convert from their Administrative I certificate to Administrative II:
- complete three years of satisfactory service on the PA Administrative I certificate; and
- complete the PDE approved PA Inspired Leadership (PIL) Induction Program.
For more information, please visit PDE’s webpage, Administrative Level II Certification (pa.gov).
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If an educator was serving as an Act 45 administrator prior to 2008, they are not required to complete the PIL induction program, but they must complete the Act 45 continuing education courses.
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Administrators with an active Administrative I or Administrative II certification and currently serving in an Act 45 position must earn 180 hours of Act 45 credit every five years.
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While the compliance period for completing Act 45/48 hours was extended due to Act 13 of 2020 and Act 55 of 2022, the Administrative Certificate Level I timeframe was not extended. The legislators did not extend the timeframe that assistant principals and principals could complete induction. This remained the same and is to be completed within the first 5 years of becoming an assistant or vice principal or principal.
Additionally, only the PDE can give extensions to administrators. Act 45 of 2007 states, “In the event that school or system leaders are unable to access these programs because all available slots are filled, the school or system leader may request and shall be granted upon review by the department an extension of the compliance period.”
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An administrative certificate will become inactive if the administrator does not complete the required Act 45 hours by the end of the compliance period (continuing education, CE). If an Administrative certificate becomes inactive, the administrator needs to complete the required hours to reactive the certificate.
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There is a provision in Act 48 for granting an extension of the five-year period due to extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances may include active military duty, a medical disability, financial hardship, or others mentioned on the form. Apply online via TIMS to change your existing credential and request an extension of the Act 48 continuing education period.
For additional information, contact RA-A48APPS@pa.gov.
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An educator may appeal a notice of inactive certification. All appeals must be received by PDE within 30 days of the date of the notice of inactive certification.
The appeals form can be found on the Fees and Forms page of our website. For additional information, contact RA-A48APPS@pa.gov.
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Approved Letter of Eligibility courses can be uploaded for Act 45 hours and would be uploaded by the college/university. All other courses within a doctorate program can be uploaded by the college/university for Act 48 hours unless the college/university submitted an application for Act 45 approval of their other doctorate-level courses. Act 45 approved providers can be found on PDE’s website, Continuing Professional Education (pa.gov).
Note: Each 1 college semester credit is worth 30 Act 45/Act 48 hours; each 3 credits would be worth 90 Act 45 hours. If the college is on a quarter schedule, it’s 20 hours per 1 credit.
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A maximum of 50 excess hours earned within the last two years of the compliance period may be attributed to the succeeding five-year period. The excess hours will automatically carryover into your next compliance period.
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The Department of Education has issued a routine Request for Proposal (RFP) for the statewide Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership (PIL) induction program contract. The RFP promises some exciting new opportunities and user-friendly options for all participants who participate in the PIL induction program after September 30, 2024, when the new contract is awarded. Therefore, assistant or vice principals and principals can begin signing up for induction courses once the new vendor is selected.
Induction courses beginning in October 2024 will be listed on the Department’s new online registration system as soon as the vendor is selected. The registration system is found in the SAS PD Center.
All induction courses will help to fulfill the Act 45-hour requirement. Each Act 45 administrator will need to monitor hours to ensure completion within compliance period; log into PERMS to monitor hours and view the continuing education (CE) transcript.
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Administrators who were not able to complete the NCEE induction program will be able to transfer hours and credits to the new induction program regardless of the provider.
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- Continuing Education (CE) Hours
o The compliance period or cycle begins when receiving a certificate from the Department of Education. This is typically for Act 48 hours since most people start as a teacher. After becoming an assistant or vice principal or principal, Act 45 hours are required. These are included in the original cycle. The compliance period will include both Act 48 and Act 45 hours. These compliance periods are for 5 years unless the legislators add extensions to allow educators longer to earn their continuing education hours, which occurred in 2016, 2020, and 2022.
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- Administrative Certificate – Level 1 to Level 2
o This cycle is not related to your compliance period, instead it is the cycle to move from Level 1 Administrative Certificate to Level 2 Administrative Cycle. The Act 45 administrator needs to complete induction by the end of their 5th year and complete 3 years of satisfactory service as an assistant principal and/or principal.
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By completing NCEE courses 1 & 2, an administrator has completed the required induction program. Course 3 was an optional course which is no longer available.
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Visit PERMS to view continuing education (CE) hours and a transcript of course completion. Enter your PPID to access record, click on View CE Details to view continuing education transcript of courses completed.
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Courses in PERMS, should be listed as Act 45 Professional Development, but unfortunately, they are not. However, we are updating the language to make it less confusing. In the future, you will see Act 45 Professional Development under Course/Activity Type. However, for now, it will read Act 48 Professional Development Activity and then PA Inspired Leadership (PIL). This is because Act 45 hours count toward your Act 48 requirement. If you see PA Inspired Leadership (PIL) in the last column of your transcript, then the course was uploaded as Act 45 credit.
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It is unnecessary to inactivate your certificate when retiring.
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An educator is listed as RETIRED at the PDE, as reported by PSERS/retirement agency whenever the individual removes any or all retirement funds or transfers to another retirement agency:
- Act 48/45 requirements are suspended under Act 5 of 2006.
- The Act 48/45 time period/calendar ceases to advance even if hours are completed.
- Certificate remains or becomes ACTIVE under RETIRED status at the PDE during this suspension of Act 48 requirements.
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To return to PA public school service, remove RETIRED status from your certificate records and re-start your Act 48/45 period:
1. Educator must ensure their district submits a completed “Retirees Returning to Service” form (PSRS-1299) to PSERS, available on PSERS’ website.
2. Educator must complete 180 working days of employment in PA public school.
3. PDE requires documentation from school district confirming the following dates:
· The exact start date of retirement--mm/dd/yyyy
· The exact date of return to PA public school employment--mm/dd/yyyy
· The exact date of 180 working days completed after return to PA public school employment—mm/dd/yyyy
Send information via email to RA-EDACT48@PA.GOV.
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Act 5-2006 amends Act 48-1999 Professional Development Requirements for Retirees
This important announcement pertains to all current and future Pennsylvania professional public school retirees (annuitants) and employing school entities with responsibilities for continuing professional education required by Act 48-1999 Professional Development.
Act 5-2006 was passed February 3, 2006, to amend Section 1205.2 of the School Code, Program of Continuing Professional Education (known as “Act 48-1999”) and became effective April 3, 2006.
Act 5-2006 provides as follows:
1. Department of Education online continuing professional education courses will be made available at no charge to all professional educators.
2. Act 48-1999 requirements will be suspended for all annuitants who do not return to school service.
3. All annuitants’ certificates will be considered active during the suspension of Act 48-1999 requirements.
4. A professional educator annuitant who returns to school service in a full-time position or in a day-to-day or long-term substitute position and continues in school service for more than 180 days, cumulatively, must fulfill the requirements of Act 48 beginning with the 181st day of the annuitant’s return to school service.
5. In accordance with the Regulatory Review Act, the Department will issue a standard requiring the tracking and reporting of active service of annuitants.
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Act 55 of 2022 amended Section 1310-B of the PA Public School Code of 1949 to establish new requirements for school safety and security training for all school employees in Pennsylvania. The new requirement is three hours of instruction annually and requires the training provided meet certain standards as adopted by the School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC) housed within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). Amendments in Act 55 also established requirements for mandatory training for School Safety and Security Coordinators.
On September 28, 2022, the SSSC approved training standards for School Safety and Security Training for all school employees and the training criteria for School Safety and Security Coordinators. If you are seeking Act 45 credit for any of the above-mentioned trainings, please click the link below.
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If an administrator was new to an Act 45 position as of the most recent school year, the administrator will see the past year’s job assignment listed in TIMS by the end of July. At that time, PERMS will reflect the job assignments accordingly, and the administrator will see Act 45 listed as a separate line item. Any Act 45 courses that will be taken will also be listed under that heading.
For example, if an educator becomes a building principal in 2024-2025, the new job assignment in TIMS and PERMS will be adjusted by mid-August 2025.
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PIMS coordinators enter job assignments. If this is incorrect, please have your chief school administrator email RA-EDACT45@pa.gov with an official letter stating your correct job assignment and years that you were in that position. Please contact your PIMS coordinator to ensure that job descriptions are accurate.
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- Emergency Permit
- Requested by the LEA
- Valid from the first day of the month of issuance until the last day of summer school in that school year
- No Act 45 credit hours required
- Administrative Provisional I
- Alternate route for Principal PK-12 or Career and Technical Director 7-12
- Act 45 credit hours required, specifically PDE Induction, within 2 years
- Administrative I
- Traditional route for an educator to obtain a Principal PK-12
- Act 45 credit hours required, which includes PDE Induction after educator begins administrative role.
- Emergency Permit
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PIL and Act 45 Questions – RA-EDACT45@pa.gov
For technical assistance with registration, view the Help Documentation or contact the SAS Help Desk at 877-973-3727, helpdesk@pdesas.org, or by clicking Chat in the lower right corner of the screen.