Professional growth plans (PGPs) - Professional Educator Standards Board (2024)

What is a professional growth plan?

Professional Growth Plans (PGPs) are job-embedded, self-directed professional development. With a PGP, teachers, administrators, paraeducators, and ESAs set their own goals, align them to certification standards, design an action plan, and collect evidence documenting growth towards achieving their goals. Educators then reflect on the process. There is no cost to an educator for a PGP.

Only one PGP may be completed each year. PGPs are completed between July 1 of one year and June 30 of the next. An educator holding a Washington State certificate must review the PGP for completion. PGPs for program completion (download and save to access) are part of Washington State’s educator preparation programs.

Clock hours

Clock hours from PGPs are eligible for use in salary advancement and may be used for certificate renewal. Clock hours from PGPs may also be used in the paraeducator certificate program. PGPs are equivalent to 25 clock hours. PGPs completed prior to June 30, 2018, are equivalent to 30 clock hours.

Imagine these scenarios

• A teacher creates and implements student growth goals for her focused evaluation – and now receives clock hours for her work at no cost.
• Two teachers, a principal, and a counselor at a rural school collaborate on a year-long initiative to improve the school climate. They are hours from a major town, but with PGPs, these educators can acquire clock hours for activities right in their local school.
• A science teacher attends a week-long marine biology seminar on the Oregon coast. With a PGP, this teacher can use their out-of-state learning experiences to earn Washington State clock hours.

How do I complete a professional growth plan?

1. Complete the PGP template for certificate renewal – PESB form 1697 (download and save to access).
2. Attach evidence from your focused evaluation, PLC, project, or other learning experience.
3. Have an educator who holds a Washington State certificate review and sign.
4. Turn in theverification form (PDF) according to your district procedures for consideration for salary advancement and record in OSPIe-certificationfor certificate renewal.

PGP information for specific roles

• Administrators
• Educational Staff Associates (ESAs)
• Paraeducators
• Teachers

Resources

Forms

• PESB form 1697 – PGP template for certification renewal (download and save to access) – to be used by all certified educators renewing a certificate via professional growth plans or by paraeducators as a part of the paraeducator certificate program. An individual holding multiple certificates does not need to complete separate PGPs for each certificate held. One PGP counts towards renewal requirements for all certificates held.
• Form 1128-8 annual PGP verification (document)– to be used to verify completion of annual professional growth plans to document continuing education credit hours (clock hours) and PGP equivalency. This verification form may be used by school districts to determine eligibility for application to the salary schedule.
• PGP template for educator preparation program completion (download and save to access)- to be used by candidates for program completion requirements. This form is similar to the template used for certification renewal so that candidates will be familiar with it upon entering the educator workforce.

Support materials

• Tutorial: Completing a Professional Growth Plan
  • Role Specific PGP Informational Videos:
  • Teacher PGP Examples
  • Paraeducator PGP Examples
  • ESA PGP Examples
  • Administrator PGP Examples
• Why PGPs? (document) –a one-page flyer for educators on the PGP process.
• PGP FAQ – explore common questions about PGPs here.
• PGP rubric (document) – offered as assistance, not a requirement
• This folder contains resources on PGPs and STEM. Materials can be adapted for your networks when presenting on these topics.