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. A Washington certified educator must review the PGP for completion. PGPs for program completion 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 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?
- Complete the PGP template for certificate renewal – PESB form 1697 (document).
- Attach evidence from your focused evaluation, PLC, project, or other learning experience.
- Have a certificated Washington State educator review and sign.
- Turn in the verification form (PDF) according to your district procedures for consideration for salary advancement and record in OSPI e-certification for certificate renewal.
Additional PGP resources and information
Certificate renewal
Professional growth plans play a significant role in obtaining and renewing an educator credential. The OSPI’s certification office provides information for individuals with questions about their own licensure.
Find information on certification renewal, by role:
- Teacher
- Administrator
- Paraeducator
- Educational Staff Associate
- Career Technical Educator
- Guidance for the STEM and suicide prevention training certificate renewal requirements.
Forms and support materials
Forms
- PESB form 1697 – PGP template for certification renewal (document) – to be used by all certified educators renewing a certificate via professional growth plans. 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 (document)– 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
- Why PGPs? (document) – a one-page flyer for educators on the PGP process.
- PGP FAQ – explore common questions about PGPs here.
- Career level benchmarks for teachers (document) – handout
- Alignment of certification standards and state eight TPEP criteria (spreadsheet) – crosswalk
- Certification standards and benchmarks for all roles – includes residency, professional, and career
- PGP examples by role – review exemplars to help guide PGP development
- 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.
Self-assessment forms
Offered as assistance, not a requirement.
View self-assessment forms by role. Download the relevant form for your use. The self-assessments are intended to support PGP planning. Educator roles not included may use a similar device to determine areas of growth based on the standards-based benchmarks associated with the role.
Plan samples by role
The Professional Growth Plan (PGP) samples provided are meant to be a guide for others when completing a PGP. Identifying information has been eliminated as much as possible. Comments have been added to help identify areas of strength or weakness based on the PGP rubric (document).
Teacher
- Meets expectations PGP sample
- Meets expectations PGP sample
- Does not meet expectations PGP sample and corresponding rubric
- Does not meet expectations PGP sample and corresponding rubric
