Classroom Connect’s Online In-person Professional Development Passes Illinois’ Rigorous Recertification Standards

Classroom Connect, Inc. recently announced that the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the State Teacher Certification Board (STCB) have named it an “approved provider” of continuing professional development. Illinois educators can select from Classroom Connect’s suite of online and face-to-face professional development programs and services, including Connected University®, Connected Conferences™, and Connected Workshops™, to earn continuing professional development credit that can be used toward re-certification of their teaching credentials.

Under state law, Illinois educators that wish to maintain their teaching certificates must be re-certified every five years by meeting any of the following requirements: · 120 continuing professional development units (CPDUs); or · 24 continuing education units (CEUs); or · 8 semester hours of college course work; or · any combination of college courses, CEUs or CPDUs equivalent to 24 CEUs or 120 CPDUs; or · completion of the NBPTS (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards) process.

“By becoming an approved provider, Classroom Connect is helping Illinois lead the way in keeping teachers teaching to their greatest potential,” said Judith Hamilton, president and CEO of Classroom Connect. “Educators in Illinois can successfully create a professional development plan that can include face-to-face training, online professional development, conferences and seminars, thus allowing educators to participate in a variety of training options that meet each of their individual needs.”

Educators wanting to incorporate variety into their professional development plan can mix and match using any combination of Classroom Connect’s professional learning programs using the following guidelines: · Successful completion of a six-week course through Connected University earns 40 CPDUs or four CEUs; · Successful completion of a three-week course through Connected University earns 20 CPDUs or two CEUs; · Attending a full-day Connected Workshop earns 5.5 CPDUs; and · One CPDU may be earned for every one hour of participation in a Connected Conference.

Illinois educators are encouraged to check with their Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC) for more information about earning re-certification credit for a particular professional development program or activity.

Illinois is one of the states leading the nation in its requirements for continuing teacher education. According to Dennis Williams, Administrator for the Division of Certificate Renewal for the Illinois Board of Education, “As a state organization we want teachers who are motivated, excited and committed. Ongoing professional development assures that our teachers are constantly growing in their careers, thus helping students to strive toward higher learning.”

Educators creating professional development plans must include the following in their plans in order to receive credit:

· Advance the certificate holder’s knowledge and skills in his/her current

area(s) of certification or teaching assignment;


· Develop the certificate holder’s knowledge and skills in areas determined to be critical for all Illinois teachers, known as state priorities;
· Address the knowledge, skills and goals of the certificate holder’s local school improvement plan if the teacher is employed in an Illinois public or state-operated elementary school, secondary school or cooperative; and
· Expand knowledge and skills in an additional teaching field or toward the acquisition of another teaching certificate, endorsement or relevant education degree.

nnected Illinois” Educators Benefit

For the second year in a row, Classroom Connect and the Illinois State Board of Education have teamed up to provide 377 schools in Illinois access to Connected University’s online professional development through the “Connected Illinois” program. All educators who participate in Connected Illinois can take advantage of their access to Connected University, complete courses and earn credit toward re-certification.

About Classroom Connect

Classroom Connect, Inc., a business unit within Harcourt, Inc., is a leading provider of professional learning and classroom learning resources that foster successful use of the Internet in K-12 education. Headquartered in Brisbane, CA, with offices in El Segundo, CA, Minneapolis, MN and Abilene, TX, Classroom Connect has more than 170 employees. Its primary product brands include: Connected University® (online professional development); Classroom Today- (online classroom curriculum); The Quest Channel – (online adventure learning expeditions); Connected Conferences – (live, nationwide events); Connected Workshops- (on-site seminars); and Classroom Connect Newsletter- (monthly Internet education journal). Its partners include some of the nation’s most respected organizations, including the American Museum of Natural History, the Library of Congress and NASA. For more information about Classroom Connect, visit the company’s Web site at www.classroom.com.

Carol Lynch

KEH Communications

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