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Online Professional Development Points for Virginia Teachers


Virginia teachers have a wide variety of professional development options that will satisfy state continuing education point requirements

Under state law, Virginia teachers must earn 180 professional development points to maintain their state teaching license. Fortunately, the state gives Virginia teachers a variety of ways to earn points, including completion of college courses.

Fresno Pacific University offers online continuing education and professional development courses that give Virginia teachers the chance to earn professional development points (PD points). One 3-unit Fresno Pacific course equals 90 PD points for Virginia teachers.

Fresno Pacific offers a wide variety of educator courses and professional development certificates designed specifically for teachers and led by instructors with experience in the field. They give teachers an affordable, high-quality way to earn PD points from anywhere they have an internet connection.

Virginia Regulations on Professional Development Points

The regulations on Virginia teacher licensure and professional development changed in the 2018 state legislative session. Lawmakers amended the regulations to change license terms from five-year to 10-year periods.

The law went into effect July 1, 2018, meaning teachers who need to renew now still have a five-year license. However, those who earn enough PD points will get a 10-year license when renewed by the state. In the future, when teachers seek to renew 10-year teaching licenses, they will need to earn 270 PD points.

However, for now, it is 180. The state provides eight ways to earn these points. They place college credit at the top of the list, followed by a professional conference, curriculum development, publication of an article, publication of a book,  mentorship/supervision, educational project and professional development activities.

Teachers cannot “double-up” when earning points. For example, if they participate in an educational project and publish an article about the experience, they cannot receive credit for both the project and the article.

More Details on Earning College Credit

It’s important to note that teachers must get approval before enrolling in online professional development college courses. The state also has provided detailed guidance around other aspects of taking a college course.

Teachers who take a college course for PD points must receive a passing grade. The school that delivers the course must be a regionally accredited college or university. Fresno Pacific University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission.

One semester hour equals 30 points. Teachers must submit a transcript from the college that shows they earned the credit when they submit their application for license renewal to the Virginia Department of Education. A transcript must be part of the application, not sent directly from the school to the Department of Education. Fresno Pacific can make transcripts available to teachers who have completed professional development courses.

The continuing education courses offered by Fresno Pacific University span hundreds of topics. Professional certificates are available in areas such as digital innovation in the classroom, teaching STEM, early childhood education and social-emotional learning.

With the convenience and quality of online professional development courses, teachers will find it worthwhile to look over Fresno Pacific professional development courses to find one that best fits their goals. It’s one of the best ways to earn the PD points they need to renew a license.