Professional Development Unit Provider System

Become a Professional Development Unit Provider
Evidence-Based Practices
Guidelines and Standards for Professional Learning
Professional Development Unit Provider System Directions/Tutorials
Planning
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Become a Professional Development Unit Provider
(formerly Renewal Unit Provider)

UPDATE: New Provider Applications Are Temporarily Closed

Changes Are Coming to the Professional Development System

OPI is transitioning to a new Professional Development system designed to improve clarity, consistency, and alignment with the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) governing Professional Development Units (PDUs).

This transition will take place in phases from June through August, with the current system scheduled to be retired on September 1. Throughout the transition, OPI will share guidance, resources, and timelines to support hosts, instructors, and approved providers.

March Focus: Understanding ARM Requirements

March is dedicated to awareness and preparation. Approved providers, hosts, and instructors are strongly encouraged to take time this month to carefully read and understand the ARM requirements for professional development, as these rules form the foundation of both the new system and the PDU approval process.

In particular, providers should review ARM 10.55.714, which outlines the criteria professional learning must meet to qualify for PDUs. These requirements define expectations related to structure, purpose, alignment to P–12 education, and provider responsibility for issuing OPI PDU certificates.

A clear understanding of these rules is essential for continued compliance and successful use of the new system.

Additional information and resources will be shared monthly to support providers through this transition. If you are not currently on our mailing list, please email us at OPIPDUPS@mt.gov with your name, email address, and the name of your organization, and we will add you to our list, so you are sure to get the monthly updates and action items.

Evidence-Based Practices in Professional Learning

Professional learning providers have a unique role in ensuring that the professional learning provided to educators is evidence-based and improves student outcomes. Districts and schools may ask providers for applicable research and evidence that the strategies demonstrated in the professional learning opportunity improves student outcomes. Additionally, providers may be one part of a cycle of professional learning and educator development that extends beyond the initial professional learning event. The following resources can help providers understand the shift toward evidence-based professional learning for educators.

Effective Teacher Professional Development by the Learning Policy Institute
Evidence-Based Practices by The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA)
Powerful Designs for Professional Learning, 3rd Edition by Learning Forward
Standards for Professional Learning Quick Guide by Learning Forward
What is the research evidence on successful practices for teacher professional learning? compiled by the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northeast & Islands

Guidelines and Standards for Professional Learning

Professional learning for educators in the state of Montana should follow certain guidelines and standards. The guidance and standards below can help providers understand professional learning requirements.

Federal Definition of Professional Learning

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) § 8101(42) defines "professional development," specifically noting that professional development activities are to be "sustained (not stand-alone, 1-day, or short term workshops), intensive, collaborative, job-embedded, data-driven, and classroom-focused..." (ESEA § 8101(42), pg. 401).

Administrative Rules of Montana

There are a number of Administrative Rules of Montana (ARMs) that guide professional learning for education-related personnel, including:

ARM 10.16.3135 Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPDs) - CSPD is a regionalized structure that provides special education-related professional learning for pre-service and in-service educators, administrators, and paraprofessionals.
ARM 10.55.601 Accreditation Standards: Procedures - Continuous School Improvement Plans (CSIPs) are developed, implemented, and evaluated yearly by school districts and schools. The CSIPs include a professional development planning component.
ARM 10.55.714 Professional Development - The Professional Development ARM specifies the standards that professional development opportunities must meet.
ARM 10.57.215 Renewal Requirements - The activities that are eligible for renewal units are professional development activities and college credits that are of a planned and structured experience and an activity that provides "exposure to a new idea or skill or an extension of an existing idea or skill."
ARM 10.57.216 Approved Renewal Activity - Approved renewal unit providers must offer activities that are "deemed appropriate for professional development of licensees in compliance with ARM 10.55.714 and 10.57.215."

Other ARMs address professional learning requirements for specific licenses and endorsements. Additional resources related to licensure can be found on the Montana Educator Licensing website.

Standards

Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning "outline the characteristics of professional learning that leads to effective teaching practice, supportive leadership, and improved student results" (2017). The standards include:

Learning Communities - "Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students occurs within learning communities committed to continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and goal alignment."
Leadership - "Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires skillful leaders who develop capacity, advocate, and create support systems for professional learning."
Resources - "Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires prioritizing, monitoring, and coordinating resources for educator learning."
Data - "Professional Learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students uses a variety of sources and types of student, educator, and system data to plan, assess, and evaluate professional learning."
Learning Designs - "Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students integrates theories, research, and models of human learning to achieve its intended outcomes."
Implementation - "Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students applies research on change and sustains support for implementation of professional learning for long term change."
Outcomes - "Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students aligns its outcomes with educator performance and student curriculum standards."

Professional Learning vs. Training: What Qualifies for PDUs

It is important to distinguish between valuable training and professional learning that qualifies for Professional Development Units (PDUs).

Many trainings—such as compliance modules, informational updates, or required annual refreshers—are useful, necessary, and contribute to an educator’s overall practice. However, not all valuable training meets the definition of professional development under Administrative Rule of Montana (ARM) 10.55.714.

To qualify for PDUs, an event must meet the standards set forth in ARM. Professional development is not defined by topic alone, but by intent, structure, and impact. Qualifying professional learning must be intentionally designed to deepen educator knowledge or skills in essential elements of teaching to high standards, support improved practice, and positively impact student learning.

Requirements for Professional Learning to Qualify for PDUs

The table below summarizes the key requirements professional learning events must meet to be eligible for PDUs under ARM 10.55.714 and 10.57.215.

Requirement	What This Means in Practice
Planned and Structured	The event is intentionally designed with a clear purpose, agenda, and learning outcomes—not an incidental or compliance-based activity.
Aligned to P–12 Public School Curriculum	Learning directly supports instruction, student learning, or educator practice within the P–12 system.
Clear Learning Objectives	Objectives describe what educators will know or be able to do as a result of the learning.
Focus on Educator Growth	Builds knowledge or skills in content, pedagogy, instructional strategies, technology use, or leadership.
Active Learning	Includes opportunities for engagement, application, practice, reflection, or feedback—not passive participation only.
Ongoing or Sustained When Appropriate	Supports continued learning over time rather than isolated, one-time events when applicable.
Evaluated for Impact	Designed to improve educator effectiveness and student outcomes, with reflection or evaluation informing future learning.
Time-to-Credit Alignment	One hour of participation equals one Professional Development Unit (1 hour = 1 PDU). Partial hours should not be rounded up.

Events That May Qualify for PDUs Depending on Design

While many of the following topics do not automatically meet the requirements of ARM 10.55.714, some schools and districts have taken innovative approaches by designing professional learning around these topics that does meet ARM standards.

As a result, some events addressing these topics may be eligible for PDUs, depending on how they are structured and aligned to the criteria above. Local leaders should critically evaluate ARM 10.55.714 before issuing PDUs for:

CPR / First Aid
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
Mentor Teacher activities
Mandatory Reporting training

Eligibility depends on whether the local offering is intentionally designed as professional learning (not simply attendance or compliance training).

Events That Do Not Qualify for PDUs

During internal review, the Office of Public Instruction has identified activities for which PDUs have historically been issued but do not meet the requirements of the Administrative Rules of Montana. PDUs should not be issued for the following:

Parent–Teacher Conferences
Grading Time
Classroom Setup or Takedown
Staff Meetings
Blood-Borne Pathogens Training
Accreditation Review Committees

These activities are operational, evaluative, or compliance-based and do not constitute professional development as defined in ARM 10.55.714.

Online Learning Providers That Do Not Qualify for PDUs

The following organizations offer online learning that does not meet Montana’s professional development standards. PDUs should not be issued for participation in virtual training from:

Albion Institute
IRIS Center
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Bureau of Education Research
Western Washington University – GG
ISS EDU Learn

Important Notice Regarding ed2go and PESI, Inc.

Not all courses offered by ed2go or PESI, Inc. are eligible for PDUs.

When selecting courses from these providers, educators and local approvers must ensure that the course:

Meets the requirements of ARM 10.55.714, and
Falls within the scope of the P–12 public school curriculum.

Approval is based on course design and alignment—not the provider name alone.

Logging into the Secure Portal for the first time: The OPI Professional Development Unit Provider System is housed within our Secure Portal. The link to the Provider System via the Secure Portal is located on the OPI Providers Professional Learning webpage. In order to access this portal for the first time, you will need to “reset your password.” There are step-by-step instructions as to how to do this located underneath the sign-in boxes under “How to Reset Your Password and Other Frequently Asked Questions.”

Please note, you will only include the domain name when resetting your password. When you sign in after that, you will just use your username without the OPI\.

Log in to the Professional Development Unit Provider System

Known System Issues

Blank Certificates - On occasion, providers will press "Print Certificate" and the certificate will be blank. This can be fixed by choosing your provider name again from the dropdown in "Events" and then pressing "Print Certificate."

Provider Dropdown on Events Tab

User Tutorials

Professional Development Unit Provider System User Manual (opens in new window)

Topics include: Administrative Rules of Montana, Accessing PDUPS, Changing your Password, Reporting Events, Issuing Certificates, Revising Existing Events, Managing Usernames and Account Access, and Special Considerations for Continuously Available Asynchronous Professional Development Unit Activities and Virtual Conferences.

Username and Password Tips

Logging into the Secure Portal for the first time: The OPI Professional Development Unit Provider System is housed within our Secure Portal. The link to the Provider System via the Secure Portal is located on the OPI Providers Professional Learning webpage. In order to access this portal for the first time, you will need to “reset your password.” There are step-by-step instructions as to how to do this located underneath the sign-in boxes under “How to Reset Your Password and Other Frequently Asked Questions.”
- Please note, you will only include the domain name when resetting your password. When you sign in after that, you will just use your username without the OPI\.
Reset a forgotten password
If you forget your username, it's most likely the user's first initial and last name (i.e. John Doe would be JDoe).
If your email address has changed, please email us at OPIPDUPS@mt.gov so we can update it properly.

Adding More Accounts or Updating Accounts

Is your organization already a registered provider, but you need to change the name of your provider account manager? Request access to an existing professional development unit provider account by emailing OPIPDUPS@mt.gov with the following information - name of organization, your full name, phone number and email.

Planning Professional Learning Opportunities

There are many considerations to be made when planning professional learning opportunities for educators. Professional learning providers external to K-12 schools (e.g., governmental agencies, accredited colleges and universities, and approved educational organizations) may be unaware of how K-12 education-related personnel choose appropriate professional learning opportunities.

Guidelines and Statutes

Specific guidelines and statutes require schools to develop yearly professional development plans and continuous school improvement plans. These plans consider a variety of needs and priorities. Schools are required to provide a minimum of three days for instructional/professional/in-service development/training, pursuant to ARM 10.65.101. The majority of educators are required to complete 60 Renewal Unit hours of professional learning every five years to maintain licensure requirements. Therefore, most educators receive the appropriate number of Renewal Unit hours for licensure through the required three days of training provided by schools each year. These are important considerations to keep in mind when planning a professional learning opportunity.

Conducting a Needs Analysis

According to Philip O. Ozuah, author of "First, There Was Pedagogy and Then Came Andragogy," adults typically engage in learning to solve a problem (2005). It is important to partner with educators in planning the professional learning opportunity, as a "one-size-fits-all" approach to professional learning often does not provide enough depth for educators to make substantial changes in their teaching practices. Taking the time to conduct a needs analysis of the schools and educators you want to attend your event can help to ensure that the professional learning opportunity is focused on what educators need most. There are many needs analysis templates available online, but you may find that you would like to create your own based upon the subject matter you are hoping to address in the professional learning opportunity. Learning Forward, a professional learning organization, has created a workbook that can help providers consider what districts and schools look at when creating short- and long-term professional learning plans.

Professional Learning Plans: A Workbook for States, Districts, and Schools by Learning Forward

Frequently Asked Questions

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I would like to offer online professional learning. What do I need to know? How do I know what professional learning opportunities are appropriate for OPI professional development units? What are the reporting requirements that approved professional development unit providers need to follow? Do I need to ask for permission each time I host a professional development unit activity? Is my organization an approved professional development unit provider? How do I update accounts for the Professional Development Unit Provider System? Are we able to send professional development unit certificates digitally, such as through email? I have questions about the update to the Licensure system. Where can I find more information?

We're here to help!

Professional Development Providers should contact the Professional Learning team by email:

OPIPDUPS@mt.gov

Professional Learning Home

Providers Professional Learning

Become a Professional Development Unit Provider (formerly Renewal Unit Provider)