P.O. Box 202501 • Helena, MT 59620-2501
Putting Montana Students First
Renewal Unit Provider System
Please review the following documents for more information:
Montana educators are able to receive renewal units for renewal unit activities three different ways, and therefore, your organization's one-time renewal unit activity may want to consider asking educators to do the following to receive renewal units:
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.
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.
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).
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.
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."
Login to the Renewal Unit Provider System
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."
Renewal Unit Provider System User Manual (opens in new window)
Please fill out the form on the OPI Learning Opportunities Portal homepage by clicking "Submit an Opportunity" to request a review of the content you'd like us to share.
Professional Development Providers should contact the Professional Learning team by email:
OPIRUPS@mt.gov
Professional Learning Home