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​This webpage will provide assistance to entities seeking to become an approved professional development provider with the Illinois State Board of Education as well as existing approved professional development providers.​

 How do I become an approved professional development provider?

Organizations eligible to apply to the Illinois State Board of Education to become an approved professional development providers are:

  • Illinois nonprofit organizations.
  • Professional educator associations representing one or more of the following groups:
    • School administrators, principals, school business officials, teachers (including special education teachers), school boards, school districts, parents, or school support services personnel.

Please see the Potential & Approved Professional Development Provider GuidancePDF Document document for further information about becoming an Illinois approved provider.

 I am an approved professional development provider. What are the expectations to be a provider?

Newly Approved Professional Development Provider

If you are an approved professional development provider and have never completed the required provider registration with ISBE, please complete the PD Provider Registration FormPDF Document. You must complete the registration form prior to offering any professional development activities. After registration is complete, your entity will appear in a dropdown menu of approved providers in ELI​S and PD+. Educators will be able to select your entity as the approved provider when entering professional development activities for license renewal.

Existing Approved Professional Development Provider

Approved professional development providers are required to renew their registration annually with the Illinois State Board of Education prior to offering any professional development activities in the current fiscal year.  Providers can facilitate this process by renewing their registration through their PD+ accounts. Please see the PD+ Access Guide for Provider RenewalPDF Document for further information.  Providers can also find helpful resources regarding PD+ at www.isbe.net/pdplus.

Goals/Expectations of an Approved Provider Resources
Provide evidence to ISBE that your professional development activities align to Standards for Professional Learning promulgated by Learning Forward. Approved Professional Development Provider Activity SummaryPDF Document
Produce a written rationale for each PD activity explaining how the activity aligns to the Illinois State Teaching and/or Learning Standards. Approved Professional Development Provider Activity SummaryPDF Document
Track attendance and collect Illinois Educator Identification Numbers (IEINs) on sign-in/sign-out sheets at each professional development activity. Providers have autonomy to use any type of attendance tracking system, as well as sign-in/sign-out sheets. Daily attendance is required. Daily attendance must include the following data in a format of the provider's choosing (i.e. paper or electronic):
  1. The name, date, and time of the activity, event, workshop, conference, etc.
  2. Educator names and IEINs.  Providers are not responsible for confirming the accuracy of the IEINs.
  3. Educator arrival and departure times (to determine how many professional development hours to grant the educator). Professional development credit is awarded in clock hours to the nearest quarter of an hour.
Disseminate and collect the ISBE 77-21A Evaluation form from each participant. Evaluation For Workshop, Conference, Seminar, etc.PDF Document
Complete and disseminate the ISBE 77-21B Evidence of Completion form to each participant. Evidence of Completion for Professional DevelopmentPDF Document
Submit the ISBE 73-59 Annual Approved Provider Report to ISBE no later than June 30 annually if a subcontractor or third-party presenter was used for a professional development activity. Annual Approved Provider ReportPDF Document
Maintain attendance records and all required forms for a period of not less than six years. Providers must “maintain original documentation for completion of professional development activities" (105 ILCS 21B-45(i)(4)), “verify attendance at its professional development activities" (23 IAC §25.855(e)(1)), and “maintain attendance records for each event or activity it conducts for a period of not less than six years." (23 IAC §25.855(e)(3)
Award PD hours on a 1:1 bases -- 1 clock hour of attendance = 1 PD hour.  
Comply with an ISBE professional development provider audit at least once every five years. Professional Development Provider Audit webpage​​


 Awarding professional development hours for activities or coursework outside of your organization (using a subcontractor/third-party presenter)

​Any state-approved professional development provider, including all Illinois public school districts, Regional Offices of Education, and Intermediate Service Centers, can act as the approved provider for PD activities or out-of-state coursework an educator may have completed through an unapproved provider. They do so at their sole discretion. All required forms must be maintained for at least six years in the event the provider is chosen for a provider audit.

Approved providers will need to complete the following steps:

  1. The approved provider would first review the description of the PD activity or the transcripts and course description for college coursework.
  2. The provider will then complete a 73-58 Approved Professional Development Provider Activity SummaryPDF Document for each PD activity or out-of-state college course. They will keep this form, along with an attendance roster (Illinois Educator Identification Numbers, sign/in and sign/out sheets, and number of hours awarded) for their records. This completed form verifies that the PD activity can qualify for professional development hours.
  3. The provider will then have the educator complete a 77-21A Evaluation formPDF Document. The form will be returned to the provider, which will keep it for its records.
  4. Once the Evaluation form has been completed and returned, the provider can issue the educator a 77-21B Evidence of Completion formPDF Document. Both the provider and educator will keep a copy of this form for their records.
  5. The provider will complete a 73-59 Annual Approved Provider ReportPDF Document, listing the unapproved provider or out-of-state institute as the subcontractor/third-party presenter. This form is kept for the provider’s records for an entire fiscal year. The provider can add to the list each time it uses a subcontractor/third-party presenter for a PD activity. The provider must submit the form to the Illinois State Board of Education by June 30 of each fiscal year. The directions for submitting the form are listed at the top.
  6. If an approved provider is hosting a PD activity and will have a presenter at the event, it only needs to list the presenter on a 73-58 Approved Professional Development Provider Activity SummaryPDF Document. There is no need to complete a 73-59 Annual Approved Provider Report​PDF Document.

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