As part of program support, we provide Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) to the field. This helps facilitate effective communication and improves the understanding of Adult Education policy. This FAQ has been compiled over several months of responses to the field of Adult Education in Illinois.
Q1. Are there any specific directions for developing a Professional Development Plan, or is a plan developed from program specific needs?
The Professional Development Plan should be tailored to the program’s needs. ICCB states that the number one priority of a plan should be local professional development activities that reflect state priorities as well as program and individual staff needs.
Q2. Are there a minimum number of hours required for the New Teacher Orientation?
All new instructors are required to complete ICCB New Teacher Orientation (NTO) within six months of hire and within the fiscal year the online NTO was started. NTO does not count towards the 12 hour minimum for professional development. Programs may create a local NTO; however, it may not supersede completion of the ICCB New Teacher Orientation. Contact your PDN for more information.
Q3. Is the new teacher orientation an orientation to the hiring institution or to Adult Education?
New Teacher Orientation is an orientation to Adult Education. Any orientation to the hiring institution would be handled separately. Programs, however, may choose to combine these orientations as appropriate.
It is the responsibility of the local Program Administrator to ensure that each newly hired instructor completes the ICCB NTO. A copy of the Certificate of Completion should be placed in the instructor’s program file.
Q4. If the teacher is coming from another Adult Ed institution will he need to complete another orientation at the new hiring institution?
Instructors who move between programs are not required to take the ICCB NTO if they have documentation that they have completed NTO within the last five years. However, the program may require additional professional development and specific orientation training for their local program.
Instructors employed by more than one program need only complete NTO once. All programs employing the instructor must maintain documentation of completion of NTO. It is preferred that new instructors complete the core training components as a pre-service activity.
Q5. What is the process for sending employees to out-of-state professional development events?
Programs must meet in-state and out-of-state travel requirements. Professional development is essential in ensuring that staff has access to high quality training. In-state and out-of-state travel related to Adult Education is permissible with both state and federal resources. It is important that a program has a well-developed process for determining who will attend professional development activities at the national, state, regional and local level. Program administrators must ensure that the budget will support travel costs.
International travel with Adult Education and Literacy funds (partial or full) requires prior approval from the Illinois Community College Board Adult Education Division. Requests for approval should be sent to the Associate Director for Program Compliance. The travel must be adult education related. A letter detailing the travel location, the reason for the travel, the dates of the travel, and the approximate costs should be submitted to the ICCB for approval.