K-12 Educators: Administrators

School Based Professional Development

Are you looking for a comprehensive reading professional development course for your teachers? FOR-PD offers a free comprehensive course, which is founded on scientifically-based reading research. Course participants learn how to apply the research through instructional strategies designed to help all students become proficient readers. The FOR-PD course offers teachers and administrators an abundant amount of rich and relevant resources on reading and classroom implementation.

The FOR-PD course consists of 14 lessons completed over 14 weeks and includes research-based readings, modeling of reading strategies, and assignments in which participants must apply their new knowledge. The course is offered in an online learning environment with a knowledgeable facilitator guiding the participants through each lesson. Upon successful completion of the course, participants are eligible to receive 60 hours of in-service credit.

How have schools used FOR-PD? Schools can opt to offer FOR-PD in many different ways.

• School-based in-service. Schools can register groups of 20 or more teachers to take the FOR-PD course. Schools can choose a facilitator, or FOR-PD can select a facilitator for you. School cohorts can work together as they complete the 14-week course. This model is enhanced when groups meet together to discuss the content of the course.



• School-based learning communities. Schools can form small learning communities to deepen knowledge of reading. Groups of 20 or more teachers can form their own course with a trained facilitator. Teachers can then meet face-to-face as a group to discuss questions brought out by the reading, to receive support and help in using technology, to apply knowledge to student achievement, or to conduct action research.



• Study Groups. Teachers going through the course may convene in study groups to further explore aspects of the research or particular teaching or learning strategies.

Content Area Reading Professional Development (CAR-PD)

CAR-PD was created to satisfy the legislative requirement stating that the Florida Department of Education would emphasize reading instruction professional development for content area teachers in order to help them meet the diverse reading intervention needs of Florida's students.

CAR-PD is a package of 150 in-service points with reading endorsement indicators drawn primarily from the areas of vocabulary and comprehension. The CAR-PD package consists of Florida Online Reading Professional Development (FOR-PD) which is 60 in-service points, the CAR-PD Academy which is also 60 in-service points, and a 30-hour practicum.

For more information on CAR-PD, visit the links below:

• Technical Assistance for Content Area Reading Professional Development
• Legislative Requirements for Content Area Reading Professional Development
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Schedule - CAR-PD Professional Development