Who must fulfill the requirements?

All certified school and systems leaders who serve in the following positions in a commonwealth public school:

1. Assistant or Vice Principal
2. Principal
3. Assistant Superintendent
4. Superintendent
5. Assistant Intermediate Unit Executive Director
6. Intermediate Unit Executive Director
7. Director of an Area Vocational-Technical School

What is required?

• All persons employed as school and system leaders must complete 180 Act 45 continuing professional education hours every five years.  The number of hours is prorated during the period when first hired in one of the positions listed above. 

• The original end date of your five-year cycle does not change when you are first hired in the school and system leader position.

• School and system leaders are required to fulfill the PIL hours in PDE-approved programs that address one or more of the eight PA school leadership standards.

How will I know how many Act 45 hours to complete after I first become an administrator serving in one of the seven designated positions?

• The date of hire in one of the seven designated positions marks the beginning of the PIL continuing professional education requirements regardless of the number of regular Act 48 hours that the administrator may have previously earned. For example, if you are hired in one of these seven positions half-way through your Act 48 compliance period, you must earn half of the required 180 credit hours in PIL credit hours before the cycle ends.

• The number of PIL hours are to be completed for the remainder of the school or system leader’s continuing professional education compliance period even if they are not displayed in PERMS. You may not see this information on your record until your new position is included in the school district’s annual spring PIMS report to PDE.

Which courses are approved to provide the Act 45 continuing professional education hours?

• All PDE Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership Program (PIL) courses provide Act 45 continuing professional education hours, including those approved for the Principal Induction Program. The courses are found on the PDE PIL website.

• PDE-approved Superintendent Letter of Eligibility program courses provide Act 45 continuing professional education hours.

A list of non-PDE courses approved to provide Act 45 continuing professional education hours is located on the PDE PIL website.

Where can I find information?

Additional information is available on the following PDE websites:

•   PDE PIL website

•   Act 48 and PERMS    

•   PDE certification information and TIMS link

For additional information, please contact:

Carla Wilson, PA Inspired Leadership Program
Phone: 717.346.7112
Email: c-cwilson@pa.gov