Licensure Information

Licensure Information

Massachusetts educators who hold a professional license are required to develop an Individual Professional Development Plan in order to meet license renewal requirements. Professional teaching licenses must be renewed every five years, and the recertification process requires all educators to prepare an Individual Professional Development Plan for each renewal cycle.

Defining Credits and PDP's


Douglas Public Schools is a registered provider of Professional Development Points (PDPs). All District-sponsored professional development activities earn staff Professional Development Points.

Staff members who take a graduate course for graduate credit, salary credit or "bonus PDPs", and complete all course requirements, will earn 22.5 PDPs per graduate credit. Staff members who take a graduate course for "straight PDPs" will earn 1 PDP per clock hour of attendance.

Graduate credits are awarded for course work through accredited colleges and universities.

One Graduate Credit equals 22.5 Professional Development Points. 
Two Graduate Credits equal 45 Professional Development Points. 
Three Graduate Credits equal 67.5 Professional Development Points. 
Four Graduate Credits equal 90 Professional Development Points.

Important note: PDP values for these activities can be found in the Recertification Guidelines for Massachusetts Educators. The guidelines may be accessed from: