Principal Act

The School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act was passed in 2023 to create and implement the Alabama Principal Leadership Development System (APLDS) for public K-12 education and provide annual stipends for principals and assistant principals who satisfactorily complete the program requirements. One requirement for successful completion of the APLDS program is that principals and assistant principals must complete high-quality professional learning from a state-approved list. The professional learning experience must meet all of the following criteria in order to be on the state-approved list:

• Meet the law’s definition of high-quality professional learning as an experience that is comprehensive, sustained, job-embedded, and a collaborative approach to improving the effectiveness of educators in elevating student achievement through professional study
• Align with the Alabama Standards for School Leadership
• Align with the Alabama Standards for Professional Learning

Below you will find the initial list of state-approved professional learning experiences offered through the Alabama State Department of Education. This list is not exhaustive and is intended to be continuously updated. For more detailed information about state-approved professional learning experiences (e.g., PowerSchool Professional Learning course numbers), please email Anna Shepherd-Jones at .

Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI)

• 2019 ALCOS: Mathematics Overview (K-5): Navigation & Implementation
• AMSTI Content Sessions for School-Based Administrators in Full- and Limited-Support Schools (ANA)
• Math Foundational Training (K-5)
• Science Foundational Training (K-12)

Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI)

• ELA Dyslexia Awareness Training – Dyslexia: An Overview
• Help! I’m an Elementary Administrator in Charge of Implementing the Alabama Literacy Ac
• LETRS for Administrators
• LETRS for Elementary Teachers
• Live Virtual Sessions with Diane Sweeney on Leadership Supporting Coaching
• ARI: Neuhaus Structured Literacy Modules, Informed by the Science of Reading
• Oral Language, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia Series Presented by June Shelton School and Evaluation Center
• Strong Leader, Strong Reader: Leadership Labs

Education Technology

• ALSDE-approved AETC Conference sessions
• ATiM ACLD PLUs
• eLearning ACLD PLUs

Federal Programs

• ALSDE-approved MEGA Conference sessions

Instructional Services

• (AL-MTSS) 3 C’s of PLCs for Grading Success
• (AL-MTSS) Full Alignment
• (AL-MTSS) Elementary PST: Elementary Scheduling
• (AL-MTSS) ELEVATE Tool Training
• (AL-MTSS) Empowering the Future: Unlocking Youth Leadership Potential in Schools
• (AL-MTSS) Improving Educator Wellness
• (AL-MTSS) PLC: Not Just Another Meeting
• (AL-MTSS) Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) Implementing Evidence-Based Practices and Interventions
• (AL-MTSS) PST Training: Laying the Foundation For Instructional Leaders
• (AL-MTSS) Root Cause
• (AL-MTSS) Secondary PLC Series
• (AL-MTSS) Tier I Instruction Series
• (AL-MTSS) Tier II Instruction in the Secondary Setting
• (AL-MTSS) Trauma Informed Approach Overview
• (EL) Ellevation Platform and Strategies Overview for Educators
• (EL) High-Quality Instruction and Assessment
• EL ACLD PLUs

Professional Learning

• Alabama Core Teaching Standards (ACTS)
• Alabama Teacher Growth Program (ATGP)
• Alabama Teacher Observation Tool (ATOT)
• Effective Feedback to Enhance Instructional Practices
• The Role of the Alabama Teacher Growth Program in Teacher Effectiveness

*Office of Mathematics Improvement (OMI)

• Everyone Counts

Office of School Improvement (OSI)

• Leveraging Data Analysis for Strategic Educational Planning
• Navigating the Alabama Continuous Improvement Plan (ACIP): Strategies for Effective Implementation

Special Education Services (SES)

• Differentiated Instructional Guide (D.I.G.), Annual Goals, and Progress Monitoring
• High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities Virtual Series
• How Can Administrators Support the Development and Implementation of High-Quality IEPs?
• Individualized Education Program (IEP) Virtual Series for School Leaders
• SES ACLD PLUs

*In accordance with the law, ​elementary school administrators are required to participate in early literacy and numeracy high-quality professional learning experiences. High-quality professional learning experiences meeting this criterion are offered by the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) and Office of Mathematics Improvement (OMI).

For additional state-approved professional learning experiences offered by Regional Inservice Centers, please contact the RIC Director. Other professional learning experiences will be considered for state-approval from professional organizations, districts, and vendors.

All Principal Act state-approved professional learning clock hours must be awarded through the PowerSchool Professional Learning platform under the Office of APLDS (Alabama Principal Leadership Development System) (ALSDE). You can search for the approved professional learning sessions in PowerSchool Professional Learning the following ways:

Search for “APLDS” in Course Search (under Course tab)

Click on the “Alabama Principal Leadership Development System (APLDS)” tag (under Course tab)

Superintendents, district administrators, and vendors may request state approval for high-quality professional learning experiences.
To request approval, the Principal Act State-Approved Professional Learning Request Form must be completed through DocuSign. Dates for review are listed below.