High-Quality Professional Learning
We know that what is learned and how it's learned matters if principal professional learning is going to have an impact on student and school outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2022). We are dedicated to providing high-quality professional learning (HQPL) for principals and assistant principals in the state of Alabama. HQPL experiences target school leadership development and are comprehensive, sustained, job-embedded, and collaborative approaches to improving the effectiveness of school administrators in elevating student achievement through professional study. Additionally, HQPL experiences align with the Alabama Standards for School Leadership and the Alabama Standards for Professional Learning.
Program Requirements and Guidelines
Reach out to the professional learning provider for questions and further information about session details (e.g., dates, locations, offerings) and being awarded APLDS Clock Hour credit.
At least 30 APLDS Clock Hours must be completed between June 1, 2025 - May 31, 2026 for the 2025-26 school year.
Each state-approved conference has a registration deadline in PowerSchool PL for APLDS Clock Hours, and APLDS Clock Hour credit will not be awarded after the specified deadline.
All state-approved high-quality professional learning for the APLDS Program is awarded through PowerSchool PL as APLDS Clock Hours.
Elementary school administrators (principals and assistant principals) are required to participate in early literacy professional learning if they serve grades K-3 and early numeracy professional learning if they serve grades K-5. The approved professional learning experiences that meet this requirement can be found on the 2025-26 state-approved list.
Reviewing Transcripts for APLDS Clock Hours
All APLDS Clock Hours must be awarded through
PowerSchool Professional Learning under the
Office of APLDS (Alabama Principal Leadership Development System).
2026-27 APLDS Professional Learning Approval Application
Superintendents, district administrators, and vendors may request state approval for high-quality professional learning experiences. The application for the 2025-26 school year is now closed.
To request approval for the 2026-27 school year, the application must be completed through DocuSign.
The deadline to submit an application for the 2026-27 school year is March 1, 2027.
Submission Received By | Reviewed By |
|---|---|
July 1, 2026 | July 31, 2026 |
August 1, 2026 | August 31, 2026 |
September 1, 2026 | September 30, 2026 |
October 1, 2026 | October 31, 2026 |
November 1, 2026 | December 31, 2026 |
January 1, 2027 | January 31, 2027 |
February 1, 2027 | February 28, 2027 |
March 1, 2027 | March 31, 2027 |
Principals and assistant principals are encouraged to reach out to the district APLDS program contact for additional guidance.
Technical Support
For questions and support with the PowerSchool Professional Learning (PL) platform,
please reach out to Rhett Cutts at:
Email: rcutts@alsde.edu
Phone: 334.694.4828
For questions and support with the APLDS Professional Learning Approval Application,
please reach out to Dr. Tamara Blackmon at:
Email: tamara.blackmon@alsde.edu
Phone: 334.463.7012