Educator Certification Naming Conventions
Courses submitted for Educator Certification credit must follow ALSDE’s standard naming and description conventions so they can be reviewed and approved efficiently.
- Baldwin County _ Learning Jumpstart _ Text-Dependent Writing Objectives
- ALSDE _ ARI _ Dyslexia Awareness
- Blount County _ Blount County Literacy Coach _ Science of Reading Foundations
- Marion County _ Marion County CTE _ AI for Educators
- Lee County _ Auburn University _ MTH 3311 Mathematics for Educators
- Montgomery County, Opelika City, Mobile County
- Montgomery Public Schools, Montgomery County Schools, MPS
When a Regional Inservice Center is the provider, use this exact string in the LEA/RIC slot of the course title:
| Region | Name to Use |
|---|---|
| 01 | UNA |
| 02 | Athens State |
| 03 | Alabama A&M |
| 04 | University of AL/UWA |
| 05 | UAB |
| 06 | JSU |
| 07 | University of Montevallo |
| 08 | ASU |
| 09 | Auburn University |
| 10 | USA |
| 11 | Troy University |
Note: Region 02 uses “Athens State” (not “ASU”) to avoid colliding with Alabama State University’s “ASU” in Region 08.
Use the system’s standard name exactly as listed below — avoid legacy abbreviations (see “Examples of What Not to Use” above).
Special entries: Birmingham Catholic, Mobile Catholic, AIDB–Deaf/Blind, AEA/CLAS/ALSDE Department of Early Childhood, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Alabama School of Cyber Tech, DYS–Youth Services.
Select the Credit Type carefully to match the subject-area content of the training being provided. PSPL does not allow selecting more than one credit type per course.
The description should include the Subject Area Credit Type in bold at the beginning.
This professional learning session is designed for high school educators to strengthen literacy while deepening content-area instruction. Participants will explore evidence-based instructional strategies that enhance reading comprehension, text analysis, historical thinking, source evaluation, and disciplinary writing. The session will focus on using literary and informational texts, primary and secondary sources, and inquiry-based learning to develop students’ critical thinking, argumentation, and evidence-based communication skills. Emphasis will also be placed on aligning instruction with Alabama English Language Arts and Social Studies standards to improve student achievement across both content areas.
This course provides an in-depth study of ethical leadership and professional responsibility in education. Topics include the educator code of ethics, professional boundaries, student privacy and confidentiality, ethical use of technology and artificial intelligence, conflict of interest, mandatory reporting requirements, and equitable decision-making. Through case studies and reflective practice, participants develop the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate ethical dilemmas, maintain public trust, and support a positive school culture in accordance with state and professional standards.
Part 1 — Creating the Course
Build the Course and Align to Standards
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Click the Professional Learning menu, then click the Build button on the left side of the screen.
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On the Build Courses and Sections screen, click the blue Build Course/Section button.
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Select Course Type (Instructor Led Course, Self Paced Course, or PLC) and click Continue.
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Give the course a Course Title (following the naming convention above) and choose the Office from the drop list — offices are listed alphabetically if you have access to more than one. Click Create.
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Enter a Course Description (following the description format above), including the Subject Area Credit Type in bold at the start.
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Choose the desired Credit Type and enter the number of units. Select the Credit Type carefully to match the subject-area content of the training being provided.
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Choose the Delivery Time Frame, Method of Delivery, and indicate whether the training is data informed/data driven and research based.
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If you are an Office Administrator in the Office where the course is being created, you can bypass approval via the Bypass Course Approval drop box (choose “Yes”). Otherwise, the course routes to a Final Approver.
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Choose ALSDE Default Survey for the Course Survey.
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Use the File Attachment feature to attach any desired documents to the course.
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Click the blue Next button in the bottom-right corner.
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Competencies Tab: On this screen, you will align your subject area training to the Alabama Standards for Professional Learning (2024), Alabama Standards for School Leadership, and the Alabama Core Teaching Standards. If your training involves Educator Ethics, you must align it with the Alabama Educator Code of Ethics.
- From the list of standards, select the triangle tab next to the desired set of standards.
- Check the box for each applicable Indicator.
- When you are done selecting all standards, click the blue Next button in the bottom-right corner.
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Choose the appropriate Course Tags (Subjects/Grade Levels) — optional — and click Next.
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Visibility: use Manage Location to control who can find and register for the course. Statewide courses display AL; school- or district-level courses default to that school/district.
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Click Add Section to begin creating sections for the course.
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Section Creation — Section Details:
- Enter a Section Name and click Add Section. Notes (including hyperlinks) can be added in the Notes box.
- Contact Person — the person responsible for the training; include their email.
- Presenter — the person conducting the training.
- Delivery Format — choose from the drop list.
- Instructors — add via the Add Instructors button; instructors manage the section roster, print sign-in sheets, mark attendance, and award credit. Consider adding yourself for easier access to rosters later.
- Location Settings — a location is required; indicate if the section is online.
- Registration Settings — maximum participants; End of Registration Date (defaults to the Start Date if left blank); Release to Catalog date/time.
- Waitlist Settings — optionally enable a waitlist and set a maximum size.
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Section Creation — Class Times:
- Under the Class Time tab, confirm the toggle for “Populate start and end date based on class times” is in the green (on) position.
- Click Add Class Times to add the start date and time. For multi-day trainings, click Add Class Time again for each additional day.
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With Section Details and Class Times complete, click Submit Course and Section.
Part 2 — Approving Courses
Review and Approve Submitted Courses
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Under the Professional Learning menu, click Approvals → My Pending Approvals to see courses and sections awaiting approval (also visible on the Dashboard). Click a title to open it.
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On the Course or Section Details screen, review all details, then click Review Comments in the upper-right corner.
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In the Tier 1 Approval window, select Approved and click Submit. If revisions are needed, select Needs Revision, enter an explanation, and click Submit — the original creator is emailed and can revise/resubmit under Build.
If you have questions or suggestions about this process, please contact us at pladmin@alsde.edu.
For certification-specific questions, contact the Educator Certification Section at edcert@alsde.edu or 334-694-4557.