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OPI proposes automated, vetted system for teacher PD certificates and event reporting
Summary
The Office of Public Instruction outlined an overhaul of Montana's PADUPS professional-development system that would require standardized post-event evaluations to unlock PDUs, split provider roles into hosts and instructors, automate certificate uploads to TeachMT, and create a public event calendar.
The Office of Public Instruction on Wednesday described a multi-year plan to overhaul Montana's professional development unit provider system (PADUPS), saying the changes are intended to improve data accuracy, compliance with ARM rules and the quality of educator professional learning. "We have templates, and we're making reporting automated so attendance and PDUs are captured and linked to TeachMT," Marie Judich, senior manager for academic outcomes and instruction, told the Board of Public Education.
OPI staff said the cleanup work already produced a large rise in reported certificates after identifying and removing inactive accounts: about 920,565 PDUs issued across 6,927 learning opportunities during the most recent fiscal year, and more than 1.12 million certificates recorded after follow-up work. Eva Cox, the professional development specialist leading the project, said the updated system will distinguish hosts (organizations) from instructors (individuals), require a standardized evaluation form after each event and automate issuance of PDU certificates once participants complete the evaluation.
"To receive a PDU certificate, participants must complete a standardized evaluation form after each event they attend," Cox said, adding that the evaluation will then push a verified certificate to the educator's TeachMT account so no manual certificate-entry is required.
OPI also described new provider vetting procedures, automatic reminders to active users, and a public-facing events calendar with filtering by location, grade and cost. The agency said the update will run internal pilots before returning to external providers: an internal task force will test workflows in December, the agency will open a sandbox for providers next summer and plans a full launch in September 2026.
Board members pressed OPI on administrative burden for small districts and single-person administrative offices, noting that some districts lack the staff to upload SCIDs and attendance lists. Cox said the system will accept CSV uploads for attendance and that OPI will provide training and technical support; OPI staff also committed to pilot with a diverse array of districts and to refine the process based on feedback.
OPI said the changes are intended to make PD records auditable, reduce user error, and give districts real-time data on participation and quality. The board did not take formal action on the update; staff said they will return with pilot results and implementation details.
