Your Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) includes four parts:
- Self-assessment
- Goals
- Strategies and Resources for each Goal
- Timeline for each goal
Your IPDP shows that you reflected on your current skills and knowledge. It details your thinking and planning about what challenges and interests you, what you want to learn and do next, and when. It will take time to create an IPDP.
Why have an IPDP?
Professionals plan their professional development. Creating and following an IPDP is linked to quality job performance. Because they support professional quality, IPDPs are integrated into the Vermont professional development system. All staff are required to have a current IPDP -
- For child care program regulations and Department of Education teacher licensure
- For Program quality (STARS) and accreditation (NAEYC)
- To apply for a Career Level certificate or early childhood or afterschool credentials (IPDP must be created or updated current within 3 months of applying)
- To apply to the Child Development Division for a grant, scholarship or recognition bonus
The IPDP format
Whatever format you use, a complete IPDP is current and includes the 4 parts above. The most common IPDP format for early childhood and afterschool professionals uses the 5 Core Knowledge Areas.
- Child and Youth Development
- Teaching and Learning/Curriculum
- Healthy and Safe Environments
- Families and Communities
- Professionalism and Program Organization
These are broken down into subheadings and then further broken into specific core competencies. The Early Childhood and Afterschool Core Competencies are an IPDP self- assessment tool. Your IPDP goals are based on the areas for growth that you identify.
Other IPDP formats
- CDA format: when you are working on a new CDA or renewing one.
- Vermont Department of Education (DOE) format: for licensed educators. This shorter format is based on your longer DOE required IPDP. Use the short format when sending your IPDP to Northern Lights, STARS or the Child Development Division.
- BFIS Quality and Credential Account online IPDP: Choose the format and type it in – look on the SUMMARY page for your PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
- Early Childhood Family Mental Health (ECFMH) IPDP format: for those seeking the ECFMH credential
Sample IPDPs
(Thank you to the many professionals who contributed their IPDPs to this page).
- Meet Chris – he works in an Afterschool program and you can learn more about him and see his IPDP develop in the booklet: IPDP (Individual Professional Development Plan) – Planning your Professional Growth on this page.
- Meet Mauve - She is a licensed Department of Education (DOE) teacher working as a director in an early childhood program in partnership with the public schools. She has a DOE (7 year) IPDP. Here is her annual IPDP that she uses for STARS, applying for certificates or a credential.
- Meet Melanie – She is a family child care provider and is planning to get her CDA. She uses the CDA format.
- Meet Rosa – She is the head teacher in a child care program. She has her CDA and now is in the Vermont Child Care Apprenticeship Program.
The Vermont Northern Lights Career Development Center works with many partners to unify and enhance the professional development system for early childhood and afterschool professionals in Vermont. It is funded by a grant from the Child Development Division of the Vermont Agency of Human Services. The Community College of Vermont (CCV) and the Vermont Child Care Industry and Careers Council (VCCICC) are co-grantees.
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