PA Act 48 • Cultivating Cultural Responsiveness and Effective Sheltered Instruction
3 University Semester Credits • 45 Act 48 Hours
Welcome, PDE educators!
Earning your Act 48 hours can be simple and stress-free. Pennsylvania teachers need 180 Act 48 hours for license renewal — and in many districts, a lane jump often begins at 15–18 graduate credits. We’re here to make that journey as easy, flexible, and teacher-friendly as possible.
✶ 45 Clock Hours:
As a PDE-approved provider (FTBT, AUN 300000925), we offer this course for 45 Clock Hours toward your Act 48 credits. Once you complete the class, we’ll immediately enter your hours into PERMS.
✶ 3 Semester Credits:
If you're interested in earning 3 semester credits (worth a total of 90 Act 48 hours) instead of having us submit your 45 Act 48 hours to PERMS, you can simultaneously register for this course with our accredited university partner, UMass Global, for $210 ($70 per credit). When you finish the course, we'll immediately submit your grade to UMass Global — which will post your 3 credits to an official transcript and digitally submit it to Pennsylvania’s Act 48 office.
OR, you can get those 3 semester credits in addition to your 45 Act hours in PERMS, and use those credits towards salary lane change by downloading your official UMass Global University transcript (or receiving a paper version by mail).
Course Description:
Create a culturally responsive classroom environment where every student feels valued and supported. This self-paced, quiz-based online PD course equips PK-12 educators with practical, ready-to-use tools for fostering inclusivity, managing differentiated learning, and implementing effective sheltered instruction for ELLs.
What You’ll Learn:
- Cultural Responsiveness in Action: Discover how to honor and leverage the diverse backgrounds of your students as powerful learning assets.
- Sheltered Instruction Strategies: Gain practical, adaptable techniques to effectively support English language learners and help them thrive.
- Inclusive Teaching Practices: Refine your approach to ensure all learners feel seen, heard, and valued in your classroom.
Why Educators Love This Course:
- Actionable Strategies: Walk away with a blueprint for culturally responsive teaching and ready-to-use techniques that make a real difference for your students.
- Support for English Language Learners: Learn proven methods to foster engagement and academic success for ELLs.
- Self-Paced Flexibility: Learn at your own pace with a stress-free course designed to fit your schedule.
Empower Every Learner:
This course bridges the gap between cultural responsiveness and effective instruction, helping you create an environment where all students can succeed. By embracing diversity and implementing research-backed strategies, you’ll transform your teaching and inspire your students to reach their full potential.
Enroll Today!
Take the next step in your professional journey and make inclusivity the cornerstone of your classroom.
Self-Paced, Quiz-Based, and Completely Online:
Forget portfolios or lengthy written assignments — this is stress-free PD designed with YOU in mind. With no start dates and no due dates, you can begin and finish the course whenever it is convenient for you. Plus, you do not need to be working with students to complete it. Entirely self-paced and self-guided, there are no scheduled check-ins, so you are free to work on the content whenever and wherever you want.
To enroll in this course:
Start by completing the $175 registration using the banner link at the top of this page. That will create your For Teachers By Teachers (FTBT) account and give you immediate access to the online classroom. You can begin anytime and work at your own pace. This fee includes your 45 Act 48 Hours and full access to the course and online classroom.
✶ Want 3 university semester credits through UMass Global?
You’ll find full step-by-step instructions for UMass Global’s $210 credit registration process inside the online classroom, after you enroll. Everything you need — the direct link, course code, and payment instructions — will be available to you once you’ve signed up.
University credit issued by UMass Global – a regionally accredited university partner.
* Each semester credit equals 30 Act 48 hours.
Your Course Instructor
For Teachers By Teachers is a highly dedicated team of licensed educators with professional certifications across grades PK–12. Our areas of expertise include Special Education, Childhood Education, Art Education, and Reading Specialist certifications.
Collectively, our course authors and instructors bring more than 20 years of experience in the field of education. We are passionate about empowering teachers and have contributed meaningfully to school communities in Hawai‘i, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Ohio.
Our mission is to support your professional growth with flexible, high-quality online courses designed by teachers—for teachers. If you have any questions or need support, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. We’re here to help!