Professional Development Program

PDP services are available to ACS employees. All applicants must meet the eligibility requirements, which include:

• Permanent or non-competitive civil service employee status.
• Minimum of two (2) years of satisfactory job performance at NYC Administration for Children’s Services.
• Overall rating of “Very Good” or “Outstanding” performance evaluation (evaluation must be for the previous 12-month period).
• No past, present or pending disciplinary actions.
• Favorable recommendation from their borough/location director and immediate supervisor.

PDP educational support services include:

• Individual support and coaching: assistance with exploring colleges/universities and programs that best fit your educational goals, as well as support with the application process.
• *Release time: for graduate level studies, collaborate with leadership and navigate agency policies to support up to seven hours of agency approved release time per week to attend classes.
• *Field Placements/Internship support: PDP collaborates with ACS divisions/departments to identify field placement/internship opportunities for employees who must complete field placements/internships as part of their graduate studies. Employees who will be working with children and families will be subject to additional background clearances per ACS policy. Field placements will not commence prior to receiving clearance from Human Resources.
• Capstone support and advisement: PDP provides staff members who are in their final year of study support/advisement for their Capstone Projects.

*It is important to note that ACS cannot guarantee all applicants will receive release time or field placements/internships approval. All requests will be reviewed and approved by your respective Borough/Division leadership.

Please reach out to Aisha Dixon, Deputy Director of CE and Scholarship Programs at aisha.dixon@acs.nyc.gov or 646-946-3580 for additional information and program applications. Applications for PDP services are accepted on an ongoing basis. Applications for the ACS Scholarship Program are accepted in February, June and September pending funding availability.

Yes. Anyone enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program that meets the scholarship eligibility requirements is encouraged to apply for an ACS scholarship whether they need any of the other PDP services or not. The ACS Scholarship Program is a service under the Professional Development Program.

The James R. Dumpson Scholarship is available to any ACS employee who meets the eligibility requirements and is enrolled in an accredited master’s degree program in social work, public administration, public policy, urban policy and management or an approved equivalent. The degree must be relevant to the mission of ACS.

The Nicholas Scoppetta Scholarship is available to any ACS employee who meets the eligibility requirements and is enrolled in an accredited bachelor’s degree program.

Anyone enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program that meets the scholarship eligibility requirements is encouraged to apply for an ACS scholarship regardless of whether they need any of the other PDP services. The ACS Scholarship Program is a service under the Professional Development Program.

The scholarship program is a competitive process. The selection committee includes ACS leadership from multiple divisions, school faculty, and PDP/Scholarship graduates. Award recipients are selected based on:

• proof of acceptance or matriculation in an accredited degree program and current academic record.
• most recent ACS performance evaluation.
• written recommendations from a supervisor and borough/division leadership.
• applicant’s personal statement and outcome of a group interview.

Scholarship awards are made for one academic year pending available funds. We strongly recommend that applicants also contact their school’s financial aid office for assistance with applying for any available financial aid opportunities. PDP can also provide additional information on financial aid resources.

Scholarship applicants will receive a decision within 30 days of the interview and awards will apply to the following semester’s tuition. For example, if you receive a scholarship in July, it will be applied to your fall semester tuition. Please note that ACS cannot guarantee all applicants will receive an award.

ACS is committed to acknowledging, recognizing and utilizing staff members who have acquired additional education both in their original assignments and when new opportunities arise. However, ACS is not able to automatically grant promotions, transfers or salary increases upon completion of a master’s degree program.