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Professional Learning Home
Professional Learning
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Contact Us
Professional Learning
K. David Belt Professional Development Center
3819 Towne Crossing Blvd.
Mesquite, TX 75150
972-882-7393
Jennifer Morris
Executive Director
Jennifer Hiser
Director
Liz Rimler
Coordinator
At Mesquite ISD, we believe that learning never stops—especially for educators. Our Professional Learning program is designed to inspire growth, spark innovation, and support every staff member in reaching their full potential. Whether you're a new teacher, a seasoned leader, or somewhere in between, this webpage offers access to meaningful learning opportunities that enhance practice, deepen knowledge, and ultimately elevate student success. Together, we grow stronger.
Professional Learning Requirements and Opportunities
Mesquite ISD provides high quality professional learning in many ways. Occasionally you will be required to attend staff development either on your campus or at another location in the district during your contract hours. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to choose workshops from our Professional Learning Catalog that you would like to attend. These workshops will be held after contract hours either face-to-face or online.
Catalog
To assist you in building your professional knowledge and skills, the Professional Learning department publishes an online catalog of workshops to be offered each semester. The catalog contains a variety of classes for all instructional interests and needs. Employees will receive an email each semester containing a link to the upcoming catalog of classes. You can always find the current catalog posted on our MISD portal (look for the Professional Learning Hub app).
How to Register (Eduphoria)
The link to register for courses can be found in the Professional Learning catalog under the description of each course. Each course has its own unique link to register. The link will take you to our Eduphoria (Strive) system to register for the course.
After you have successfully completed the classes you registered for in Eduphoria, you'll be paid $7.50 per hour of class (will be found on your January or June paycheck). Classes are a minimum of two hours.
Tips for Success
- While the Eduphoria system contains basic course information, you should always read the full course description in the published catalog to make sure the course is appropriate for your needs.
- If you learn that you cannot attend a course, use the Eduphoria system to un-enroll from a scheduled class as soon as you learn that you won't be in attendance. This allows someone else to enroll in your place and keeps you from having a no-show designation on your transcript.
- Credit for classes is awarded for completion of all course activities and full attendance; partial credit is not given.
- Your transcript of completed classes can be found in Eduphoria.
According to the Texas Education Agency, Continuing Professional Education (CPE) is required for all Texas educators holding a standard certificate. If you received a standard certificate in Texas after September 1, 1999, you must renew it every five years. You must earn a minimum number of CPE hours through an approved CPE provider to renew your certificate. Professional learning hours provided or required by MISD may be used towards this state expectation.
Renewal Requirements:
Continuing professional education (CPE) is required to renew a standard certificate. Your certificate will be set to inactive status if you do not renew by the expiration date. CPE hours are required, even if your certificate has already been set to inactive status. Certificates cannot be renewed by completing examinations.
- Classroom teachers must complete 150 CPE hours.
- No more than 150 CPE hours are required, even if you hold multiple classroom certificate areas.
- If you hold an administrative and/or student services certificate you must complete 200 CPE hours.
- No more than 200 CPE hours are required, even if you hold multiple certificates, such as: classroom, administrative and student services certificates.
You must maintain written documentation of all CPE required activities. Acceptable documentation may be certificates of completion or a professional development transcript. The documentation does not have to be submitted at the time of certificate renewal; however, it must be submitted to TEA in case of a certificate audit.
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If you are a new teacher, or a teacher new to the T-TESS appraisal system, you must complete an online T-TESS orientation by Friday, August 30, 2024, to familiarize yourself with the state-approved appraisal system adopted by our district.
This required course includes 6 modules. The course will take approximately 4 hours to complete, and an estimate of the time required for each module is indicated on the website. Each module will ask you to answer a question and submit a response. It is important that you use the same email address to complete all six of the modules.
Once modules are completed, you will print a certificate. Provide a copy to your appraiser and keep a copy for your records.
In addition, you will need a handout to complete the course activities. This handout is available here. If you have questions, please contact Kris Newman.
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Mesquite ISD provides high quality professional learning in many ways. Occasionally you will be required to attend staff development either on your campus or at another location in the district during your contract hours. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to choose workshops from our Professional Learning Catalog that you would like to attend. These workshops will be held after contract hours either face-to-face or online.
Catalog
To assist you in building your professional knowledge and skills, the Professional Learning department publishes an online catalog of workshops to be offered each semester. The catalog contains a variety of classes for all instructional interests and needs. Employees will receive an email each semester containing a link to the upcoming catalog of classes. You can always find the current catalog posted on our MISD portal (look for the Professional Learning Hub app).
How to Register (Eduphoria)
The link to register for courses can be found in the Professional Learning catalog under the description of each course. Each course has its own unique link to register. The link will take you to our Eduphoria (Strive) system to register for the course.
After you have successfully completed the classes you registered for in Eduphoria, you'll be paid $7.50 per hour of class (will be found on your January or June paycheck). Classes are a minimum of two hours.
Tips for Success
- While the Eduphoria system contains basic course information, you should always read the full course description in the published catalog to make sure the course is appropriate for your needs.
- If you learn that you cannot attend a course, use the Eduphoria system to un-enroll from a scheduled class as soon as you learn that you won't be in attendance. This allows someone else to enroll in your place and keeps you from having a no-show designation on your transcript.
- Credit for classes is awarded for completion of all course activities and full attendance; partial credit is not given.
- Your transcript of completed classes can be found in Eduphoria.
-
According to the Texas Education Agency, Continuing Professional Education (CPE) is required for all Texas educators holding a standard certificate. If you received a standard certificate in Texas after September 1, 1999, you must renew it every five years. You must earn a minimum number of CPE hours through an approved CPE provider to renew your certificate. Professional learning hours provided or required by MISD may be used towards this state expectation.
Renewal Requirements:
Continuing professional education (CPE) is required to renew a standard certificate. Your certificate will be set to inactive status if you do not renew by the expiration date. CPE hours are required, even if your certificate has already been set to inactive status. Certificates cannot be renewed by completing examinations.
- Classroom teachers must complete 150 CPE hours.
- No more than 150 CPE hours are required, even if you hold multiple classroom certificate areas.
- If you hold an administrative and/or student services certificate you must complete 200 CPE hours.
- No more than 200 CPE hours are required, even if you hold multiple certificates, such as: classroom, administrative and student services certificates.
You must maintain written documentation of all CPE required activities. Acceptable documentation may be certificates of completion or a professional development transcript. The documentation does not have to be submitted at the time of certificate renewal; however, it must be submitted to TEA in case of a certificate audit.
- Classroom teachers must complete 150 CPE hours.
-
If you are a new teacher, or a teacher new to the T-TESS appraisal system, you must complete an online T-TESS orientation by Friday, August 30, 2024, to familiarize yourself with the state-approved appraisal system adopted by our district.
This required course includes 6 modules. The course will take approximately 4 hours to complete, and an estimate of the time required for each module is indicated on the website. Each module will ask you to answer a question and submit a response. It is important that you use the same email address to complete all six of the modules.
Once modules are completed, you will print a certificate. Provide a copy to your appraiser and keep a copy for your records.
In addition, you will need a handout to complete the course activities. This handout is available here. If you have questions, please contact Kris Newman.
Professional Learning Resources
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Learning Forward's Definition of Professional Development
(formerly known at the National Staff Development Council)
Working with our allies and advocates, Learning Forward has created this formal definition of professional development for use in the reauthorized version of NCLB.
Learning Forward Proposed Amendments to Section 9101 (34) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
(34) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - The term "professional development" means a comprehensive, substantiated, and intensive approach to improving teachers' and principals' effectiveness in raising student achievement -
- Professional development fosters collective responsibility for improved student performance and must be comprised of professional learning that:
- is aligned with rigorous state student academic achievement standards as well as related local educational agency and school improvement goals;
- is conducted among educators at the school and facilitated by well-prepared school principals and/or school-based professional development coaches, mentors, master teachers, or other teacher leaders;
- primarily occurs several times per week among established teams of teachers, principals, and other instructional staff members where the teams of educators engage in a continuous cycle of improvement that -
- evaluates student, teacher, and school learning needs through a thorough review of data on teacher and student performance;
- defines a clear set of educator learning goals based on the rigorous analysis of the data;
- achieves the educator learning goals identified in subsection (A)(4)(ii) by implementing coherent, sustained, and evidenced-based learning strategies, such as lesson study and the development of formative assessments, that improve instructional effectiveness and student achievement;
- provides job-embedded coaching or other forms of assistance to support the transfer of new knowledge and skills to the classroom;
- regularly assesses the effectiveness of the professional development in achieving identified learning goals, improving teaching, and assisting all students in meeting challenging state academic achievement standards;
- informs ongoing improvements in teaching and student learning; and
- that may be supported by external assistance.
- The process outlined in (A) may be supported by activities such as courses, workshops, institutes, networks, and conferences that:
- must address the learning goals and objectives established for professional development by educators at the school level;
- advance the ongoing school-based professional development; and
- are provided by for-profit and nonprofit entities outside the school such as universities, education service agencies, technical assistance providers, networks of content-area specialists, and other education organizations and associations.
- Professional development fosters collective responsibility for improved student performance and must be comprised of professional learning that:
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Comparison of Job Embedded Professional Learning
Author
Design/Model
Looks Like
Benefits
Ruth Mitchell
Examining Student work
Uses a process, SIP (Standards in Practice) to ensure alignment between student learning and standards; 6 steps involved which include examining student work, identifying standards, using a rubric to evaluate, and developing an action plan
Ensures regular, structured conversations about assignments and instruction; encourages alignment between what is taught and tested; supports collaboration and teaming
Richard Stiggins
Team learning
Small teams discussing and learning about instruction and assessment; includes all staff
Options for individual as well as collaborative study; identification of needed training; study includes implementation with an evaluation component
Jeffrey Glanz
Action Research
Uses some aspects of formal research: raising a question about how to improve; collecting data, analyzing data and taking action; evaluating impact of action
Continuous involvement in assessing instruction and student learning; areas of instruction may include teaching of writing, math, and reading, cooperative learning, teaching learning disabled in general education, effective teaching for block, and alternatives for classroom discipline
David Rappaport
Cadres
Members coalesce around specific issues or courses of action
Successful cadres put themselves out of business by solving problems, then new cadres can be formed to address new challenges
Kathy Harwell-Kee
Cognitive Coaching
Participants talking, planning and acting in purposeful ways; participants offering feedback as identified by the recipient
Can occur at any moment of the day when two people have a purposeful conversation about students and their learning; involves respectful collegial reflection about instruction
Joellen Killion
Journaling
Recording observations, toying with various perspectives, analyzing practices, interpreting understanding of topics, keeping records, making comments, or reconstructing experiences; may be shared with colleagues for response, feedback, interpretation or comments
Involves writing and gives learners a change to clarify a process and ideas, form new ideas, and connect to prior knowledge regarding instruction and their students’ achievement; may be used as a tool in sustained staff development or as dialogue journals
Shirley Hord & Harvetta Robertson
Listening to Students
Interview students in small groups regarding learning, expectations, and instruction
Students are interviewed to gather their perceptions about school; school personnel listen and act of what students have to say
Pam Robbins
Mentoring
Experienced professionals support newcomers through instructional collegiality and problem solving
Mentors learn and grow as they help/support a new person; the new person is familiarized with the school culture, policies and practices, is given assistance on curriculum, instructions, classroom management and classroom climate; teacher retention increases
Carlene Murphy
Study Groups
Every professional joins a group who studies student data, determines and prioritizes needs and finds resources, creates and implements an action plan, studies impact on student achievement
All faculty members are involved; increased student achievement
Fred Wood
Frank McQuarre Jr.
Reflective
Logs
Teachers and administrators record/summarize key events in their work life in writing or on tape; they reflect on experiences and report on what they have learned; periodically they summarize what they have learned and share with colleagues
Facilitates learning from successes and problems encountered during the work day; identifies what works and what does not, identifies areas for improvement
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Pre-Internship/Internship
Assistant Principal
Principal
MISD Staff Development
Mesquite Leadership Academy
Leadership Book Studies
Teacher Instructional Leadership Training - TILT
Love and Logic
Behavior/Discipline Management Classes
Microsoft Word
Microsoft PowerPoint
Excel
Appreciating Diversity
Customer Connection
Conflict Management
A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne
Beginning Spanish
New Assistant Principal Staff Development
Professional
Development and Appraisal System - PDAS
Instructional Leadership Development – ILD
Leadership Book Studies
Keys To Effective Communication
Non-Violent Crisis Intervention
Beginning Spanish
Designing and Delivering Effective Staff Development
Data Analysis Training
Classroom Walkthrough Training
Language Acquisition for English Language Learners
New Principal Staff Development
Documentation
Written Communication
Instructional Focus Days
District Initiatives
Region 10
Administrative
Leadership Training
Aspiring Principal Academy through
Region 10
Job Embedded Staff Development
Campus Improvement Plan Development
Mentoring New Teachers
Supervising New Teachers
Sponsoring a club/activity/event on campus or district level
Attend/Support Student Extracurricular Activities
Campus Improvement Plan Development
Chancery System – attendance; discipline coding
Developing and Facilitating Staff Development
Principal Observation on Other Campuses
Campus Study Groups/ Action Research
Collaboration with assigned mentor and other principals
Developing and Facilitating Staff Development
Principal Observation on Other Campuses
Campus Study Groups/Action Research
New Principals Coaching
Independent Study
Professional Reading
Active Membership in Local/State Education Associations or Organizations
Professional Reading
Active Membership in Local/State Education
Associations or Organizations
Professional Reading
Active Membership in Local/State Education
Associations or Organizations
Statement About Professional Learning
Mesquite ISD is committed to creating a culture of dignity that leads to belonging and inclusivity. As a reminder, HB 3979 states that a teacher, administrator, or other employees of a state agency or school district may not "be required to engage in training, orientation, or therapy that presents any form of race or sex stereotyping or blame on the basis of race or sex."