November 2022

MDLP Earns a Letter Grade of B

On October 31, Arizona Department of Education (ADE) released school letter grades based on 2021-2022 data. We are pleased to announce that MDLP earned a letter grade of B! This letter grade solidifies the fact that MDLP is a high performing, reputable, rigorous online program that is living up to its mission: to develop expert learners who have the knowledge and skills to succeed and contribute in a rapidly changing global society.

Arizona Revised Statutes § 15-241 requires ADE to develop an annual achievement profile for every public school (district and charter) in the state based on an A through F scale. The system measures year-to-year student academic growth, proficiency on ELA, math and science, the proficiency and academic growth of English language learners, indicators that an elementary student is ready for success in high school and that high school students are ready to succeed in a career or higher education, and high school graduation rates. MDLP's school classification falls under the hybrid category due to being a non-traditional school (Arizona Online Instruction) which serves students across multiple grade levels (grades 4-12).

MDLP's letter grade is a result of the support and success of its students, parents, teachers, and staff. Students engage in personalized, competency-based learning that meets their strengths and needs. Teachers provide instruction through engaging content, effective feedback, and individualized support. The instructional design team develops course content that is standards-based, rigorous, and interactive based on Understanding by Design and Universal Design for Learning principles. The student support staff provides a welcoming, safe, and supportive environment for all students and parents.

Thank you to all those involved who helped MDLP earn a B! More information about Arizona school letter grades can be found at Arizona Board of Education A-F School Letter Grades, Arizona Releases New School Letter Grades, or Schools Letters Grades Show Students' Proficiency Growth. If there are any questions regarding the MDLP letter grade, contact the MDLP administrator at jdavis@mdlp.org or 480-472-0886.

Current Enrollment Numbers

Course Enrollments

1965

Active Students

1434

Full-time Students

324

Concurrent Students

1110

Parents are Encouraged to Monitor Progress

Upon enrollment in an online course, the MDLP registration team sends login credentials to both student and a parent/guardian. The login credentials include the student's user ID number, which will also be used as the parent user ID, and a unique parent password. Students receive a separate password used for logging into their MDLP Student Page.

Parents are highly encouraged to be proactive by logging into the MDLP Parent Page on a weekly basis. The parent page includes information regarding the student’s course start and end dates, assignment and assessment grades, overall course grade, assignment feedback, and student-teacher dialogue. The parent page also includes a timesheet calendar and any program and course announcements.

An extremely important feature of the parent page is up-to-date information regarding the student’s course progress. The progress bars are a visual and numerical representation of the time elapsed and work graded in the student's course. Another useful feature is the course calendar which indicates the lessons that should be completed each day. Both features are pictured and explained below.

The teacher’s name and email address can also be found on the parent page. Should parents have any questions or concerns regarding a specific assignment or lesson, need additional information regarding an assessment grade or assignment feedback, or simply want to discuss how to best support their student in a particular course, they should contact the teacher via email. Students should always send messages to their teacher via the course’s message box.

Progress Bars

The progress bars appear on the MDLP student and parent pages. Information regarding the percentage of time elapsed (yellow bar) versus the percentage of coursework completed (green bar) are clearly labeled using color coding.

Ideally, the percentages for days used and work graded should be in line with each other. If the green bar surpasses the yellow bar, it means the student is working ahead of schedule and likely on track to complete the course by their end date. If the yellow bar surpasses the green bar, the student needs to engage in their course more often and submit coursework on a more regular basis.

Course Calendar

The course calendar is linked on the MDLP student and parent pages. The student may access the course calendar by clicking on the course calendar link with each of their courses. The parent may access the course calendar by clicking on the course pacing link next to other relevant course information on their parent page.

The course calendar indicates the lessons that should be completed each day. Once a lesson has been completed, it is crossed out on the calendar. The course calendar automatically populates based on the course start and end date. Students may modify the calendar if they have fallen behind, want to work ahead, or want to eliminate weekends or holidays.

Whom to Contact

Teacher

Course content questions
Grading questions
Final exam preparation
Progress in course
Submitting coursework
Assignment/assessment questions

How to contact: Course message box (within the student's course) or by email (found on the parent page or at MDLP Faculty & Staff)

Counselor
(for full-time students only)

Course enrollment needs
Dropped courses/pending status
Course extensions
Learning lab attendance (full-time students)
Progress goals
Social and emotional learning

How to contact: By email at aking@mdlp.org or phone at 480-472-0874 (for full-time students) or counselor at home school (for concurrently enrolled students)

Specialist

Course concerns
Curriculum or content-specific concerns
Teacher concerns
Mathspace application (elementary)
Spanish-speaking parents (world language)
Student support

How to contact: By email or phone (found at MDLP Faculty & Staff)

Technical Support

Technical support issues
Dropped courses (concurrently enrolled students)
Course extensions (concurrently enrolled students)
Learning Management System support
NCAA extensions or removal
Progress goals (concurrently enrolled students)

How to contact: By email at support@mdlp.org or phone at 480-472-0899

Registration

Record/transcript requests
Enrollment documentation
Registration questions
Login information
Concurrent enrollment questions
Withdrawal from program

How to contact: By email at registration@mdlp.org or phone at 480-472-0878 (for full-time students) or
480-472-0882 (for concurrently enrolled students)

Secretary

Final exam proctoring
Credit/challenge test questions
Program concerns (administrator)
Partner district questions (administrator)
MDLP vs MVC
Tuition payments

How to contact: By email at mstouffer@mdlp.org or phone at 480-472-0883

Making Sufficient Progress during the Holidays

Students are able to access their MDLP courses anytime, anywhere, which means students may work at their own pace as long as they continue to maintain sufficient progress. With the holidays approaching, many students may want to take an extended break from their courses to spend time with family and friends. If this is the case, students should plan to work ahead in their courses to ensure they do not fall behind during the holidays.

Sufficient progress is determined by attendance logs and assignment submissions. Students are expected to login to each course in which they are enrolled daily Monday through Friday. Students are also required to submit coursework according to the suggested due dates and course calendar within each course. Students who do not login and submit coursework for 7 consecutive days will receive a progress warning. Students who do not login and submit coursework for 14 consecutive days will be dropped from the course. Students who wish to work ahead may do so with the understanding that they must login and submit coursework within the 14-day progress period.

Students should review the course calendar available in each course to determine a plan for working ahead. The course calendar can be adjusted based on the days in which students will engage in learning and can help students set daily and/or weekly progress goals to ensure successful completion of the course.

MDLP teachers will continue to answer questions, provide feedback, grade assignments, and support students over the holidays with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, December 24-26, December 31, and January 1. MDLP Support will be accessible by email only during the holiday breaks, with the exception of the days listed above.

Students with an IEP or 504

Students with an IEP or 504 are eligible for enrollment in MDLP as long as their IEP or 504 team has determined that the program can meet FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education). Once FAPE has been determined, students with an IEP should meet with their case manager and counselor to determine appropriate courses. Students with a 504 should meet with their 504 coordinator and counselor to determine appropriate courses. It is imperative that students are enrolled in courses that meet their strengths and needs per their IEP/504.

Upon enrollment in a course, the student's MDLP teacher is notified of their IEP/504 and online accommodations. Teachers will provide all accommodations that are appropriate for the online setting per a student's IEP/504. Teachers will work proactively with students to ensure a successful outcome, and students should self-advocate throughout the duration of the course. Parents should also provide support at home by providing appropriate accommodations, such as reading directions aloud, encouraging use of text-to-speech features, or monitoring progress.

The resources below include additional resources and information for students enrolled in an online course or considering enrollment:

Students enrolled full-time through MDLP with an IEP are assigned a case manager. Ms. Keeton can be reached at tkkeeton@mpsaz.org. Students enrolled full-time through MDLP with a 504 will work directly with the MDLP counselor, who may be reached at aking@mdlp.org or 480-472-0874.

Education & Career Action Plan

An Education & Career Action Plan (ECAP) reflects a student’s current plan of coursework, career aspirations, and extended learning opportunities in order to develop the student’s individual academic, career goals, and postsecondary plans. In Mesa Public Schools, ECAP is required for all 5-12th grade students. For full-time MDLP students, the MDLP counselor is responsible for creating a plan for the implementation of each lesson at each grade level.

The ECAP process results in a student portfolio. Students outline their secondary and postsecondary plans aligned to their career aspirations. The portfolio documents a student's academic, extracurricular, postsecondary, and career attributes. An ECAP does not replace an IEP or CTE Program of Study.

ECAP is an ongoing process that empowers students to create a meaningful and individualized plan toward postsecondary success. With support and guidance from their counselor, students undergo a process of: self-exploration, career planning and management, and career exploration. ECAP personalizes the education experience by helping students align coursework and extracurricular activities to a career pathway that reflects their individual interests, skills, and values. ECAP develops the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary for students to make informed decisions for maximized lifetime employability in living-wage careers. It is also a tool that connects students to the multiple resources and initiatives in Arizona that provide support and guidance for career and college readiness.

More information regarding ECAP for Arizona students can be found at ADE ECAP Student Information. If a parent or student has any questions regarding ECAP, they may contact the MDLP counselor at aking@mdlp.org or 480-472-0874.

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