MDLP Newsletter

MPS Promise ...
Every student in Mesa Public Schools is known by name, served by strength and need,
and graduates ready for college, career, and community.

MDLP Mission ...
To develop expert learners who have the knowledge and skills to succeed
and contribute in a rapidly changing global community.

MDLP Vision ...
To provide a safe, supportive environment where all students engage
in personalized, competency-based learning that is rigorous and relevant.

February 3-7 is National School Counseling Week! As MDLP’s school counselor for full-time students, Ms. McLaughlin wants to celebrate this time by sharing some of the updates to the MDLP Counseling Corner.

The Counseling Corner page is accessible on the MDLP student page (Advisement > Counseling Corner) and includes resources and information about calming and wellness, local college and career fairs, college applications and scholarship information and a link to the MDLP Counseling Hub. This is where you can find relaxation videos, community resources, and even a short presentation about what to expect with testing at MDLP (for those who may be nervous about taking final exams). Bookmark this link to access at anytime.

Ms. McLaughlin's goal is to support students and families throughout their MDLP enrollment. Please let her know if you have any questions or ideas to better support you. She can be reached at msmclaughlin@mpsaz.org or 480-308-6007.

Facility rental, community education, and course fees are annually brought to the MPS Governing Board for approval for the upcoming school year. At the January 28, 2025 Governing Board meeting, a recommendation was made to approve multiple increases to the community education fee schedule to ensure that revenues in the affected programs can keep pace with the expenses. With this approval, MDLP course fees were increased to $250 per semester-length course. The fee increase will take effect for summer courses in March 2025 and concurrent enrollment in August 2025.

More information regarding MDLP course fees may be found on the MDLP Course Fees page.

There has been a lot of information regarding immigration in the news, particularly in light of the Department of Homeland Security’s January 21, 2025 repeal of its 2021 guidance instructing officers to refrain from taking enforcement actions at or near schools. MPS wants families to know we remain committed to offering an equal educational opportunity to all students.

Our schools are caring and safe places that welcome all learners. We do not require proof of immigration status as part of our enrollment process and we fully comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which requires us to maintain the confidentiality of all personally identifiable information in education records related to students. We will not disclose your child’s information, even to law enforcement officials, without your prior written consent, unless compelled to do so by a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena. In these circumstances, you will be informed immediately, unless we are legally prohibited from doing so.

For families seeking assistance, the City of Mesa’s Family Resource Center will provide a navigator for families to understand their rights and learn about available resources.

You can count on MPS to provide safe and caring learning environments where every student is known by name, served by strength and need so they graduate ready for college, career, and community.

In order to support blended students while learning online, live sessions with Ms. Hess and Ms. Geraldo, both certified teachers, are provided throughout the week. These live sessions are now referred to as Ask a Teacher.

Ask a Teacher is:

• designed to support you with the transition to online learning,

• intended to supplement an asynchronous course, and

• intended to be a support system.

Students may attend these sessions for a variety of reasons, such as:

• support with a particular math problem, science lab, or writing assignment,

• questions about how to complete or start an assignment,

• help setting up notes in order to prepare for a quiz or test,

• talk to a teacher about setting realistic academic goals, or

• a quiet place to work with access to a teacher.

Attending sessions on a regular basis can help increase your understanding of course concepts and skills, improve your motivation toward successful course completion, and enhance your engagement with online learning.

The Ask a Teacher calendar can be accessed from the MDLP student page. Click on the Ask a Teacher calendar to view the specific dates and times sessions are available each week. This opportunity is available through the end of the traditional school year and will resume again next school year.

Students may enroll in MDLP summer courses to address learning deficiencies or for credit advancement. All courses are asynchronous, self-paced with suggested due dates, and require independent learning. All courses are taught by appropriately certified teachers, who answer questions, provide feedback, and support student success throughout the course.

MDLP summer course enrollment begins on Tuesday, March 18 and ends on Tuesday, July 15. Course end dates will be set eighteen weeks from the course start date unless requested otherwise. Students are highly encouraged to complete all summer courses before the first day of the traditional school year.

The MDLP summer course fee is $250 per semester-length course. This course fee applies to all MDLP summer courses for MPS and non-MPS students. Tuition may be paid online through MPS web page.

Current MDLP full-time students may continue to enroll in tuition-free courses throughout the summer due to their school calendar being year-round. ESA students are required to pay full ESA fees during the summer months per funding dates in the ESA Parent Handbook.

More information regarding summer courses can be found at MDLP Summer Courses.

Starting in the 25-26 school year, students attending a high school on a traditional six-period schedule may enroll in one additional MDLP class (or A- or Z-hour) at no cost, allowing for a total of seven classes in a semester. If a student enrolls in an MDLP course as part of their traditional schedule (one of their six scheduled courses), a course fee does not apply. Any classes exceeding seven in a semester will incur a fee of $250 per semester-length course. This applies to students enrolled at Mesa High School only.

Students attending a high school on a block schedule have the opportunity to take up to eight classes per semester at no charge, due to the flexibility of the block schedule. If a student enrolls in an MDLP course as part of their block schedule (one of their eight scheduled courses), a course fee does not apply. Any classes exceeding eight in a semester will incur a fee of $250 per semester-length course. This applies to students enrolled at Dobson, Mountain View, Red Mountain, Skyline, and Westwood High Schools.

Elementary and junior high students who are enrolled in an MDLP course as part of their school day are not assessed a course fee. However, all elementary and junior high enrollments require administrator approval. ESA students will be assessed course fees based on the Community Education Program Fee Schedule. Full-time MDLP students are not assessed course fees per ARS 15-808.

More information regarding MDLP course fees may be found on the MDLP Course Fees page.

MPS has a new visitor sign-in system called Visitor Aware. This system is currently available at all elementary schools, including MDLP. When visiting the MDLP office, please sign in on the device located near the front office door. Once a visitor has checked in on a site one time they are registered the system for all Mesa schools. Visitors have the ability to preregister in the system at mpsaz.org/visitors. Students do not need to sign-in to the new system, but they are required to wear their school ID. Implementing Visitor Aware is another step toward ensuring a safe and caring environment for our students.

February 10 and 13

AZELLA Testing (only for students who qualify for ELL)

Testing dates for AZELLA. Communication regarding specific testing dates will be posted on the MDLP state testing page and sent to families via phone call, email, announcement, and letter. Please remember that participation in state testing is required for full-time students per ARS 15-808.

February 17

MDLP Office Closed

The MDLP office will be closed for registration, enrollment, final exams, and live sessions. Students may contact their teacher via the course message box or email MDLP support at support@mdlp.org.

March 17 - April 28

ADE State Testing Window (for students in grades 4-8, 9, and 11)

Testing window for AzSCI, AASA, ACT, and ACT Aspire. Communication regarding specific testing dates and grade levels will be posted on the MDLP state testing page and sent to families via phone call, email, announcement, and letter. Please remember that participation in state testing is required for full-time students per ARS 15-808.

February 28

Blended Enrollment for New Students Ends

Last day for students to enroll as an MDLP blended student. Blended enrollment opens again on July 1, 2025.

March 7

Full-time Enrollment for New Students Ends

Last day for students to enroll as an MDLP full-time student. Full-time enrollment opens again on July 1, 2025.

March 10-14

MDLP Office Closed for MPS Spring Break

The MDLP office will be closed for registration, enrollment, final exams, and live sessions. Students enrolled in an MDLP course should continue to engage in learning. MDLP teachers will continue to grade assignments, answer messages, and provide feedback at least once a day, except on Saturdays. Students may contact their teacher via the course message box or email MDLP support at support@mdlp.org.

March 17

Concurrent Enrollment Ends

Last day for concurrently enrolled students to enroll in an MDLP course needed for graduation, through concurrent enrollment, or free of charge. MDLP full-time students may continue to enroll in courses as long as they are meeting progress goals and attend state testing.

March 18

Summer Enrollment Begins

First day of MDLP summer course enrollment for current MPS high school students. All courses enrolled in on or after this date are considered MDLP summer courses. New course fees for summer courses are in effect starting today.