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.

MDLP is fortunate to be a viable learning option for Mesa Public School (and Arizona) students. While the best place for many students to learn is in person with a live teacher alongside their peers, some students prefer the independent, personalized environment offered through online learning. Whether it be for credit recovery, grade replacement, or course advancement, students choose MDLP for a variety of reasons. And, regardless of the reason, parents and students consistently give MDLP high ratings on course and completion surveys.

We recognize that families have choice in where and how their children are educated, and we know that behind every successful student is a teacher or staff member who has dedicated their time and effort to ensuring that every student is known by name and served by strength and need. Should you encounter a student or family who may benefit from an online course (or two or more), please share this informational flyer and encourage them to contact MDLP by calling the MDLP office at 480-308-6015 or emailing registration@mdlp.org.

The MDLP team thanks you for your passion and commitment to public education and online learning.

More information about MDLP state testing can be found at MDLP State Assessments.

MDLP summer course enrollment opened on March 18, and closes on July 15.

To enroll, students must:

1. Complete the online registration form.
2. Have their counselor submit a course approval form (MPS students only).
3. Pay the course fee ($250), which can be processed online through MPS Web Pay.

Once the enrollment form and course approval form are submitted, students are enrolled in the course within 24 hours. Students should begin engaging in learning as soon as they receive their login credential email. Course end dates are set 18 weeks from the start date unless otherwise requested. However, students are strongly encouraged to complete all summer courses before the start of the traditional school year.

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

For students, district-issued email accounts offer greater security compared to personal ones because they are monitored and managed by the district, helping to protect sensitive educational information and block unwanted emails and cyber threats. Additionally, these accounts are maintained and archived according to district policies, ensuring proper record-keeping and accountability. Some districts even require that staff and students communicate exclusively through school email addresses for privacy and safety reasons. Moreover, using a school email address demonstrates professionalism when interacting with MDLP teachers and staff and clearly indicates your affiliation with MPS.

When completing a new MDLP registration form, students should use their MPS district-provided email address. If a student is currently receiving MDLP communications at a personal email address, they should log in to their student page to update their email information. To do this, navigate to Account > User Info > Student Email Address once logged in.

In the near future, MDLP will have to remove all personal email addresses used by students from its database. Using a district-issued email account will ensure students stay connected, secure, and compliant.

In our ongoing effort to get students to complete courses, the MDLP developed a system with a gaming strategy to motivate students. This system consists of competency badges, which will showcase a set of skills, knowledge, or behaviors that students demonstrate they have mastered in a subject or course. All competencies are based on MPS course competencies for ELA, math, science, and social studies, AZ state standards for Spanish, or MPS Portrait of a Graduate skills for electives.

Students may think of their coursework like a game -- where certain assignments earn stars toward exclusive digital badges. Students can show off their skills, track their progress, and prove they are mastering the material. Are they ready to level up and collect them all?

How to earn a badge:

• In the portfolio for your course, any assignment that has a badge associated with will have a trophy next to it. Hovering over the trophy icon will reveal more information about the badge.
• Each time you complete one of these assignments with a score of 70% or better, you will earn a star toward a complete badge.
• When you earn a star, a yellow halo will appear around the badge next time you log on.
• Once you have earned all of the stars, the badge can be seen in full color. You earned a new badge!

Starting with enrollments on March 18, competency badges are available in the following courses. Badges will be added to more courses next school year with the hope of having competency badges in all MDLP courses in the near future.

Students may learn more about competency badges by messaging their MDLP teacher or visiting their MDLP student page > Procedures > Badges.

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 at MDLP Course Fees.

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 any time.

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.

NCAA Divisions I and II recently voted to change the NCAA’s core-course legislation. There is no longer a separate set of requirements for nontraditional courses (i.e. courses taken through an online program). The updated requirements are effective for core-course reviews occurring on or after August 1, 2024.

What this means for students taking an MDLP course is that they may now request an extension if they reach 70% course completion by their end date. Their parent or guardian will no longer be required to complete the MDLP NCAA extension request form. Counselors will still indicate whether a student is an NCAA prospective athlete, but specific NCAA requirements have been removed from MDLP courses.

NCAA prospective athletes should include MDLP as one of their high schools (HS Code: 850257) when registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center. This will ensure proper uploading of student transcripts and documentation. Students may also locate their high school and view the list of approved courses. Ultimately, NCAA will determine the acceptance of courses completed online.

Any questions regarding course acceptance should be directed to the NCAA Eligibility Center.

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.

April 18

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.

May 30 - July 11

MDLP Office Closed on Fridays

The MDLP office will be closed on Fridays during this timeframe. Students may contact their teacher via the course message box or email MDLP support at support@mdlp.org.

June 2 - July 17

MDLP Office Open Extended Hours

The MDLP office will be open from 7:00am to 5:00pm on Mondays through Thursdays during this timeframe.

July 1

Full-time Registration and Enrollment Begins

Students interested in full-time enrollment may register today and begin enrollment upon successful completion of the MDLP readiness module. Registration form can be found at mdlp.org > Enroll Now!

July 4

MDLP Office Closed

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

July 15

Summer Enrollment Ends

Last day of MDLP summer course enrollment for current MPS high school students.

July 18

MDLP Resumes Regular Hours

The MDLP office resumes regular business hours of 7:30am to 3:30pm on Mondays through Fridays.

August 1

Concurrent Enrollment Begins

First day for concurrently enrolled students to enroll in an MDLP course needed for graduation, credit advancement, or course remediation. Registration form can be found at mdlp.org > Enroll Now!