Teachers at their computers

Professional Development

Educator Professional Development

Blended Learning Professional Development

UTHS offers online professional development courses facilitated by specialists with expertise in blended learning implementation. We support teachers and administrators to explore blended learning models and resources, design and facilitate lessons, and scale blended learning from one classroom to the department, school, or district-wide. 

State Reimbursement for Blended Learning Professional Development

To request information to register educators for the online blended learning courses and learn details about the state reimbursement opportunity, please submit a Request Information form by clicking on the link below. Please provide your contact and school information. We will respond to district requests in the order received. 

Request BL PD Information

Request Approval for the TEA Reimbursement to Enroll Teachers in BL PD Courses

District or campus leaders who are ready to submit their blended learning plans in order to receive approval for the TEA reimbursement should click the link below. Leaders must receive approval from UTHS/TEA before enrolling teachers in the courses to receive the reimbursement. Communication with a UTHS blended learning specialist is strongly recommended prior to submitting your form and campus/district blended learning plan. Contact UTHSpartner@austin.utexas.edu or 512-232-3503 to schedule an appointment with a UTHS blended learning specialist. 

Request BL PD TEA Reimbursement & Submit Your Campus/District Plan

When you click on the link above to request the TEA reimbursement, you'll also need to upload your Campus/District BL PD Plan. Here's a Campus/District Blended Learning Readiness and Implementation Plan TEMPLATE to use to develop your plan. Please be sure to complete all sections of the planning template.

UTHS will email the district/campus leader a confirmation of receipt once the online Request for BL PD TEA Reimbursement Form with the BL PD Campus/District Readiness and Implementation Plan are submitted. Reviews will take up to 2 weeks to receive approval. Requests will either be APPROVED or EXTENDED. Requests that are extended will require adjustments and re-submission. Once the district/campus plan is approved, the leader will receive the forms and directions to proceed in enrolling teachers and staff in the online blended learning professional development courses. Teacher and staff names and UT EIDs are required to process the course enrollments. Teachers are required to complete the online courses in order for the district to receive reimbursement. Districts are also required to pay for online course enrollments prior to receiving the TEA reimbursement. Payment may be made by credit card, check, or P.O. to UT High School. 

G/T Professional Development

At UTHS, we have online, self-paced professional development course trainings to meet the state requirements for the gifted/talented (G/T) foundational 30-hour training and 6-hour annual updates. These courses have been developed as a convenient and flexible way for educators, counselors, and administrators to engage in high-quality professional development that fits into their busy, student-centered schedules. All course trainings can be taken as an entire series or individually. The G/T courses are not currently available for the TEA reimbursement.

Benefits to Educators:

  • Take one or more 6-hr training, based on your individual needs
  • Complete the 30-hr G/T foundational training or 6-hr update
  • Start the course trainings at anytime
  • Work on assignments from anywhere
  • Access course materials for up to 60 days
  • Receive guidance from a G/T expert

According to the Texas State Plan, a minimum of thirty clock hours of professional development that includes nature and needs of gifted/talented students, identification and assessment of gifted/talented students' needs, and curriculum and instruction for gifted/talented students is required for teachers who provide instruction and services that are a part of the district's defined gifted/talented services. Teachers are required to have completed the thirty hours of professional development prior to their assignment to the district's gifted/talented services (19 TAC §89.2(1)). Our foundational courses meet and align to the required areas of G/T professional development to meet the 30-hour foundational training. These areas can be found in the G/T FAQ on TEA's website starting in section 4

The professional development requirement can be located on pages 19-21 of the Texas State Plan

Request G/T PD Information

Professional Development Online Course Policies

Participants have 60 days to complete each online professional development course. However, campus or district administrators who pay for educators to participate in the UTHS online PD courses may request approval for a shorter or longer access period for course completion at the time of enrollment. Participants may request a PD Online Course Drop to receive a portion of the course cost refunded if it's within the first 30 days of the course. The PD online course drop fee is equal to 75% of the course cost (refund equals 25% of the course cost). 

Courses

BLC 010 Teacher Blended Learning Basics – Beginner (6 hrs)

$225

An administrator version of this course is now open! Contact UTHSpartner@austin.utexas.edu to enroll.

Start with the basics to learn a variety of models for implementing blended learning as an instructional strategy in your K-12 classroom. Explore strategies, examples, and resources to develop a blended learning lesson plan aligned to your students’ needs and learning objectives. This course is eligible for the TEA reimbursement for approved districts.

Enroll & Pay Now Without TEA Reimbursement
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Request Information for TEA Reimbursement

BLC 020 Teacher Blended Learning Curriculum and Instruction Design & Delivery – Intermediate (6 hrs)

$225

An administrator version of this course is now open! Contact UTHSpartner@austin.utexas.edu to enroll.

Explore a variety of resources, platforms, and instructional strategies to design blended learning unit plans with a focus on effective blended learning instructional delivery that maximizes student engagement and includes a plan for evaluating student learning outcomes over time. This course is eligible for the TEA reimbursement for approved districts.

Prerequisite: Completion of BLC 010 or UTHS administrator approval

Enroll & Pay Now Without TEA Reimbursement
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Request Information for TEA Reimbursement

BLC 021 Teacher Blended Learning Flex Model Design & Delivery – Intermediate (6 hrs)

$225

Registration open!

Explore resources and strategies to provide online learning support and instruction in a flex model environment to design a classroom learning plan focused on individualized student learning.

Enroll & Pay Now Without TEA Reimbursement
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Request Information for TEA Reimbursement

BLC 030 Teacher Blended Learning Coaching and Support – Advanced (6 hrs)

$500

Contact UTHSpartner@austin.utexas.edu to register.

Engage with a blended learning specialist for coaching and support tailored to your individual needs in one or more areas: (1) instructional design; (2) instructional delivery; (3) evaluation measures and learning outcomes; (4) scaling to your department/grade level, campus or district. This course is eligible for the TEA reimbursement for approved districts.

Prerequisite: Completion of BLC 010 and BLC 020 or UTHS administrator approval

Request Information

BLC A30 Administrator Collaborative for Blended Learning Planning – Advanced (6 hrs)

$500

Contact UTHSpartner@austin.utexas.edu to register.

Evaluate instructional models to support blended learning while participating in a collaborative discussion with colleagues to develop a blended learning plan for the upcoming school year. This course is designed to support administrators, curriculum coordinators, instructional coaches, instructional technology specialists, and teacher leaders as they plan for the upcoming school year. The curriculum may be tailored to district needs. This course is eligible for the TEA reimbursement for approved districts.

Prerequisite: Completion of BLC 010 and BLC 020 or UTHS administrator approval

Request Information

GTC 001 Gifted/ Talented Foundational Training: Nature and Needs (6 hrs)

$80

This course provides the foundational training to understanding gifted students and their needs. Unlock their abilities as a myriad of information about their G/T characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses is explored.

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GTC 002 Gifted/ Talented Foundational Training: Identification & Assessment (6 hrs)

$80

Finding G/T students is just the beginning. From the informal methods to the formal methods, teachers need the tools to identify gifted students in their classroom. This course provides assessment measures, identification procedures, and current practices that are being applied throughout the field.

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GTC 003 Gifted/ Talented Foundational Training: Differentiating Curriculum (6 hrs)

$80

One-size does not fit all gifted learners. Differentiation must happen beyond the label of giftedness. This course showcases best practices and research-based instruction that can be incorporated into academic content to meet the needs of different types of G/T learners.

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GTC 004 Gifted/ Talented Foundational Training: Social and Emotional (6 hrs)

$80

Gifted students come with many affective needs: perfectionism, inner locus of control, overexcitabilities, etc. This course introduces these topics so that teachers can apply best practices to the unique needs of their students.

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GTC 005 Gifted/ Talented Foundational Training: Creativity in the Curriculum (6 hrs)

$80

Research shows that strategies that support creativity also support the depth of understanding. This course provides best practices and research-based instruction that infuses the content curriculum with creativity and offers teachers a toolkit for building critical thinkers through creative applications.

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GTC 006 Gifted/ Talented for Counselors (6 hrs)

$80

Counselors play a vital role in gifted students’ school experiences. This course provides a look at key characteristics and needs of gifted students, responses to those needs, models for communication, and strategies specific to the counseling process.

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GTC 007 Gifted/ Talented for Administrators (6 hrs)

$80

Administrators forge the path for gifted students to receive the education that is best aligned to their students' needs. This course provides the rationale for gifted services, the critical elements for successful gifted services, and tools for accountability of these services.

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GTC 008 Social & Emotional Needs for Secondary Students (6 hrs)

$80

Secondary students have many emotional, physical, and social changes that they will experience. In addition, gifted students encounter another layer of complexity in navigating these years. This course provides the research behind the needs specific to gifted secondary students, and how those needs can be addressed in practical ways.

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GTC 009 Student-Centered Learning: Voice & Choice, Secondary Edition (6 hrs)

$80

In today’s classroom, flexibility is key to gaining student investment and commitment. This course provides best practices and implementation strategies with content, product, and process differentiation for secondary students.

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GTC 010 Student-Centered Learning: Voice & Choice, Elementary Edition (6 hrs)

$80

In today’s classroom, flexibility is key to gaining student investment and commitment. This course provides best practices and implementation strategies with content, product, and process differentiation for elementary students.

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GTC 011A: Elementary Gifted Instructional Strategies (6 hrs)

$80

How does proactive student-focused planning and instruction impact the classroom experience? This course builds on foundational learning by diving deeper into practical strategies such as tiered assignments, menus, and instructional learning centers, and also highlights strategies ideal for advanced readers in the primary grades.

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