Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions accompanied by our best answer + access to our excellent support system!

Where is the Stride PD Center an approved vendor?

Each state has different requirements for PD use with recertification.  Most states permit the school or district to approve PD for teacher licensure purposes, and the Stride PD Center has been used in many states for those purposes. 

Can I get credit or renewal units for SPDC courses?

Upon successful completion of each course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion with PD clock hours. Use of these Certificates for licensure renewal will depend on your state’s requirements. 

What happens if I do not pass a course?

The Stride PD Center model is primarily competency-based meaning that teachers cannot advance unless they complete all the assignments.  For quizzes, you have 3 opportunities to complete and will receive feedback on responses as reteaching tools (even if they got the question correct). 

How is passing the course monitored?

Release conditions and triggers are built into our course design that ensure a certificate will not be issued until all of the requirements have been met (i.e. assessments, reflection questions, matching exercises, time spent on videos, etc.) 

Example: Grading Calibration course – ELA teachers are taught how to use the rubric and are given opportunities to rate/score.  When they submit, they see feedback from an expert team that is built into the course.  If that teacher is outside of an acceptable margin, they receive an additional student writing sample to rate via the rubric. 

Are there set times for attendance? Or do we have set times to meet?

All Courses are asynchronous without live attendance.

For any of our live sessions that focus on a national community of educators solving problems together, our subscribers will be notified via email for these optional opportunities in advance.

How is the content curated? Is it research based and is there a reference section or bibliography?

All Stride PD Center courses have been aligned with the Stride Leadership Excellence Framework and Effective Teacher Dimensions.  Courses have also been crosswalked for alignment with ISTE, iNACOL, and Southern New Hampshire University standards as well as the Danielson and Marzano frameworks. 

 

We also leverage Stride’s more than 20 years of work with 55,000 teachers, 3000 schools/districts, and more than 2 million students in building courses for educators.  We also work with subject matter experts in the field to design, develop and align courses for the SPDC.  Thus, any external sources used would be cited within the course.

Having just completed student teaching, what courses should I take to prepare me for my first year?

First, thank you for choosing education – it is such a rewarding career.  Please send us an email indicating you are a first  year teacher and we will give you a FREE year!

 

We would suggest that you start with these courses: (1) Targeted Instruction 101, (2)Differentiation Basics for Every Classroom (3) Empowering Students through Collaborative Problem Solving, (4) How to Scaffold, and (5) the four Classroom Culture courses. These will give you a foundational skills for instruction and pedagogy.

 

One more thing, if you are teaching in an online setting, make sure you check out our course called Day in the Life.

Do I need to download course content?

If you are enrolled to a course (paid or not) you will have access to the whole course contents. In most cases the contents are not available for download and you will need to be connected to the internet and access the contents through your browser. Certain material, like PDF files or PPT presentations may be available for download.

How do I navigate inside a course?

Once you access a course, you will find a full table of contents at the left-hand side of the screen. You can browse through the sections and access the learning unit you would like to study. In most cases you would be better off when simply following the linear course order proposed by the course instructor. In the future you can always come back re-visit any learning unit you wish. Note that learning units that you have visited / completed are marked with a discrete check mark.

What are some of the benefits of the Stride Professional Development Center?

Professional development courses, helpful downloadable resources, and bonus access to live events are bundled together at a highly affordable cost.  

How do I start a Stride Professional Development Center (SPDC) membership?

Simply go to the Pricing page and/or click here to add the subscription to your cart. There is a 14 day trial – and then $79.99 annual charge to maintain your membership and stay part of the community!

What is the cost of the SPDC Subscription Plan?

The cost to access all courses is $79.99 annually and it includes new courses added during the year.  Further, you gain free access to our live events too. 

 

You can start today here!

 

After subscribing to SPDC, what is next?

First, thank you for placing your trust in us! The Stride Professional Development Center wants to add value to you and help you become the best version of yourself possible.

 

Now, go to Your Account and start your learning journey by accessing your first course at the bottom of the page, in any order you wish! 

What Browsers are Supported?

We support the latest versions of all well-known browsers. For optimal studying experience we recommend using Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.

Can I take the courses on my iPhone or smartphone?

Of course you can. This online school is fully responsive in all kinds of mobile devices. For optimal experience you can use the mobile version of Google Chrome, if your device supports it.

How can I get help?

Have questions or need help? Visit our Contact Us page to submit a question, and we do our best to respond within 24 business hours.

Where can I find policies to review?

You can find all available policies in the footer of all pages of the website. These include (not limited to): Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Accessibility. 

Can I take the courses on my iPad or tablet?

Of course you can. This online school is fully responsive in all kinds of electronic devices.

Is internet Access Required?

Internet access is required since all of the course contents are online. We also recommend using a broadband internet connection, especially when you have to go through video content.

Are Refunds Available?

Please refer to our Subscription Terms and Bulk Purchase Terms (Districts).

How do I troubleshoot issues with in-course video?

Our video player automatically tries to adjust the video quality to your internet speed, giving you the highest quality possible but in certain cases, for very slow connections, this might not be possible. If you’re experiencing excessive buffering during playback, it’s probably because your Internet connection cannot support continuous playback of the video. In this case try to reset your connection/internet router or, if possible, try accessing your online courses using a better internet connection.
 
You may also want to try one of the following: 1. Close extra browser tabs or other applications that may be using up your bandwidth. 2. Make sure you’re using the latest version of your browser.