• PL Resources

  • Gifted and Talented

    Every teacher who teaches identified gifted and talented students in a core content area is required to complete a one-time 30-hour foundational training on gifted and talented education. After the school year begins, principals will receive a list of teachers on their campus who are in need of the core training. New teachers who are joining us from another district and have previously been trained will be asked to present documentation of that training. Teachers who will need training this year will be contacted by the district Gifted Services Coordinator with more information on accessing this training.
    Each year following the year of your foundational training, teachers will be required to obtain 6 GT Update Hours of professional learning centered on gifted and talented students. Opportunities to obtain these hours can come from campus specialists, PISD Trade Learning Saturdays, or online through third parties. Elementary teachers will receive more details on update hours from your campus specialists, and secondary teachers will receive more information from curriculum coordinators.

    Below are some options for receiving update hours: 

    TAGT Online Courses

    Plano ISD offers access to the Texas Association of Gifted and Talented (TAGT) Online courses for all current teachers needing 6 hours of GT Update Credit. These high-quality courses focus on differentiation and extension for GT students and are offered in 1, 3, and 6-hour increments.  

    To begin, log in to PowerSchool Development and click the Out-of-District Activity tab on the top navigation menu. The registration url and new access code are included as a resource for you there. You can access PowerSchool Development through Webdesk.

    Region 10: Advanced Academics

    Plano ISD is a member of the Region 10 Advanced Academics cooperative, giving you access to a catalog of online and face-to-face opportunities to expand your abilities to meet the needs of GT Learners. You may choose from any of the "Pick 6" Online options to fulfull your GT Update Requirements. There is no access code required; however, you will need to sign up for a Region 10 account with your pisd.edu email. 

    Course progress, certificates, and evaluations are housed within in the TAGT and Region 10 systems. You will need to upload your certificate to PowerSchool Develop as an out-of-district activity once the course is completed for these hours to be included in your transcript. 

  • Online Courses

    Self Paced Courses

    Plano ISD offers 150+ self-paced online courses through PowerSchool Development. For instructions on accessing this collection of courses, click here. Credit will be assigned to your transcript automatically upon completion. Courses within this collection are identifiableble by the icon below.

    Self Paced

    Courses are offered on the following topics: 

    • Assessment
    • Classroom Management
    • Differentiated Instruction
    • Planning
    • Social-Emotional Learning
    • Student-Centered Learning
    • Student Engagement
    • Collaboration
    • Special Education
    • English Language Learners (ELL)
    • Behavior
    • Compliance
    • Technology in the Classroom

  • eBook Library

    The Plano ISD Professional Learning Department provides access to over 100 eBooks on a wide variety of educational topics. All PISD employees can access the eBook library through the PISD Webdesk or directly by clicking here. In addition to accessing the books themselves, our license allows Plano ISD employees to download each chapter as a PDF which can be printed, copied and distributed within the district. Use our eBooks to supplement your professional learning. Contact us if you have any questions.

  • Book Studies

    You may request credit for time spent in a group or individual book study. Hours can be requested according to the activities completed and artifacts submitted in PowerSchool Development. Enter your credit requests as Out-of-District Activity. 

    • Books are accessible through the PISD Library Catalog, though book studies are not limited to these texts. Check out our free eBook catalog here.
    • Upon completion of the book study, each member will need to upload their artifacts or evidence of learning and complete the reflection.

    We offer a menu of options for processing your learning. Hours can be awarded according to the selections made and artifacts submitted in PowerSchool Development. Enter your credit requests as Out-of-District Activity which will be approved by your administrator.