"At-Promise Students": Practical Approaches for Students Considered "At-Risk" is a professional development course designed to equip educators with the knowledge, strategies, and mindset needed to support students who are often labeled as “at-risk.” This course reframes the narrative by recognizing these learners as “at-promise,” emphasizing their potential and resilience. Through evidence-based practices and culturally responsive approaches, participants will explore how to foster motivation, implement effective classroom management techniques, engage families and communities, and support students’ mental health and well-being. By the end of the course, educators will be empowered to create inclusive, supportive learning environments that nurture the academic and social-emotional growth of all students.
Offered through the University of San Diego’s Division of Professional and Continuing Education in collaboration with the university’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences , the program prepares you to apply best practices to plan, deliver and assess character education in the classroom.
This professional development course, is led by distinguished faculty from the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES). SOLES Professional Learning (SPL) educators bring a rich blend of academic expertise and practical, real-world experience to support meaningful learning and application.
Grading and Feedback: This course is self-graded and does not include instructor feedback
Number of Units: 1.0 graduate level extension credits in semester hours
Who Should Attend: This course is ideal for students, educators, community leaders, and professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of social justice and apply it in personal, academic, and civic contexts.
Refund Policy: To receive a refund, students need to drop the course through the MyPCE@USD student account portal before midnight (11:59PT) on the third day of the course. The refund of the course fee will be returned less a processing fee of 10% of the course tuition. No refunds will be issued after this deadline.
Once you have enrolled in this course, you may access Course Instructions upon logging into your account.
This professional development course is led by distinguished faculty from the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES). SOLES Professional Learning (SPL) educators bring a rich blend of academic expertise and practical, real-world experience to support meaningful learning and application.
The Professional and Continuing Education program nurtures key partnerships on the local, national, and international level. The goal is to better serve working professionals who seek to enhance or build their careers and help achieve their highest value and potential. Contact us today to learn more.
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Courses offer a convenient, yet rigorous style of learning that allows you to structure your education to suit your schedule while keeping you on pace toward achieving your educational goals.
Online fixed-date courses are delivered virtually but follow a predetermined schedule, requiring students to complete assignments, participate in discussions, and take assessments by specific deadlines—much like a traditional classroom. The key difference is that while traditional courses are conducted in person at set times and locations, online fixed-date courses allow students to engage remotely, offering more flexibility in where they learn while preserving structure and accountability through fixed timelines. (Note: Any scheduled Zoom sessions will be outlined on the class schedule.) These courses have fixed start and finish dates, but as an online student you will have 24/7 online access to your classroom assignments, syllabus and course resources. Instructor feedback is shared along with the graded assignments.
How is the learning structured? Each online fixed-date course is asynchronous, meaning that you can work on your assignments anytime, although you are required to complete the assignments by specific dates. The course is designed with learning modules where all of the content is grouped into weekly assignments. Each module covers one or more topics. Within each of the learning modules, you can expect the following components:
• Module introduction that outlines what you can expect to learn in the module.
• Required readings (textbook, articles, journals, etc.) and presentations (audio and/or video).
• Assignments with due dates (which may include: written assignments, journal entries, research, blogs, etc.) based on the readings and presentations.
• Discussion forum where you answer prompts from the instructor and interact with your classmates.
• Module conclusion to review the topics and what you should have learned.
Typically, there is a final project, paper, or exam due in the last module that culminates all of the topics covered in each of the learning modules. You’ll find that the design of the learning modules has a rhythm to help you manage your time in the course.
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