SAS Portal Help Desk
PD Center - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Am I required to have a PPID number to take a PD Center course?
- What is a self-paced course?
- Are PD Center courses designed for classroom teachers only?
- Can a student take more than one Effective Strategies course?
- Is a student required to pass all assignments in order to obtain course credit and Act 48 credit?
- How long will it take for my instructor to grade my work?
- I have failed an assignment. Can I resubmit it?
- How many times can a student resubmit an assignment in a course?
- If a student resubmits an assignment that reflects no revision can the instructor decline the opportunity for the student to resubmit?
- Is it possible to receive an extension to complete course assignments?
- How many times is a student able to retake a course?
- I have failed a course twice; what can I do?
- How will my Act 48 credits be reported? Must I submit anything to PERMS to receive credit for the course?
- I have completed a course, and have not received any notification that I received the credit. What should I do?
Am I required to have a PPID number to take a PD Center course?
No; anyone who has a SAS user account can register for a PD Center course. However, only users with a PPID number saved in their Profile will be eligible to receive Act 48 credit from PERMS.
All of the courses in the SAS PD center are self-paced. Self-paced courses are designed for independent study, allowing you to work on your own. As such, no formal meetings with your instructor are required in order for you to successfully complete your course and receive Act 48 credit.
Are PD Center courses designed for classroom teachers only?
There are job-embedded activities found in all of the courses that require educators to integrate the knowledge and skills learned within a course into the classroom. If you currently are not a full-time teacher or you have an educational role that supports students outside of the classroom, SASPD courses 1-8 contain alternate job-embedded activities that allow you to fulfill all course requirements to obtain Act 48 credit.
Effective Strategies Supporting Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Instruction, Teaching in the 21st Century: The Need for Change, and K-12 Math Open-ended Problem Solving contain numerous job-embedded activities that require classroom implementation. If you are unable to meet these requirements, please enroll in SASPD courses 1-8.
Can a student take more than one Effective Strategies course?
No. The content and assessments in Effective Strategies Supporting English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science are the same. Educators may take only one of these courses for Act 48 credit.
Is a student required to pass all assignments in order to obtain course credit and Act 48 credit?
A student must successfully complete all assignments in order to obtain Act 48 credit. Passing grades are located on assessment pages and all of the assignment rubrics.
How long will it take for my instructor to grade my work?
Instructors must grade student assignments within 7 business days of their submission. Please contact your instructor via the Messages tool within your course if you have specific questions regarding an assignment.
I have failed an assignment. Can I resubmit it?
Students who receive a failing grade on an assignment may re-submit it once, making revisions based upon instructor feedback.
How many times can a student resubmit an assignment in a course?
A student may resubmit an assignment once. An instructor may use their discretion based on his or her circumstances, i.e. they misunderstood the instructor’s feedback, etc.
If a student resubmits an assignment that reflects no revision can the instructor decline the opportunity for the student to resubmit?
Yes, upon the initial submission of an assignment, the instructor reviews and provides descriptive feedback about the modifications that a student must make to obtain a passing grade. Therefore, it is not a good use of an instructor’s time to provide identical feedback a second time. If a student does need to resubmit an assignment, the instructor will clarify in their feedback that they will only have one additional opportunity to resubmit.
Is it possible to receive an extension to complete course assignments?
Extensions to complete remaining assignments are at the sole discretion of the course instructor. Please submit a written request stating the circumstance that necessitates the request, to the instructor to be considered for an extension.
How many times is a student able to retake a course?
If a student has failed a course the first time, they may retake the same course one additional time.
I have failed a course twice; what can I do?
Mitigating circumstances are any problems that you have experienced that may have affected your academic performance and your ability to successfully complete a course, i.e. serious illness, family issues, etc. If there are mitigating circumstances surrounding a failed second attempt at a course, users should contact William Augustine, (717) 783-9260 at the Pennsylvania Department of Education to request an extension.
How will my Act 48 credits be reported? Must I submit anything to PERMS to receive credit for the course?
Once a student has successfully completed a course, their credits will be automatically reported to PERMS. Upon receipt from PERMS, the student will receive an email containing a certificate of completion.
I have completed a course and have not received any notification that I received the credit. What should I do?
Please contact the SAS Help Desk at helpdesk@pdesas.org to verify successful completion of the course.
