PL Update Administrator Edition

professionallearning@cfisd.net

"Reliability is the quality that leads others not just to believe you, but to believe in you."

~Samuel Humble Vah

Thank you for your continued patience, flexibility, and partnership as we move closer to launching PowerSchool Perform.

We know many appraisers are eager to begin their appraisal work and gain hands-on experience with the new system. Our teams are continuing to work behind the scenes to verify data, complete system setup, and establish a strong foundation for a successful launch.

Our Information Technology team continues to make significant progress within the Perform environment. As users are imported into the system, you may begin to see evidence of this work when exploring the platform.

Because of the size of our district, importing and validating user data is a layered process that requires careful attention. Taking the time to verify information now will help ensure a smoother experience once appraisal activities begin.

Once user information has been verified, the next critical step will be assigning appraisal plans to teachers.

User validation and appraisal plan assignments are essential components of the launch. Once both are complete, appraisers will be able to begin engaging in appraisal work within Perform.

Our office is also developing resources to support appraisers as they transition to Perform. Look for help guides, tutorials, and other resources designed to provide guidance as you navigate the new system.

Our team will continue working closely with Information Technology and PowerSchool throughout October to move implementation forward. As we reach key milestones, we will communicate updates, guidance, and next steps.

As you begin navigating PowerSchool Perform, we’ll be here to support you along the way. Beginning Monday, October 26, our Monday Matters sessions will offer virtual office hours for appraisers through November 16.

These sessions will be come-and-go and hosted virtually via Google Meet. Bring your questions, and we’ll walk through the steps with you as you become familiar with the new platform. Whether you need help finding your way around Perform, understanding a task, or simply want to see how something works, drop in and let us help.

Be on the lookout for a follow-up email with office hour dates, times, and Google Meet links.

During Phase 1 of the appraisal process, teachers will establish and implement a Personal Professional Goal, as well as a Goal for Student Growth. As a final step in this process, the teacher and appraiser will schedule a face-to-face Goal-Setting Conference to review the Personal Professional Goal as well as the Goal for Student Growth.

Access this shared folder of available training materials for the Goal-setting Process.

A help guide for teachers for completing Phase 1 is posted on your CFPGS Homepage under My Appraisal Resources.

Calling all campus and instructional leaders! Drop in for a focused 30-minute session designed just for you. Rolling sessions will be offered throughout the day, so join us when it works best for your schedule.

We’ll cover the essentials of your Sibme account, including admin tools, visibility into campus activity, and managing your team. We’ll also walk through a day in the life of an instructional leader in Sibme, highlighting practical ways to use the platform for observations, coaching conversations, and supporting your staff.

Come with questions. We’ll make time for them!

Teachers will have an opportunity to explore Sibme through a lens designed specifically for their role. This session will provide practical guidance for using Sibme to support evidence collection, reflection, and engagement throughout the appraisal process.

• October 27: Say It With Purpose—Level-Up Your Feedback
• November 5 or 10: Align Before You Assign—Level-Up Your Calibration
• January 4: Administrator Refresher and Calibration Kickoff
• February 15: Don’t Start From Scratch—Summatives and Sibme

These sessions will focus on purposeful feedback, campus and district calibration, and using evidence collected in Sibme to support summative appraisal conferences.

• November 3: More Than a Score—Level-Up Your Student Work Analysis
• April 26: The Year in the Rearview

These sessions will help participants reflect on their progress toward designation, use Sibme to support student work analysis, celebrate growth, and plan next steps.

Review the complete 2026–27 training and registration schedule for session descriptions, times, and registration links.

Since our “go live” launch in January 2023, the paraeducator evaluation pilot has continued to grow through a slow, thoughtful, and purposeful rollout each school year. Thanks to the feedback, support, and collaboration of our pilot participants, we are excited to continue expanding the process in 2026–27 by adding additional campus-based paraeducator groups as we move closer toward full implementation of the district’s online appraisal system.

As part of this expansion, Domain 1 of the evaluation is differentiated based on the essential functions of each role, helping ensure the process more accurately reflects the day-to-day responsibilities and expectations of participating paraeducators.

Below is a full list of the paraeducator groups included in the 2026–27 pilot expansion. We encourage all participating staff and supervisors to review the information carefully as we continue building a consistent, supportive, and growth-focused evaluation process across the district.

What if the obstacles standing between you and your goals could actually help you achieve them? Join Educators Thriving and Cy-Fair AFT for W.O.O.P. Your Well-Being: How Reflecting on Obstacles Brings Our Dreams to Life on Saturday, November 7, from 9:00–11:00 a.m. at Berry Center.

Explore the research behind the W.O.O.P. framework—Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan—and learn how this evidence-based approach can support well-being and help bridge the gap between intention and action. Participants will reflect on positive thinking, identify potential obstacles, and develop practical strategies they can apply in their personal and professional lives.

Seating is limited!

Click HERE to register.

In an effort to ensure that all professional development credits earned toward August District Professional Development days are accurately reflected on teacher transcripts, the Office of Professional Learning is reconciling District Content Credits (DCC) for August 3-4 for teachers who did not earn the required credits and have not yet reconciled these credits.

To ensure an efficient process for August DCC reconciliation, we ask that elementary principals and secondary directors of instruction please assist with the following:

1. Pull your campus 2026-27 PD Calendar Year: Total Credits report available in CFPGS.
2. Determine which teachers have missing DCC credit.
3. Seek resolution to credit discrepancies. For discrepancies related to DCC, please get in touch with the appropriate curriculum coordinator for assistance.
4. Offer assistance to any campus teacher in submitting an absence to your campus designee should a teacher need to report an absence for one or more DCC days.

At this time, our office will reconcile August DCC discrepancies only. Next semester, we will address DCC discrepancies for February 15.

In mid October, principals and DIs will receive an email with an electronic list of teachers who have not fulfilled their DCC requirements and have not yet reconciled their credits. Teachers identified on the list will also receive a direct email from ProfessionalLearning@cfisd.net regarding their current DCC status and the options available for resolving any discrepancies.

Available options for teachers to resolve discrepancies include the following:

1. Submit an absence through the building designee
2. Be docked a daily rate of pay

***Teachers MAY NOT use a personal day for a staff development day.***

Pull your campus 2026-27 PD Calendar Year: Total Credits report in CFPGS. This report provides an at-a-glance view of where your teachers stand regarding DCC. To navigate to the report, log into CFPGS and click on the Reporting tab. Under My Reports, click on the Run Report button located to the left of the report.

We are SO excited to share with you our newest professional development opportunity to sharpen your saw. Quantum Learning Brain Bits Sessions begin on October 4! For session details, select the button below or scan the QR code.

Witsby™ is modernizing how educators learn, lead, and thrive.

Witsby™ On-Demand Learning offers flexible professional development through CFPGS. Each course provides up to 4 hours of credit, with some also offering GT credit. You must earn at least 80% on the final/knowledge check for each module and on the final course assessment to receive credit, with opportunities to review and retake as needed. Courses are fully integrated into CFPGS for easy registration and access. You MUST register in CFPGS to receive credit.

Click HERE to access a full list of available courses.

But, wait! Witsby™ offers even more!

You also have access to a growing library of research-based PD content, including videos, articles, and ebooks by ASCD authors and leading practitioners.

To explore the full suite of available resources, log in to CFPGS, select the Witsby™ tab, and begin exploring!

Visit your CFPGS Homepage to access the Witsby On-Demand Courses Help Guide and a curated list of courses under Resources for Professional Learning and Resources for GT.

If you came on board after the school year started, we’re thrilled to have you. We will work with you to ensure you are supported in the various onboarding activities.

To educate employees on the various health, safety, social, and ethical issues that might arise on the job, the district requires that all employees complete a series of compliance-related courses. As compared to previous school years, the structure, format, and types of courses offered for the current school year may differ from previous years. Changes are based on district requirements, current legislation, and state and federal law.

Here is a complete listing of required compliance-related courses for RETURNING EMPLOYEES, NEW HIRE EMPLOYEES, and SPECIFIC AUDIENCES (i.e., nurses, campus admin).

Courses marked with a ⭐ ICON offer the TEST-OUT option. To ensure the successful completion of each course, users are encouraged to follow the directions highlighted in the help guide referenced below.

Employees launch each course via the Cypress-Fairbanks Professional Growth System (CFPGS). The courses are available 24/7 online. Employees are pre-registered (with some exceptions) for required courses. Courses should be completed within the first six weeks of employment.

Employees are automatically enrolled in compliance-related courses upon completion of the hiring process.

A help guide for accessing and completing compliance-related courses is posted on your CFPGS Homepage under Resources for Professional Learning.

Four key principles govern a comprehensive induction program: orientation, ongoing support provided through the district's New Teacher Institute, mentoring, and networking. The goal of mentoring and induction programs is the retention and growth of new teachers so that every student succeeds.

Mentoring is a partnership created to help support new teachers by providing them with an experienced teacher to confidentially discuss topics and provide guidance. Below are a few suggested items mentors can do/share to support mentees on their campuses during the month of October:

• Check to make sure emergency lesson plans are in place. Encourage the teacher to have enough material for 2-3 days, just in case.
• Discuss formal observation(s) or upcoming observations.
• Observe each other’s classroom instruction sometime between October and December (one observation each during this time frame).
• Debrief department, grade level, team, and committee meetings. Answer questions about unknown terms, acronyms, or unclear processes. Be prepared to explain the rationale for or history behind comments/decisions.
• Discuss how their classroom management & discipline plans are going. Encourage the mentee to keep a list of changes they may want to make for the following semester.
• Review how grades are reported & how grade reports will be distributed to parents.

• Discuss parent/teacher conferences, including tips on how to conduct and/ or handle parent issues, support staff available, and what to prepare.
• Explain spirit weeks/special events and extra-curricular activities.
• Show the mentee where they may find opportunities for professional development or attend conferences.
• Make sure the mentee has received proper documentation or has access to necessary information for special education students, students with 504s, or other special services.

Lead Mentors are invited to join us on Wednesday, November 4 from 5:00-6:00 PM via Google Meet.

Register TODAY for Session #66508.

You are just a click away from additional resources to support Lead Mentors, Mentors, and New Teachers. Simply click HERE.

Feel free to reach out to tonya.dixon@cfisd.net with questions or concerns

At every campus, Professional Learning Liaisons are specifically chosen to serve in the role based on their knowledge and willingness to help others grow. As the school year begins, PLLs help monitor staff’s progress in completing the beginning of the year Compliance Courses.

In addition, PLLs assist staff with accessing professional development transcripts and records and share information about professional development opportunities.

The next Professional Learning Liaison Share Session will be held on November 5th from 5:00-6:00 via Google Meet.

PLLs are reminded to register for Session #66514.

Feel free to reach out to torine.champion@cfisd.net with questions or concerns.

Because we know that you continuously seek opportunities to grow others and yourself, we encourage you to explore and share two available resources that are just a couple of clicks away. Scroll down to learn more.

• Leadership Development Resources – visit here to find information regarding the district’s Leadership Institute Series
• Graduate Resources – this one-stop-shop provides various graduate programs for those seeking principal certification and/or a M.Ed., Ed.D., or Ph.D.

The Professional Learning Department is committed to providing support, building capacity, and cultivating talent by partnering with departments across the district to provide research-based professional development that can translate into improved student achievement and overall school effectiveness.

The team offers educators a continuum of support services through multiple professional learning opportunities. From new teacher induction and mentoring to the teacher appraisal process, leadership development, and Quantum Learning, the Professional Learning staff strives to provide high-quality, job-embedded professional learning for all stages of professional growth. The essential functions of the department are as follows:

1. Cypress-Fairbanks Professional Growth System (CFPGS)
2. New Teacher Induction and Mentoring
3. Teacher Appraisal Process
4. Graduate Cohorts and Resources
5. Districtwide Professional Development

Glenda Horner, Ed.D.

Director for Professional Learning

Torine Champion, Ed. D.
Coordinator for Professional Learning

Tonya Dixon, Ed.D.

Professional Learning Specialist

Belinda Sepulveda
Administrative Assistant to Director for Professional Learning

Pat Bice
Administrative Assistant for Professional Learning