We are an educational training company founded by educators in 1981. Our mission is to provide high quality, graduate level, professional development courses designed to help you respond to current challenges in education. Taught according to adult learning principles and grounded in current educational research, most courses are highly experiential and interactive, allowing each educator a hands-on, practical approach to learning.
Our instructors are educators who have their master's or doctorate degree and are accomplished in their field. Instructors are carefully screened and are regularly evaluated by TCL staff and participants.
Participants completing courses for graduate credit will earn up to 3 semester or 5 quarter credits per course. Transcripts may be requested directly from affiliate university partners. Transcript processing may take up to 3 weeks. TCL courses may also be taken as a noncredit option. Participants will receive a certificate from TCL upon course completion documenting up to 45 professional development clock hours per course. Credits and clock hours are intended to meet professional development requirements for step advancement and renewal of teaching certificates. Always check with your district, state, and/or academic advisor prior to enrolling to determine if TCL course content, formats, credits, or hours are suitable for your intended purpose.
TCL will send you a letter of completion upon receiving your final grade from your instructor. Transcripts will be available from our academic partners upon request. Transcript processing may take up to 3 weeks and will only be available after the course has been completed.
Unless otherwise noted, there are no additional costs for course materials (supplemental participation manuals and textbooks). You will receive your materials on the first day of a site-based course; materials for online courses will be mailed directly to you.
Official university transcripts for courses completed for graduate credit may be requested from our academic partners for a nominal fee.
We make every effort to schedule site-based courses at facilities with ample free parking, but this is not always possible. We ask that you inquire with the facility in advance about the availability of parking so that you can plan accordingly.
In compliance with ADA guidelines, participants with a temporary or permanent condition that might affect their ability to perform in class are encouraged to inform The Connecting Link when registering. Adaptations of teaching methods, course materials, or testing may be made as needed to provide for equitable participation.
TCL automatically emails out invoice for each payment received. You can also download a copy through the Student Portal or call TCL to request one. TCL does not receive funding from the Department of Education’s student aid programs. As such, we do not meet the reporting requirements to complete Form 1098-T. Our university partners are also not eligible to provide 1098-T forms for TCL courses. The Connecting Link can provide a statement of tuition paid, which participants may be able to report as an expense on their tax forms. (Please consult with your tax advisor.)
TCL makes every effort to run all classes as scheduled. Occasionally, a class will not have sufficient enrollment to be held. Your registration counts! Please register early. If a class is cancelled, we will notify you approximately 2 weeks prior to the first day of class. Please note that some circumstances may prevent us from providing 2 weeks’ notice. Since TCL holds satellite courses, the dates, facilities, and/or instructors are subject to change. We will notify you of any such changes; however, we recommend that you also visit our website to verify the course information prior to the first day of class.
Some of our academic partners will accept TCL courses taken for graduate credit to be applied towards advanced degrees. Always check with your academic advisor to determine if TCL courses are eligible for inclusion or transfer into their program.
Online Structured: Participants are required to log in weekly; however, there are no synchronized meeting times. Online structured courses are designed to cover at least 45 hours of content. The lessons are paced throughout an 8-week period to provide guidance through the learning process. Some courses may be offered at an accelerated pace or extend beyond 8 weeks (to accommodate holidays); however, the same course objectives and content requirements will be met.
Online Self-Paced: Participants will work at their own pace to complete self-paced courses within 12 weeks or less. Courses may be accessed as soon as log-in information and textbook (if applicable) are received. Online self-paced courses are designed to cover at least 45 hours of content.
Online Fast-Track: Hours vary by course and participants are able to work at their own pace throughout an 8-week time frame. Courses may be accessed as soon as log-in information is received.