Two women standing talk to each other

Reinventing Professional Development

Unlocking the Potential of Curriculum

93 percent of leaders say professional learning must be active, ongoing, and focused.

That’s why we’re working to disrupt the one-and-done professional development workshops of yesterday with relevant, job-embedded systems of professional learning.

Working with leaders at all levels of the school system, we design ongoing professional learning strategies, turnkey content, and structures that build educators’ expertise and confidence in using high-quality instructional materials.

Teachers collaborate every week to collaborate around addressing grade-level standards and diverse needs in their lessons, so every day in the classroom helps every student get ahead. At the same time, we work with leaders to establish supportive school and system-level conditions that enable strong instruction to take hold.

School-Based Learning

We design weekly, school-based content cycles that allow teachers to build deep content knowledge together, co-plan and practice lessons with peers, and receive feedback before lessons make it in front of students. We take the curriculum teachers are using every day and design sessions that build on key standards and concepts over time. 

The Process

Cycles cover a primary topic in four subtopics that follow a 3-week pattern. The goal is to focus narrowly and go deep. Leading Educators designs custom cycles that respond to partners’ content priorities, their high-quality curricula, and priority grades(ex: K-2, 3-5, 6-12). Working with their leadership coach or other programmatic staff to make adjustments, school-based instructional leaders facilitate cycles within their school.

Sample content cycle sequence

THE CONDITIONS

Unlike typical professional development, our approach takes context, culture, and resources necessary for lasting change into account. As we partner, we use an evidence-based development continuum to assess six conditions that are key to strong professional learning systems and set goals.

We Meet Partners Where They Are

Some school systems already have strong leadership models, and some are just getting started. We’re experienced in supporting both. We draw from evidence-based methods that have worked in the world’s most effective education systems to help educators take on more instructional leadership and put teacher support where it matters most. That’s leadership that makes a difference.

View Current Partnerships
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Lasting Impact

When our partnerships take root, teachers are no longer on their own. Instead, they can count on regular opportunities–within the school day–to apply new learning, practice in a safe space, and make thoughtful adjustments for diverse learning needs. Educators at every level of the school system gain a shared understanding of behaviors and practices that promote equity.

white line drawing of student raising hand at desk

Teachers

gain the time to build confidence with content and strategies that work for students.

Overhead view of teachers sitting around a round table

School Leaders

gain more capacity to support and develop teachers who have different strengths--especially in terms of providing feedback and advice about their instruction.

Two hands grasp each other

School Systems

can more consistently provide strong teaching in every classroom in every school while making the teaching profession more sustainable and fulfilling for their educators.

See it in Action

From coast to coast, we have supported diverse school systems in more than 20 cities to reach their most important goals for students and families. These case studies share how systemic professional learning took shape in a specific context and the learning we’re carrying forward.

Case Studies
A teacher calls on a student while doing a read aloud with students seated on the floor