Commitment to Professional Learning
Job-Embedded Professional Learning
Highlights: Job-embedded professional learning fosters a culture of continuous growth by integrating professional development directly into educators’ daily practice. Across the district, teachers engage in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) through structured faculty meetings and PLC collaborations, ensuring lesson designs are inclusive and adaptable to student needs. Professional learning pathways at Black Rock Middle School empower educators by offering choice in faculty meetings, allowing them to engage with topics that align with their interests and instructional goals. The Black Rock PBIS Steering Committee supports staff in refining behavioral interventions through collaborative research and planning, strengthening MTSS structures. Welsh Valley’s reflection-based Routines and Procedures initiative guides teachers in refining both behavioral and academic structures, using feedback from instructional rounds and observations to enhance student engagement. Co-teaching professional learning at Welsh Valley improves literacy instruction by pairing literacy specialists with ELA teachers, fostering stronger connections between reading and writing skills. Lower Merion High School’s “Pop-Up PD” and Harriton’s “Bite-Sized PD” leverages the morning time slot for quick, actionable professional development, allowing teachers to share best practices in an accessible, impactful format.
Pathway Connection: These initiatives ensure that professional learning remains relevant, collaborative, and embedded in daily teaching practices.
Teacher-Leaders
Highlights: Teacher leadership transforms professional learning by valuing educators' collective expertise. The STEM Endorsement Program equips elementary teachers with specialized STEM knowledge, instructional strategies, and pedagogical skills to enhance instruction. These teacher leaders design interdisciplinary STEM lessons, integrate literacy, and foster creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. The ELA Curriculum Cadre empowers teachers to shape curriculum development by refining curriculum maps, ensuring vertical alignment, and integrating best practices. This collaborative approach ensures that instructional planning is both teacher-driven and responsive to student needs. Teacher Tech Leaders provide just-in-time technology support through weekly sessions, addressing educators' evolving instructional needs. By tracking teacher feedback and refining session topics, the initiative ensures ongoing support and meaningful professional learning.
Pathway Connection: Together, these programs highlight the power of teacher leadership in fostering a collaborative professional learning culture, where educators drive instructional innovation and continuous improvement.
Professional Learning Communities
Highlights: Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) serve as a cornerstone of our commitment to professional learning, fostering a culture of collaboration that honors educators' collective wisdom. Across all grade levels, teachers meet regularly in PLCs to engage in lesson and assessment design, analyze student data, and refine instructional strategies. These meetings provide a structured space for teachers to reflect on best practices and tailor instruction to meet students' academic, social, and emotional needs. A strong example of this work is seen in elementary WIN sessions, where teachers use PLC discussions to ensure each student receives targeted instruction based on specific skills and strategies. In the Spanish department, PLCs facilitate a dynamic approach to instruction by analyzing student assessment data and self-reported pacing preferences. Through ongoing discussions, teachers flexibly regroup students to provide interventions or enrichment opportunities, promoting individualized growth in language proficiency. Similarly, in Harriton's Math 2H PLC, teachers collaborate to examine student work, unpack lesson objectives, and design common assessments. Having worked together for years, these educators have cultivated a trusting and reflective environment where they analyze student understanding and continuously refine their instructional approaches. Lower Merion High School’s Biology PLC collaborates to develop common lesson plans, assessments, and teaching practices, using data to refine instruction and improve student achievement on the Keystone exam.
Pathway Connection: Across disciplines, PLCs empower teachers to engage in meaningful, job-embedded professional learning that prioritizes student success and strengthens instructional practice.
