When I was little, I used to get $50 from my Gram and Papa for my birthday. I spent a lot of time thinking about all the ways I could spend it, given my parents' parameters (no pets, no extra piercings), before creating my wish list. One year, my big-ticket item was a Pound Puppy, and another year I was able to get both a crimping iron and a Swatch watch (read: score!!!). I always started with my goals, reviewed my budget, spent hours poring over store catalogs, and then finally made a decision. As tempting as it was to spend the $50 on 150 candy bars at the local Benny’s store, I knew it would be a much better investment to choose something that would last longer and bring me more joy in the long run.
Right now, districts and schools are in a similar position, reviewing allocations from entitlement grants and selecting specific action steps to support strategic work. I coordinated federal grants for seven years as a public school leader, and I know how difficult it is to prioritize funds when there are so many areas of need. But just like little-me, you have to choose a couple of big-ticket priorities for professional development and go for depth over breadth.
"Go for depth over breadth."
One federal grant is Title IIA, often referred to as the grant focused on teacher professional development.
The purpose of Title IIA is to:
- Increase student achievement consistent with challenging State academic standards.
- Improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders.
- Increase the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement in schools.
- Provide low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders.
To meet these objectives, many districts use Title IIA funds to support teachers with inclusive practice by focusing on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). They also try to provide PD on social-emotional learning (SEL), trauma-informed instruction, positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), updated standards, new grading practices, project-based learning, new curriculum, and the use of innovative technology—all in the same year. Given the limited time for professional development in school calendars, although all of these focus areas are incredibly important, teachers don’t feel super confident in their ability to implement any of them, despite the significant financial investment.
"Professional development, when done as a one-and-done event, regardless of the brilliance of the facilitator, does not change the outcomes for learners."
Professional development, when done as a one-and-done event, regardless of the brilliance of the facilitator, does not change the outcomes for learners. We have worked with hundreds of districts to support this work, and from our experience, we know that not all PD is created equal. It’s not enough to provide a seminar on UDL - that is the spark that may ignite teacher effectiveness, but it certainly won’t fuel the fire. To truly change teaching practice to increase student achievement, professional development has to align with the ESEA definition of professional development. This means ensuring that professional development:
- Incorporates Active Learning: Engages teachers directly in designing and trying out teaching strategies, allowing them to experiment with and refine new approaches to teaching and learning. Additionally, teachers need time during professional development to explore resources, design lessons, and get feedback on those lessons. At Novak Education, we provide structured opportunities for active learning in all our sessions, helping teachers to directly apply new strategies and refine their practice. Learn more about the work we do here.
- Supports Collaboration: Encourages teamwork and shared learning among educators through PLCs, co-planning, co-teaching, instructional rounds, or intentional learning communities, fostering collective teacher efficacy.
- Uses Models of Effective Practice: Novak provides teachers with models of effective teaching practices, helping them see and understand how to implement these strategies in their own classrooms. We universally design all professional learning and are committed to modeling choice and voice in each of our sessions. Learn more about how we aim to transform professional learning in Planning Professional Development Using a UDL Lens.
- Provides Coaching and Expert Support: Offers ongoing support from instructional coaches and experts who can provide personalized guidance, feedback, and mentorship to help teachers improve their practice. Novak Education’s coaching services provide tailored support to help educators implement effective teaching strategies and improve their instructional practices.
- Offers Feedback and Reflection: Includes structured opportunities for teachers to receive feedback on their teaching and to reflect on their practice, promoting continuous improvement and growth. We have numerous tools to support this work, including our UDL Look-Fors and the hot-off-the-press updates to the UDL Guidelines.
- Is of Sustained Duration: Ensures that professional development is ongoing and not a one-time event. This includes follow-up work through PLCs, instructional coaching, and educator evaluation cycles to embed learning and drive lasting change. We have worked with hundreds of districts to create strategic professional development plans to ensure that teachers have opportunities to learn deeply over time. We would love to support you in your journey!
Partner with Novak Education
At Novak Education, we offer multiple services to support your inclusive practice initiatives at all levels of implementation in alignment with the ESEA definition of professional development. This includes keynotes, seminars, and webinars to ignite a spark, but we also offer leadership and educator coaching, workshops, technical assistance, and facilitated and on-demand courses. Looking for something specific for your district? Partner with us to develop a customized solution aligned with your strategic objectives.
If you’re looking for a thought partner as you finalize your professional development plan or Title IIA grant, let's talk! We’re here to help you every step of the way.
