Our community has long preached the importance of pairing high-quality curriculum with professional learning that is specific to those materials, giving teachers the What, the Why, and the How for strong instruction. Research has shown that this approach has a strong evidence base, whereas professional learning alone is unlikely to raise student outcomes.
We pair our curriculum work with curriculum-specific professional learning in our districts. Yet many of our colleagues are in Tennessee, a state that is applying the curriculum-aligned professional learning model statewide. Tennessee’s Reading360 training is intentionally designed to incorporate instructional materials, and practice with those materials, as a part of statewide training. As Scott Langford has recently written, the strong outcomes in Tennessee are likely attributable to this thoughtful investment in its educators.
How did districts experience this training, and how did it enhance and reinforce the work with high-quality curriculum in Tennessee districts? What are the outcomes in local schools? Hear from educators in three Tennessee districts on these important questions.
Our founding member Robin McClellan, who was at the Tennessee Department of Education during the rollout of Reading360 training, moderated this conversation.
Speakers:
- Richard VanHuss, Director of Schools, Elizabethton City Schools
- Travis Hurley, Principal, Elizabethton City Schools
- Trey Duke, Director of Schools, Murfreesboro City Schools
- Quinena Bell, Principal, Murfreesboro Schools
- Jonathan Criswell, Director of Schools, Milan SSD
- Nicole Claybrooks, Second grade teacher, Milan SSD
Moderated by Robin McClellan, co-founder of Curriculum Matters and Director of Partnerships, Rivet Education.
