
Professional Learning and Leading Collaborative
The Professional Learning and Leading Collaborative promotes pedagogical shifts that engage educators at all levels, providing research based, job-embedded models and approaches for strategic planning and professional development with the belief that students deserve access to equitable personalized learning experiences. The members of our dedicated team are educational leaders who have extensive experience in strategic planning, leadership support and development, data-driven decision-making, and professional development planning and design that is customized and responsive to the needs of today’s schools.
Events Series
Updates
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ABC11: Experts Offer Advice for Successful Return to In-Person Learning
Friday Institute Research Scholar Patricia Hilliard, Ph.D., shares her advice for families as they prepare for the return to in-person schooling.
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The Friday Institute Shares Findings from North Carolina Schools
The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation released a pair of new case studies that highlight school-wide implementation of its Learning Differences program.
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Spectrum News 1: Parents Still Considering Whether or Not to Send Their Child Back to School
Friday Institute Research Scholar Patricia Hilliard, Ph.D., weighs in on sending children back to school and believes the pandemic gives school systems the opportunity to re-evaluate education and what's best for every student.
Selected Resources
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Access to Opportunities: A Student-Centered ApproachCase StudyThe Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State University’s College of Education conducted site visits at four schools (Ed Tech High School, Washington High School, P.S. Jones Middle School, and John Small Elementary School) in Beaufort County, North Carolina. Beaufort County Schools (BCS) is a rural school district located in the southeastern part of the state with 14 schools and 6,673 students. Our team interviewed teachers, students, and administrators in Beaufort to learn how BCS are providing equitable learning opportunities for all students.
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Building Capacity and Expertise in Rural AreasReportThe Friday Institute for Educational Innovation (FI) is providing professional learning opportunities for district leaders, principals and teachers in rural districts, recognizing that rural educators need professional learning opportunities that may differ from their suburban and urban counterparts.The FI’s work in Wyoming and Tennessee highlights how the creation of a professional learning cohort, professional learning networks (PLNs) and coaching can help rural schools and districts support principals and teachers to positively impact teaching and learning.
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Effective Coaching: Insights From the FieldCase StudyAcross the state of North Carolina, there are educators whose role goes beyond improving learning experiences for K-12 students, including the teachers of those students. Some educators have titles like Instructional Technology Facilitator or Library Media Coordinator. Some educators have a full slate of classes they teach, using their planning periods to work with their peers and colleagues, while some educators devote their full day to working with teachers, and yet others are somewhere in between. From August to June, their presence is seen and felt on the campuses they serve. These teachers are instructional coaches and they are one of the greatest influencers of change within their respective districts.
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Engaging Your Latino Families During This Time of CrisisWhite PaperMethods, suggestions and ideas to better reach and engage your Latin families during the COVID-19 crisis
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Improving Professional Learning Opportunities in Rural SchoolsFI Education BriefDue to high rates of poverty, low levels of educational attainment and unemployment, many rural school districts face significantly different challenges in educating students than their suburban and urban counterparts. The Professional Learning and Leading Collaborative at the Friday Institute has worked with and across rural communities to address the needs of schools and districts. In this brief, the authors share practical suggestions for improving professional learning opportunities at a school.
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Instructional Design Principles for Remote Teaching and LearningWhite PaperThe Instructional Principles for Remote Teaching & Learning provide guidance to schools and districts during the COVID-19 crisis.
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Middle School Girls and STEM: Using digital tools to close the gender gapFI Education BriefAlthough female and male students perform equally well on standardized math and science tests, the middle school years prove to be a pivotal time when girls lose confidence and interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Nevertheless, these challenges present middle schools with an opportunity to intentionally change the tide and promote STEM to middle school girls in newfound ways.
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Nine Key Lessons from the Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School Learning Differences ProgramFI Education BriefThis brief highlights nine key lessons from the case study “Becoming Embedded In What We Do” The Implementation and Impact of the Learning Differences Program at Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina. In analyzing the data, the Friday Institute found nine key lessons from CCMMS Learning Differences program implementation that may help future schools and districts as they design their implementation strategies, namely:
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Prioritizing Personalized Learning: District RecommendationsWhat does it take? What do District leaders need to do to prioritize meaningful steps forward toward personalizing learning? Personalized learning seems such an overwhelmingly distant vision. It can be difficult to see (and plan) the steps forward. The future vision is so far off that often all we see are today’s barriers right in front of us. The personalization vision appeals to us. We want to get there. But we need some practical paths to pursue. What are some organizing principles that District leaders can use to begin to negotiate those barriers and guide everyone closer to the vision? In 2016, the Personalized Learning Summit hosted by the Friday Institute in partnership with Digital Promise and the Oak Foundation, brought students, teachers, district leaders and industry experts together to address these hard questions. Over the course of three days participants created a vision for personalized learning and outlined organizing principles that can provide practical steps forward. This paper provides a pathway district leaders can follow to move forward with personalized learning in their schools.
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What’s the Value of a Learning Differences MOOC-Ed?Massive Online Open Courses for Educators (MOOC-Eds) provide a new form of professional development for educators that balances research-based practices for high-quality professional development with new types of social learning. In this paper we consider the value that educators find through their participation in a Learning Differences MOOC-Ed and examine the design elements of the MOOC-Ed that supported their growth and impact on practice.
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“A Constant Conversation” The Implementation and Impact of the Learning Differences Program at Manning Elementary School in Roanoke Rapids, North CarolinaCase StudyThis case study details the implementation and impact of the Learning Differences program at Manning Elementary School (MES) in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. Section one provides an overview of the Learning Differences program. Section two describes how the Learning Differences program was implemented at MES and how data were collected. Section three draws on qualitative and quantitative data to illustrate the program’s impact on MES teachers and students. Section four discusses the seven key lessons learned from the implementation process. The authors intend for this case study to be a practical resource that schools and districts can reference as they implement their own learning differences initiatives.
Selected Projects
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Educator Learning OpportunitiesProfessional development that is timely, relevant, and models expectations is essential to any school or district initiative.
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Implementation of the Learning Differences ProgramDuring the 2019-20 academic year, the Friday Institute established a modified research-practice partnership with Manning Elementary School (Roanoke Rapids, NC) and Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School (Raleigh, NC).
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Instructional DesignThe PLLC team has extensive knowledge and experience in instructional design and application of adult learning theory.
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Leadership DevelopmentJob-embedded professional development for administrators that enables the planning and implementation of learning initiatives.
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Strategic PlanningCustomized and responsive coaching and strategic planning support for schools and districts implementing new programs.