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Professional Learning for Partnering Districts
Every educator has at least one story to tell about a professional development session that could have been better. How can districts avoid feeling like they spent time attending something that didn’t match their needs? Tennessee Tiered Supports Center (TSC) feels the same way, which is why we provide our partnering districts with professional learning events called “Targeted Learning Opportunities” and “School Team Lead Meetings.” These events are data-driven to ensure they meet the specific needs of districts. The School Implementation Fidelity Assessment (SIFA) and the District Capacity Assessment–Tennessee (DCAT) assess the implementation of Response to Instruction and Intervention for Academics and Behavior (RTI2-A + RTI2-B) and provide critical information about districts’ and schools’ professional development and coaching needs. Both examine the four essential components of aligning academic and behavior support: Leadership, Assessment, Data-Based Decision Making, and Instruction and Intervention. Districts and schools use these assessments, along with other data sources, to identify topics for district-specific “Targeted Learning Opportunities” and “School Team Lead Meetings.”
Targeted Learning Opportunities are provided by Tennessee TSC educational consultants and include small-group trainings, coaching, and professional learning communities that address districts’ common needs. Examples of topics for partnering districts include data-based decision making, high-leverage practices and strategies, effective use of school-wide expectations, cultural responsiveness, creating an effective leadership team, problem-solving in Tier I, family and community engagement, data-driven teaching, and providing feedback.
School Team Lead Meetings are co-led by Tennessee TSC educational consultants and district coordinators to build a district’s capacity to independently coach school teams over time. These events create a networking and learning forum in which coaching is driven by the common needs of schools within a district. Topics are generated through data-based decision making that includes reviewing district SIFA data to determine trends and needs across domains. Team leads from each school in the district come together and receive training and then take back the information to the faculty and staff at their school.
Tennessee TSC prioritizes creating needs-driven professional learning opportunities that strengthen RTI2-A + RTI2-B at district and school levels. If you are interested in partnering with us after reading about these professional learning opportunities, complete the Tennessee Technical Assistance Network Request for Assistance form here.
