Research indicates that curriculum matters, and that using high-quality instructional materials can have a significant impact on student success.
But it’s clearly not enough to just choose an effective curriculum program. Schools and districts must manage a rigorous adoption process, execute an effective launch, and provide ongoing professional development for teachers and leaders. Educators need to understand how the curriculum works in their context, practice and receive feedback from peers, and have access to resources as their needs change. Only by putting these essential supports in place can schools and districts reap the benefit of their investment in the content.
With this in mind, BetterLesson is honored to be featured in the first-ever Professional Learning Partner Guide (PLPG), hosted by Rivet Education. The PLPG is a free online tool that offers comprehensive and objective analyses of professional learning providers. BetterLesson is one of 16 initial PD providers to have been selected for the PLPG through a rigorous application process, which typically included 200-400 pages of evidence of their expertise and PD approach. Other providers in the database include TNTP, Instruction Partners, UnBoundEd, Leading Educators, Edreports.org, Achievement Network, and more.
BetterLesson is one of only a few providers in the PLPG approved to offer PD in all of the Guide’s four phases: adopting a curriculum, launching a curriculum, ongoing support for teachers, and ongoing support for leaders. The Guide also allows users to search for PD partners by state, curriculum type, and whether they can offer COVID-related support for systems support services, instructional support services, and wellness and connection support services. BetterLesson was approved to provide support for all COVID-related areas. Users can also see the names of other districts each partner has worked with and learn about each partner’s approach to confronting implicit racism in instruction.
“We are thrilled to be included in the first round of this valuable resource,” says Katya Rucker, Director of Strategic Partnerships at BetterLesson. “There are many PD providers out there – educators need a way to find the partners who deeply understand their chosen curriculum and can meet their specific needs.”
Each application is reviewed by a team of three evaluators, drawn from a pool of chief academic officers, principals, and charter school leaders. Each evaluator was chosen through a rigorous evaluation process that included “interviews and performance tasks designed to elicit their experience leading curriculum-aligned PD,” according to Anne Morrison, the co-founder of Rivet Education, as told to Education Week.
Rivet Education was founded in 2019 by the same team that led the implementation of nationally renowned high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) programs through the Louisiana Department of Education. The K12 consulting company promotes the adoption and use of HQIM by partnering with states and school districts to implement HQIM-aligned professional learning for teachers and school leaders.
In addition to the PLPG, Rivet Education also offers resources on how to choose a great professional learning partner or manage multiple partners, as well as a curated list of industry research on how HQIM impacts student outcomes and why high-quality professional learning is crucial to their success.
As a company devoted to teacher, leader, and student growth, BetterLesson is thrilled to see the field of PD grow and change with the addition of this resource – and we look forward to partnering with the leaders and teachers we will meet through it.
Learn more about our curriculum partners and professional development offerings supporting curriculum and academic content.
