Professional Learning

Overview

The Pacific East District has developed a comprehensive professional learning structure that encompasses College and Career Ready Standards training developed by headquarters, training aligned to district goals, school-specific professional learning opportunities, and continuing education courses.

Headquarters College and Career Ready Standards

The Pacific East District offers and supports the College and Career Ready Standards training for educators. Professional learning is facilitated asynchronously through the online platform of Schoology or Cornerstone, synchronously through in-person training sessions led by the Dana Center, Catapult, DoDEA ISS, or through a hybrid model with synchronous and asynchronous sessions. All educators engage in training for two days at the beginning of the school year and then one day each quarter.

District Goals Professional Learning

The Pacific East District leadership established the Pacific East Professional Learning Critical Initiative. This initiative is centered on the idea that the Pacific East District must develop a comprehensive and multifaceted professional learning plan to align with district goals. The professional learning plan was developed in conjunction with the Pacific East Strategic Plan and is aligned with the work of the other six critical initiatives. The Professional Learning Critical Initiative Work Group developed the professional learning plan based on an analysis of district data used to determine the needs for professional learning. The Professional Learning Critical Initiative Working Group also is also focused on developing ongoing learning opportunities across the district. These learning opportunities include district-wide professional learning targeting the district strategic plan and continuing education opportunities in partnership with the University of San Diego. Additionally, the Pacific East District allocated resources supporting professional learning to expand the Professional Learning ISS positions to each complex, strategically aligning ISS travel with professional learning opportunities and providing schools with books and other professional learning resources.

School-Specific Professional Learning Opportunities

The Pacific East District also supports school-level professional learning by helping schools develop school professional learning plans, designing and developing professional learning presentations, and providing guidance and support with school-developed professional learning activities. The Pacific East District helps build school leader and teacher capacity with professional learning by helping with the implementation of DoDEA's Professional Learning Guidance, including utilizing the ADDIE model for developing professional learning and supporting schools with using Kirkpatrick's Levels of Evaluation to determine the effectiveness and impact of professional learning.

Connected Cognia Standards

Leadership Capacity Standards

1.3

1.11

1.6

1.7

1.8

Learning Capacity Standards

2.1

2.7

2.2

2.8

2.3

2.9

2.5

2.12

Resource Capacity Standards

3.1

3.5

3.2

3.6

3.3

3.7

3.4

3.8

Impact Statement

The Pacific East has positively impacted professional learning and teacher development as evidenced by:

Supporting DoDEA headquarters College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS) professional learning to build teacher capacity and understanding of the standards
Developing a comprehensive professional learning plan targeting district initiatives
Increasing professional learning support through the allocation of ISS travel and professional learning resources
Expanding the position of the Professional Learning ISS (PL ISS) to include a PL ISS at each complex
Increasing access to professional learning by offering a variety of professional learning avenues to include continuing education opportunities
Developing the Professional Learning Critical Initiative working group to build capacity regarding professional learning across the Pacific East District. Members of the work group include ISSs, Administrators, and teachers

Timeline

SY 2016-2017

College and Career Ready Standards of Mathematics were introduced as a three-year rollout of the training of new standards. During the 2016-2017 school year, DoDEA began the implementation of the College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS) in mathematics from kindergarten through 12th grade and the CCRS in literacy in 6th through 12th grade. In support of the implementation of the standards, The Dana Center offered training in mathematics to kindergarten through 5th-grade elementary teachers. The CCRSM training was facilitated by the University of Texas at Austin Dana Center, in partnership with ISS, and designed classroom teachers as Site Math Leaders. In grades 6-12, The Dana Center provided mathematics teachers with professional learning to support the CCRS in partnership with ISS and classroom teachers. Additionally, all 6th-12th grade teachers were offered training in the CCRS to support literacy integration in all classrooms, which Catapult facilitated with support from ISS and classroom teachers designated as Site Literacy leaders.

In support of outlying complexes, professional learning ISS for Misawa, Sasebo, and Yokosuka was assigned to support the consistent implementation of instructional practices.

SY 2017-2018

In the 2017-2018 school year, the Pacific East District continued to support the roll out of the CCRS mathematics, in partnership with DoDEA HQ and University of Texas at Austin Dana Center, at the elementary level and CCRS literacy at the secondary level, in partnership with DoDEA HQ and Catapult. Schoology training was also provided to faculty members in schools. The Pacific East District added a goal of professional learning for this school year, focused on building educator capacity throughout the district.

SY 2018-2019

In the 2018-2019 school year, the Pacific East District launched the roll out of CCRS Literacy, in partnership with HQ and Catapult, at the elementary level and began providing content specific training at the secondary level.

A variety of training was conducted across the Pacific East District based on educator needs. Total Participation Techniques Training delivered to secondary schools throughout the district. The Pacific East District launched its 21st Century Innovative Teaching and Learning initiative with Sasebo’s elementary schools in preparation for the opening of Sasebo Elementary’s 21st century open concept building. A three year rollout was planned for the Pacific East District to bring 21st century teaching and learning training to all 20 Pacific East schools.

SY 2019-2020

In the 2019-2020 school year, the Pacific East District continued to support the roll out of the CCRS Literacy at the elementary level. Secondary schools continued to receive CCRS training in their specific standards. The Pacific East District launched the 21st Century Innovative Teaching and Learning initiative with secondary schools in January of 2020 by providing in person training to school administrators and a select group of teacher leaders. In support of Focused Collaboration, the Pacific East District provided a one day facilitator training to all educators in the Pacific East District.

In March of 2020, the Pacific East District transitioned to providing support digital tools due to the abrupt and massive shift to remote learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pacific East District supported educators in launching learning management systems (LMS) including Google Classroom and Schoology and providing training on how to better use Google Meet with students.

In continuation of the 21st Century Innovative Teaching and Learning rollout, the Pacific East District provided Project Based Learning training virtually for teacher leaders, administrators, and ISS in the Pacific East District.

In support of the outlying complex, a professional learning ISS was hired for Iwakuni.

SY 2020-2021

In the 2020-2021 school year, the Pacific East District educators completed the final year of the CCRS Literacy roll out at the elementary level. Educators at the secondary level continued to receive ongoing professional learning specific to their content area. The Pacific East District restructured the District PL days to align with its Strategic Plan. All administrators, educators and ISS received training on the Strategic Plan. In March of 2021, the Pacific East District launched its first professional learning session aligned with student-led discourse as its first strategic theme, providing clear direction for the work ahead.

Impact Evidence at a Glance

Sample of Professional Learning Feedback and Results

Headquarters College and Career Ready Standards Timeline

Pacific East Professional Learning

Supporting Documents

DoDEA CCR Standard Timeline The CCR Standard timeline offers guidance of the pacing of standard based implementation ensuring appropriate distinct level PLs for Elementary and Secondary Teachers. Training is provided at the beginning of the year and on a quarterly basis to all educators within DoDEA.

DoDEA Arc of Learning: The Arc of Learning includes a cover sheet for the professional learning cycle that provides the Enduring Understandings, Collaborative Practices, and Evidence of Learning statements. The Arc also provides the Learning Outcomes for each learning session in the implementation cycle.

Professional Learning Action Plan: The purpose of the DoDEA Pacific East Professional Learning (PL) Plan is to ensure that all members understand our district-wide strategic initiative to achieve student excellence, as defined in DoDEA’s strategic plan, Blueprint for Continuous Improvement. The PL Plan outlines Educational Programs that support the district in achieving its goal. As part of district wide professional learning, the Pacific East District offered sessions on student led discourse in March 2021 and in October 2021.

Professional Learning Interactive One-Pager-This interactive graphic provides information on the professional learning offerings for the 2021-2022 school year.

PL ISS Expectations Memo This expectations memo is used to provide all stakeholders with a description of ISS support offered for all administrators, faculty, and staff. In the 2021-2022 school year, the PL ISS team developed an in depth Support Services menu to support educators in their complex.

All ISS are expected to utilize the ADDIE Model to plan high-quality professional learning and the Pacific East District follows DoDEA’s Professional Learning Guidance.

The ISS Role was redefined to include Professional Developer, ensuring that educators could receive targeted support for their professional learning needs.

Professional learning is developed and offered by the ISS team for different schools. A sample of professional learning offered by be seen in the professional learning offered to Ernest J. King by PL ISS (2018-2019)

The Pacific East District offers a variety of courses for college credit through the University of San Diego. A sample of courses includes:

In the 2018-2019 school year, professional learning was offered to the Sasebo elementary schools. This became part of the Sasebo 21st Century Roll Out (2018-2019) and the beginning of the Pacific East 21st Century initiative. A Secondary 21st Century Launch (2019-2020) training was offered the following year. PBL Works PBL 101 Training (June 2020 and August 2021) was offered across the district to continue the 21st century initiative.

In the 2018-2019 school year, Total Participation Techniques was provided across the district. These strategies are deployed to increase student engagement; support our mission to educate, engage and empower students. They are also incorporated into our student-led discourse training.

In the 2019-2020 school year, the Pacific East District restructured Focused Collaboration and provided Focused Collaboration Facilitator Training (2019-2020) to all faculty in the Pacific East District. For more information regarding training for Focused Collaboration, please visit the Focused Collaboration evidence package.

As part of the Instructional Rounds Pilot Program, the Pacific East District provided Instructional Rounds Professional Learning (2020-2021) to pilot schools.

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