This professional development session focuses on how teachers can build CAASPP-aligned writing rubrics for their content area, translating prompt language directly into rubric expectations across the four expectation categories: Organization & Purpose, Evidence, Elaboration, and Conventions. 

This professional development provides:

• An overview of what each CAASPP rubric trait (Organization & Purpose, Evidence, Elaboration, and Conventions) asks for, and how it already shows up in each department's exemplar rubrics.

• Breakout rooms structured around a 3-step process (Look → See → Draft) for each trait, using real prompt-to-rubric worked examples from multiple content areas.

• Support for content teachers drafting directly from their Rubric Template and their writing TGA, and for non-content teachers (AA's / SPED / ELD / Intervention) using the Supports Workbook, which reframes rubric criteria as ready-made feedback scripts.

• Guidance for ELA teachers to complete a prompt-rubric alignment for each rubric expectation.

The following resources are designed to support you as you build and refine your CAASPP-aligned writing rubric. Explore the resources below to continue strengthening rubric design in your classroom:

1. A link to My Rubric Template (Content Teachers)

2. A link to My Supports Workbook (Non-Content Teachers: AA's/SPED/ELD/Intervention)

3. A link to the Writing Center

4. A link to the Content Teacher CAASPP Rubric Models folder

5. A link to the PD Padlet

6. The link to the PD Completion Survey

This professional development session focuses on how teachers can intentionally apply the DOK (Depth of Knowledge) Ladder within their specific content areas to scaffold students from recall and application to deeper analysis and justification. The session emphasizes building rigorous lessons that intentionally bridge DOK Levels 1, 2, and 3 through content-specific instructional design. Based on the DOK Ladder framework, teachers design lessons that move students from doing, to understanding, to explaining and defending their thinking.

This professional development provides:

• An overview of the DOK Ladder framework and why intentional cognitive progression matters across disciplines.

• Guidance on how rigor looks different in every content area, including ELA, Math, Science, History, SPED, ELD, PE, Tech/CAR, and SEL/AAs.

• A workshop experience where teachers build a real lesson using a 3-step DOK progression for instruction they will teach this week or next week.

• Support for designing scaffolded transitions between DOK levels:

  • Transition #1: DOK 1 → DOK 2 (“Students can do it” → “Students know when, why, and how”).

  • Transition #2: DOK 2 → DOK 3 (“Students apply understanding” → “Students explain and justify reasoning”).

• A review of the 50–30–20 assessment design model to balance DOK levels in formative and summative assessments.

• Collaborative reflection opportunities through department-specific Padlet discussion questions focused on scaffolds, rigor, and implementation challenges.

The following resources are designed to support you as you implement intentional DOK progression and increase rigor in your classroom instruction. Explore the resources below to continue strengthening your students’ access to higher-level thinking:

1. A link to your department-specific DOK Ladder Google Slide template (Slide 6)

2. A link to the General DOK Ladder Template

3. A link to the DOK Library

4. A link to the DOK Scaffolding PD Padlet

5. The link to the PD Completion Survey

6. Department-specific examples and exemplars for applying DOK progression across content areas embedded into the custom DOK Ladder Templates

Created By: Wes Harden
PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

This professional development session focuses on the 3 transitions teachers need to scaffold to help students while they navigation increased rigor levels in lessons, formative and summative assessment.  

This professional development provides: 

1. An overview of each DOK transition a brief overview of the scaffolds in each transition

   1. Transition #1: DOK 1 -> DOK 2 (Slide 4-15)

   2. Transition #2: DOK 2 -> DOK 3 (Slide16-28)

   3. Transition #3: DOK 3 -> DOK 4 (Slide 29-38) 

The following resources are designed to support you as you implement DOK scaffolds as you implement increased rigor in your classroom.  Explore the resources below to start strengthening your student's access to higher level thinking:

1. A forced-copy link to the DOK Scaffold Teacher's Guide

2. A link to the DOK Library

3. The link to our DOK Scaffolding PD Padlet

4. A forced-copy link to Climbing The DOK Ladder Google Slide Presentation

5. The link to the PD Completion Survey

Created By: Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

This professional development session focuses on the essential link between curriculum standards and measurable classroom outcomes.  By deconstructing the mechanics of Backward Design, we examine how high-leverage summative assessments act as the blueprint for effective instructional design.  articipants will explore how to align rigorous questioning with student data, ensuring that every lesson is a strategic and purposeful step toward student mastery.

This professional development provides: 

1. A Depth of Knowledge Rigor Audit using the Designing Stimulus Based Questions Guide
   (Slides 3-6)

2. The Core Philosophy of Backwards Design (slide 9-10)

3. Designing Smart Distractors (slides 11-14)

4. Rehersing the Thinking instead of Rehersing the Test (slides 15-16)

5. Steps to Apply to YOUR Classroom (slide 17)

The following resources are designed to support you as you implement backward design and refine your summative assessments.  Explore the resources below to start strengthening your assessment design:

1. The Backward Design through Assessment Slides 

2. Stimulus and Summative Assessment used in the Depth of Knowledge Rigor Audit

3. Designing Stimulus Based Questions Guide

4. Designing Smart Distractors

Created By: Bo Binas

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

This professional development session focuses on intentionally designing rigorous, student-centered learning experiences using Depth of Knowledge (DOK) that align with summative assessment expectations while maintaining high levels of student engagement. Building on foundational understandings of rigor, participants will shift from analyzing DOK to actively designing and revising classroom tasks that elevate cognitive demand.

This professional development provides: 

1. Guided Design Studio of a lesson (Slides 9-10)

2. How To Guide For Creating High Level DOK For Multiple Choice Questions (Slide 11)

3. DOK Teacher Toolkit (Slides 12–18)

4. Subject-specific DOK levels and examples (Slides 19–22)

5. DOK product examples (Slides 23–26)

6. Scaffolding strategies for supporting students with DOK 3 & 4 tasks (Slide 27)

7. Guidance about the AI Tools available to teachers to help create rigorous DOK questions

   • Magic School (Slides 28-29)

   • Diffit (Slides 30-31)

Here are the resources if you would like to check out The DOK Design Studio: Designing High-Engagement, High-Rigor Learning Tasks:

1. The DOK Design Studio Google Slides (Links to all resources can be found in the notes section of each slide)

2. The DOK Design Studio Padlet

Created By: Wes Harden

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

This professional development focuses on developing rigorous DOK levelled questions in classroom lessons, in alignment with the summative assessment expectations.  This professional development provides: 

1. Standard Recommended Range For DOK Levels In Summative Assessments (Slide 6)

2. DOK Teacher Toolkit (Slide 8) 

   • DOK Levelled Question Stems

   • Subject-Specific DOK Levels

   • Subject-Specific DOK Examples

   • DOK Product Examples

3. The Guided Workshop of A Lesson (Slides 23-28):

   • An examination of current DOK levels in a lesson of your choice

   • Comparison to the Standard Recommended Range for DOK Levels in Summative Assessments

   • Time allotted to workshop the lesson's DOK rigor levels

4. Scaffolding Ideas To Help Struggling Students With DOK 3/4 Question (Slide 30)

5. How To Guide For Creating High Level DOK For Multiple Choice Questions (Slide 31)

6. Guidance about the AI Tools available to teachers to help create rigorous DOK questions

   • ChatGPT (Slide 25)

   • Magic School (Slides 32-33)

   • Diffit (Slides 34-35)

Here are the resources if you would like to check out the DOK Lab, focusing on appropriately levelled DOK Questions in alignment with the Summative Assessment.  

1. DOK Rigor Lab Google Slides (Links to all resources can be found in the notes section of each slide)

2. DOK Rigor Lab Padlet

Created By: Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

This professional development focuses on redesigning an existing classroom activity into a 3-step Engagement Ladder that moves from low-risk entry to scaffolded skill building to authentic application. 

This professional development provides: 

1. Engagement Ladder examples for multiple content areas. (Slides 5-10)

2. A Reflection/Whiparound (Slide 14):

   • Real Teacher Reflections

3. Next Steps (Slide 15)

   • Redesign and Try it in Class

   • Tell Us About It

Here are the resources if you would like to check out the Engagement Ladder.

1. Engagement Ladder Google Slides (Links to all resources can be found in the notes section of each slide)

2. Engagement Ladder Padlet

Created By: Bo Binas

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

Needing help getting started with High-Yield Engagement Strategies in the classroom? This professional development focuses on the following engagement strategies, with concrete exemplars and templates to help you get started in your instruction & curriculum design: 

1. Active Learning Strategies (Slides 8-26)

   • Think Pair Share

   • Jigsaw Activities

   • Collaborative Problem Solving 

   • Table Stations/Rotations

   • Gallery Walks

2. Relevance & Real-World Connections (Slides 27-46) 

   • Project Based Learning (PBL’s)

   • TED Talks

   • Virtual Field Trips

3. Student Choice & Voice (Slides 47-61)

1. • Choice Boards

Here are the resources if you would like to check out the Gallery Walk Professional Development focusing on high-yield engagement strategies for teachers to prepare for the upcoming October PD.  

1. Gallery Walk Google Slide Deck (Links to all resources can be found in the notes section of each slide)

2. Gallery Walk Padlet

Created By: Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

Needing help getting started with Backward Design, Part 3? This PD offers direction and time to use the summative assessment you created in Backwards Planning Part 2 PD, and the learning goals/objectives, CA Content Standard(s), and your SMART goal you set in our Backward Design, Part 1 PD to create learning activities and instruction for the unit you chose to focus on.  

Backward Design Planning Worksheet

Backward Design Google Slides Presentation

Created By: Katy Sepulveda

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

Needing help getting started with Backward Design, Part 2? This PD offers direction and time to use the learning goals/objectives, CA Content Standard(s), and your SMART goal you set in our Backward Design, Part 1 PD to create a summative assessment for the unit you chose to focus on.  

Backward Design Planning Worksheet

Backward Design Google Slides Presentation

Created By: Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

Needing help getting started with Backward Design, Part 1? This PD offers direction and time to select your unit, align it to learning goals/objectives, align it to CA Content Standard(s), write a SMART goal for student learning, and parcel out what content, skills, and big ideas students need to take away from the unit.  

Backward Design Planning Worksheet

Backward Design Google Slides Presentation

Created By: Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour 

Needing help getting started with Engageli Tables?  Check out our Peer Consolidated Learning Using Engageli Tables, Part II.  We review the 4 steps to creating effective tables: 1) Chunking Learning & Setting Norms, 2) Strategic Mixed-Ability Groups, 3) High-Level Questions, and 4) Variety of Activities.  We focus on setting up Engageli Norms, Table Group Roles, and how to use Poll Tags & Quick Polls to split learners into groups by common or diverse answers.  This recording also includes a crash course on Engageli Tables, how to create randomized tables, lock tables, create google documents, make student editors or create a forced copy, and how to upload google documents into Engageli. 

Created By: Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

Needing help getting started with Engageli Tables?  Check out our Peer Consolidated Learning Using Engageli Tables, Part I, which covers the 4 steps to creating effective tables prior to implementations: 1) Chunking Learning & Setting Norms, 2) Strategic Mixed-Ability Groups, 3) High-Level Questions, and 4) Variety of Activities.  See how you can use Magic School and Diffit to help you create these group activities. 

Created By: Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

Are you short on time and need help with Formative Assessments? Check out our Formative Assessment Professional Development, which covers 56+ different formative assessment options.  We also discuss using the following 3 AI tools to help you create formative assessments in the classroom: Question Well, Magic School & Diffit.

Created By: Rachel Harrison and Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

Are you short on time and need some help coming up with high-level DOK questions and increasing your CFU's (Checks For Understanding) relevant to content? Check out our High-Level DOK Questions Professional Development, which offers sentence frames to help you create your own DOK questions.  We also discuss how to use Magic School & Diffit to help you create high-level DOK questions for the classroom. 

Created By: Rachel Harrison and Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

Join over a million teachers saving hours of time using magic school to help lesson planning linked to the CA State Content Standards, differentiate instruction and assignments (MATH INCLUDED!), write assessments (multiple choice questions, essay questions, etc.), write IEP's, communicate clearly, and more.   

Created By: Rachel Harrison and Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

We will be looking over some common IEP and 504 accommodations and modifications and strategies to implement them effectively within your live sessions and online classrooms. 

Created By: Joe Hargrave, Rachel Harrison, and Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 Hour

Struggling To Find Time To Differentiate Your Lessons?  From one-page resources to resource packets, Diffit streamlines lesson planning, offering teachers AI-Generated content differentiation. The program allows teachers to assign reading levels based on grade level, and adapt reading passages based on collective or individual needs.  The program generates open ended prompts for discussions or critical thinking, multiple choice questions (questions DOK levels can be determined by instructor), it provides a text summary and vocabulary word bank (definitions and sentence example) for close readings, creates visuals and graphic organizers, and it creates up to 96 different types of student activities

Created by: Jess Haun

PD Credit Hours: 1 hour