School districts continually prioritize the need to provide training and ongoing support to educators and school staff to help them meet students’ and families’ evolving needs. Oftentimes, though, challenges related to educator buy-in and implementation come with new initiatives, especially those that involve adopting new curriculum or technology and requiring intensive training and professional learning.
In addition to the costs associated with professional learning resources, districts also commonly struggle to provide teachers and school staff enough time for instructional planning and professional learning outside of teaching hours, or to provide sufficient classroom coverage when professional learning opportunities occur during the school day.
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Teachers and school staff share ways in which their school and district leaders can better support their ongoing needs and improve their capacity to enact practices that lead to powerful learning for students.
Explore the tiles below to learn more about projects and resources that aim to strengthen educator professional learning.
Digital Promise Micro-credentials leverage digital credentialing technologies to support learners and organizations.
The Learner Variability Project seeks to build on learning sciences research to better understand and address the needs of the whole learner, from PreK to adulthood, to personalize instruction.
This resource empowers all levels of educators to learn about and strengthen their capacity to engage students in computational thinking.
Digital Promise shares best practices for ongoing professional development for educators around leveraging technology.
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
Learner Variability Navigator |
The Learner Variability Navigator helps educators find research-based strategies to personalize learning experiences in order to understand and address the whole learner. |
Learner Variability is the Rule, Not the Exception |
This paper defines learner variability and explains how a holistic understanding of a learner is needed to personalize instruction. |
The IEP Project |
Learn about Digital Promise’s IEP Project and access additional resources to write and implement individualized education plans (IEPs) grounded in whole-child, strength-based approaches. |
The IEP Project: A Strength-based, Whole Learner Teacher Guide |
This teacher co-designed guidebook provides teachers with reflective questions, a sample response bank, strategies from the research-based Learner Variability Navigator, and other resources to write strength-based whole-child IEPs. |
Student-Led Mental Health Teacher Professional Development |
The Bristol Township School District team identified the challenge of addressing the role trauma plays in student mental health through a deep dive with school and community members including Bristol Cares Coalition, student, staff, and family surveys, and with their Equity Leadership Council. |
| Resource |
Learner Variability Navigator |
|---|---|
| Description |
The Learner Variability Navigator helps educators find research-based strategies to personalize learning experiences in order to understand and address the whole learner. |
| Resource |
Learner Variability is the Rule, Not the Exception |
| Description |
This paper defines learner variability and explains how a holistic understanding of a learner is needed to personalize instruction. |
| Resource |
The IEP Project |
| Description |
Learn about Digital Promise’s IEP Project and access additional resources to write and implement individualized education plans (IEPs) grounded in whole-child, strength-based approaches. |
| Resource |
The IEP Project: A Strength-based, Whole Learner Teacher Guide |
| Description |
This teacher co-designed guidebook provides teachers with reflective questions, a sample response bank, strategies from the research-based Learner Variability Navigator, and other resources to write strength-based whole-child IEPs. |
| Resource |
Student-Led Mental Health Teacher Professional Development |
| Description |
The Bristol Township School District team identified the challenge of addressing the role trauma plays in student mental health through a deep dive with school and community members including Bristol Cares Coalition, student, staff, and family surveys, and with their Equity Leadership Council. |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
Ciena Solutions Challenge |
The Ciena Solutions Challenge fosters student agency by providing resources for educators to facilitate Challenge-Based Learning experiences where students explore big ideas, ask thoughtful questions, and create solutions to challenges that align with their interests and local contexts. |
Learning Studios Project Library |
The Learning Studios Project Library offers resources to help students design solutions to local challenges while developing skills in design thinking, engineering, and digital communication. |
YouthMADE Festival |
The YouthMADE Festival is a global, two-week celebration of creativity and innovation that showcases youth-led projects in STEM, advocacy, activism and community service, performing and fine arts, media, and more. |
Maker Learning Edcamp Resources |
Edcamp: Maker Learning brought educators together to share strategies for creating engaging, hands-on learning activities. |
Educator Resources for the Ciena Solutions Challenge |
This Resource Library supports students and teachers with activities to support their journey with the Ciena Solutions Challenge. |
Engaging Students in Challenge-Based Learning Experiences |
Educators share ways to engage students in Challenge-Based Learning experiences where students design thoughtful solutions to local challenges. |
Empowering Students with the Student Tech Team Toolkit |
Learn strategies for starting a student tech team at your school and boosting student engagement and leadership while creating lifelong digital citizens, innovators, and problem-solvers. |
Student Agency and Academic Growth: A Case Study from Sylvan Hills Middle School |
Sylvan Hills Middle Schools in Atlanta Public Schools transformed the instructional culture of their school by empowering students to analyze their school’s academic data and make decisions to drive powerful learning. |
| Resource |
Ciena Solutions Challenge |
|---|---|
| Description |
The Ciena Solutions Challenge fosters student agency by providing resources for educators to facilitate Challenge-Based Learning experiences where students explore big ideas, ask thoughtful questions, and create solutions to challenges that align with their interests and local contexts. |
| Resource |
Learning Studios Project Library |
| Description |
The Learning Studios Project Library offers resources to help students design solutions to local challenges while developing skills in design thinking, engineering, and digital communication. |
| Resource |
YouthMADE Festival |
| Description |
The YouthMADE Festival is a global, two-week celebration of creativity and innovation that showcases youth-led projects in STEM, advocacy, activism and community service, performing and fine arts, media, and more. |
| Resource |
Maker Learning Edcamp Resources |
| Description |
Edcamp: Maker Learning brought educators together to share strategies for creating engaging, hands-on learning activities. |
| Resource |
Educator Resources for the Ciena Solutions Challenge |
| Description |
This Resource Library supports students and teachers with activities to support their journey with the Ciena Solutions Challenge. |
| Resource |
Engaging Students in Challenge-Based Learning Experiences |
| Description |
Educators share ways to engage students in Challenge-Based Learning experiences where students design thoughtful solutions to local challenges. |
| Resource |
Empowering Students with the Student Tech Team Toolkit |
| Description |
Learn strategies for starting a student tech team at your school and boosting student engagement and leadership while creating lifelong digital citizens, innovators, and problem-solvers. |
| Resource |
Student Agency and Academic Growth: A Case Study from Sylvan Hills Middle School |
| Description |
Sylvan Hills Middle Schools in Atlanta Public Schools transformed the instructional culture of their school by empowering students to analyze their school’s academic data and make decisions to drive powerful learning. |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
Project Topeka Argumentative Writing Resources for Students and Teachers |
Project Topeka brought together cutting-edge tools and high-quality instructional resources from industry leaders to support educators teaching argumentative writing. |
Lessons from Project Topeka: Research and Perspectives |
Research-based perspectives offer lessons for writing instruction and teacher professional learning. |
Deeper Discussion in World History |
The project is designing open-access curricular supports to deepen discussions in world history. Curricular materials will be available summer 2026. |
| Resource |
Project Topeka Argumentative Writing Resources for Students and Teachers |
|---|---|
| Description |
Project Topeka brought together cutting-edge tools and high-quality instructional resources from industry leaders to support educators teaching argumentative writing. |
| Resource |
Lessons from Project Topeka: Research and Perspectives |
| Description |
Research-based perspectives offer lessons for writing instruction and teacher professional learning. |
| Resource |
Deeper Discussion in World History |
| Description |
The project is designing open-access curricular supports to deepen discussions in world history. Curricular materials will be available summer 2026. |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
Global Competence Professional Development |
Explore the variety of free and fee-based resources that Digital Promise offers to help CTE educators boost their knowledge and skills around global competence and to encourage students to do the same—from sample project plans that are geared toward integrating global content into courses to self-paced, online training modules for educators and students. |
Incorporating Global Skills |
Curated by Digital Promise, these professional development and free resources to assist CTE educators with incorporating global skills into their courses. |
Computational Thinking for an Inclusive World: A Resource for Educators to Learn and Lead, Quick Start and Discussion Guide |
This quick start and discussion guide helps educators learn about and build capacity to engage students in computational thinking. |
Edcamp: Emerging Technology in the Classroom |
Edcamps centered on understanding the adoption and use of new technologies in the classroom and how practitioners can influence the researchers and developers of those technologies. |
| Resource |
Global Competence Professional Development |
|---|---|
| Description |
Explore the variety of free and fee-based resources that Digital Promise offers to help CTE educators boost their knowledge and skills around global competence and to encourage students to do the same—from sample project plans that are geared toward integrating global content into courses to self-paced, online training modules for educators and students. |
| Resource |
Incorporating Global Skills |
| Description |
Curated by Digital Promise, these professional development and free resources to assist CTE educators with incorporating global skills into their courses. |
| Resource |
Computational Thinking for an Inclusive World: A Resource for Educators to Learn and Lead, Quick Start and Discussion Guide |
| Description |
This quick start and discussion guide helps educators learn about and build capacity to engage students in computational thinking. |
| Resource |
Edcamp: Emerging Technology in the Classroom |
| Description |
Edcamps centered on understanding the adoption and use of new technologies in the classroom and how practitioners can influence the researchers and developers of those technologies. |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
Verizon Innovative Learning’s Teacher Training Pathways |
This program supports teachers with free professional learning focused on digital skills, remote learning, and digital coaching with opportunities to earn Digital Promise micro-credentials. |
Educators Leading the Profession Pilot Mentoring and Coaching Program (ELP) |
ELP initially grew out of a collaboration among National Education Association affiliates in seven Midwestern states that came together with the goal of better supporting and retaining early career teachers. |
Dynamic Learning Project (DLP) |
The DLP pilot launched in 2017 to increase educational equity and impactful use of technology through instructional coaching. |
Educators Need Each Other to Thrive: Why Educator Networks Matter |
Peer networks and professional learning communities provide valuable resources and support systems for educators. |
Bridging Cultures and Computing: Exploring the Relationship Between Appalachian Problem Solving and Computational Thinking |
This academic paper helps explain to educators how both computational thinking and traditional ways of solving problems can co-exist in students’ problem solving toolkits. |
The Impact of Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Professional Learning |
Digital Promise shares ways Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Coaches have supported their educators in integrating technology into the classroom to increase student engagement. |
| Resource |
Verizon Innovative Learning’s Teacher Training Pathways |
|---|---|
| Description |
This program supports teachers with free professional learning focused on digital skills, remote learning, and digital coaching with opportunities to earn Digital Promise micro-credentials. |
| Resource |
Educators Leading the Profession Pilot Mentoring and Coaching Program (ELP) |
| Description |
ELP initially grew out of a collaboration among National Education Association affiliates in seven Midwestern states that came together with the goal of better supporting and retaining early career teachers. |
| Resource |
Dynamic Learning Project (DLP) |
| Description |
The DLP pilot launched in 2017 to increase educational equity and impactful use of technology through instructional coaching. |
| Resource |
Educators Need Each Other to Thrive: Why Educator Networks Matter |
| Description |
Peer networks and professional learning communities provide valuable resources and support systems for educators. |
| Resource |
Bridging Cultures and Computing: Exploring the Relationship Between Appalachian Problem Solving and Computational Thinking |
| Description |
This academic paper helps explain to educators how both computational thinking and traditional ways of solving problems can co-exist in students’ problem solving toolkits. |
| Resource |
The Impact of Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Professional Learning |
| Description |
Digital Promise shares ways Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Coaches have supported their educators in integrating technology into the classroom to increase student engagement. |
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