DCPS believes in creating high quality curricular materials that establish a floor, but never a ceiling, for excellent instruction. With the launch of the Cornerstones model, the four district-wide PD days shifted from general pedagogy to a cycle of inquiry built from the Cornerstones lessons. The resources on this page can help groups hone their own vision for task-centered PD.
Sustained Teach-Alike Cohorts:
PD Practice: Teachers across the district organized into year-long cohorts of teachers who all teach the same grade and course - third grade ELA or Algebra I.
Expected Outcome: Teachers can deeply explore the precise content of the Cornerstones for their grade and course. Teachers develop supportive course-specific relationships. Through these relationships, teachers get ongoing support as they implement new teaching methods.
Collaborative Planning:
PD Practice: In teach-alike cohorts facilitated by an expert teacher, teachers study the instructional models and content and adapt lessons to meet their students’ needs.
Expected Outcome: Teachers get expert support using detailed lesson plans. As a result, they successfully implement high-impact instructional models. This leads to spread of the model beyond the Cornerstones into the rest of the unit.
Cross-School Norming of Student Work:
PD Practice: Teachers return to District PD with student work produced during the Cornerstone.
Expected Outcome: Standards for student work, student work quality, and equity all increase as teachers share high quality work and problem-solve around work that didn’t meet the bar.
