Riverside Local plans focused November professional development on personalized learning and new tech tools

Riverside Local School District administrators outlined a three-session professional development program scheduled for a November in-service day that will emphasize personalized learning and introduce new technology features for teachers. The district said Monday’s PD will include sessions on Infinite Campus updates, “Magic School,” and School Links; Tuesday will be used for teacher-led learning teams to set year-long goals and plan classroom implementation.

District staff said the Monday lineup will include a technology session, a session led by Stacy Lucas and John Renwick on new programs, and a legal-update session presented by Dan. “They each have a lead, that we've trained a teacher and they will begin working on specifically what they want to get better at in personalized learning,” a staff member said during the meeting.

The nut of the plan is to make PD time practice-oriented rather than lecture-style, district presenters said. Teachers will convene in teacher-based teams (TBTs) or professional learning communities (PLCs) and use focused protocols to examine MAP and benchmark data, use dashboards, and select interventions tied to measurable goals. The district said some specialist groups—multiple disabilities, speech, preschool, occupational therapy and Title staff—will meet in targeted teams to address their distinct instructional needs.

Administrators described an approach that pairs whole-group training with team-based follow-through. “This is going to be very personalized. Teachers are really going to start where they're at and commit to growing in some area of personalized learning,” a staff member said. Coaches and administrators will pop into team meetings; the district emphasized teacher-driven leadership for ongoing work.

Officials also reviewed how the district will direct teams to specific datasets at particular meetings so discussions stay focused rather than overwhelmed by multiple data sources. The district said benchmark results and MAP data will be coordinated with a dashboard tool so teams know which measures to review at each meeting. District staff estimated teachers will receive additional, program-specific training—for example, a final CPM training and benchmark training—during the PD days prior to working in teams.