Create Systemic Change
Develop a system-wide approach for Project Based Learning in your district that strengthens the capacity of leaders, teachers, and staff to promote high-quality, sustainable implementation.
Create Systemic Change
Develop a system-wide approach for Project Based Learning in your district that strengthens the capacity of leaders, teachers, and staff to promote high-quality, sustainable implementation.
Starting PBL in a single classroom requires a shift in teaching practice and mindset, so it makes sense that supporting PBL across an entire school or district brings its own challenges. It also has an even greater impact on students, of course!
Each year, PBLWorks partners with a select number of districts to support system-wide implementation of high-quality Project Based Learning. Through a multi-year partnership, we work alongside district leaders to launch, support, and sustain PBL by building capacity within people and establishing the systems and conditions necessary for the coherent and successful implementation of PBL.
This includes support to:
- Build the capacity of your school and district leaders to support a system-wide approach to high-quality PBL
- Develop a clear vision and purpose for PBL
- Bring coherence by articulating how PBL aligns with other priorities and initiatives
- Create the conditions and build teacher capacity to implement high-quality projects
- Develop the culture across your district to support PBL
- Reflect and refine to engage in continuous improvement
Your partnership is facilitated by a Director of District & School Leadership from PBLWorks – and supported by a hand-selected team of our expert Lead National Faculty members.
What It Looks Like In Practice
Every one of our District Partnerships looks a little bit different because every district has unique goals and challenges. We will structure our work to align to support yours.
Steering Committee & Visioning Workshop
- A Steering Committee — curriculum, leadership, Special Education, multilingual education, and coaching leaders — assesses readiness: PBL understanding, alignment with your Portrait of a Learner, and site readiness.
- A Visioning Workshop aligns PBL with — not alongside — existing priorities.
- Ongoing stewardship: quarterly calls and data reviews sustain continuity across cohorts and leadership changes.
Leader Launch & Ongoing Team Coaching
- Each school's PBL Leadership Team — principal, assistant principals, coaches, lead teachers — enters in cohorts based on readiness.
- A two-day Leader Launch unpacks the district PBL vision, assesses conditions, and builds a school plan aligned to the Portrait of a Learner, priorities, and data use.
- Cross-school Learning Walks and Coaching Sessions follow, covering topics such as PBL culture, infrastructure, and capacity building.
Foundational PBL Training & TEACH Resource
- As leaders build district coherence, teachers begin building PBL capacity through cohort-based training aligned to your goals.
- Most districts choose the two-day Facilitate PBL or the three-day Design PBL (formerly PBL 101), building teachers' skills to design rigorous, standards-aligned projects aligned to your Portrait of a Learner.
- Every teacher gets ready-to-use Gold Standard projects in TEACH, making PBL easier to scale district-wide.
The Benefits of District Partnership
PBLWorks District Partners Reduce Chronic Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism is complex, and there is no magic wand solution. However, it is meaningful that 20 of our 22 district partners saw a decrease in chronic absenteeism while working with us to implement Project Based Learning in their districts. It cannot be accidental that 91% saw that kind of success, nor can it be random that 70% of those school districts saw greater decreases than their state average.
Read the report for more about what we're learning, and to hear from a few of the leaders involved.
Ready to get started?
Our suite of workshops and services for district partners is comprehensive and supports leaders and teachers through onsite & online professional learning, access to just-in-time support, and a district toolkit designed to support your journey along the way. The schedule and timeline for your partnership are customized to support the specific needs of your school or district. To learn more, connect with our District Partnership Team by scheduling a call.
What PBLWorks has given University Prep School is not just a framework or a set of tools. They have transformed our teachers, our leaders, and our system in ways that will outlast any single school year or initiative.