Professional Learning

Special Area Teachers Council

This Council is designed specifically for teachers of non-core subjects—such as the arts, physical education, and career/technical education. Participants will engage in rich discussions around problems of practice, share strategies that enhance student engagement and learning, and build a supportive professional network. Each session provides space for reflection, collaboration, and continuous growth within and across disciplines. There is no cost to attend.

TEAM District Facilitator Meeting - Spring 2026

TEAM District Facilitator Meetings occur twice each school year and provide program updates. The mission of the TEAM Program is to promote excellence, equity, and high achievement for Connecticut students by engaging teachers in the purposeful exploration of professional practice through guided support and personal reflection.

CREC Curriculum Council Meeting

Join other educational leaders for time to problem-solve, plan, share, and collaborate with colleagues. The morning will be the virtual RESC Alliance Curriculum Council. The remaining time will be allocated to topic-specific work sessions and/or team-based work time. Come alone or with your team to use designated space and time around topics such as statewide mandates, district initiatives, or collaborating on problems of practice. No cost to attend.

Middle School Mathematics Intervention Learning Series (Session 1) - Establishing a Vision and Coherence

In this opening session, participants will develop a shared vision for effective mathematics intervention that centers on equity, access, and high expectations for all students. Using research from the Strengthening Mathematics Intervention project at Education Development Center, math leaders will examine key design principles that define high-quality intervention systems. Participants will reflect on current practices, identify gaps, and begin outlining structures that prioritize coherence, alignment with grade-level standards, and meaningful student engagement.

Middle School Mathematics Intervention Learning Series (Sessions 1-5)

This collaborative network of math leaders will come together throughout the year to share expertise, resources, and experiences to improve teaching and learning outcomes in middle school mathematics education. This will consist of five (5) half-day professional learning sessions that focus on research-based practices that support students who struggle with mathematics. Some topics of focus are: establishing a vision and coherence for intervention, shifting mindset to focus on strengths and using representations to support conceptual understanding.

New to Instructional Coaching? Navigating the Path as a New Instructional Coach

This series of trainings is for new instructional coaches who have been in their role for less than two years. Over the course of five sessions, you will identify the skills and techniques required to transition from teacher to instructional coach, explore different coaching models, learn about coaching cycles, discuss adult learning theory, and reflect on strategies to be successful in the role.

Cultivating Quality: EL/ML Program Leadership Collaborative

This virtual monthly leadership collaborative supports EL/ML Coordinators, ELACs, and other teacher-leaders or district administrators responsible for English learner/multilingual learner programming, especially those who are new to the role, unfamiliar with multilingual education, or working without formal TESOL training. Through monthly facilitated sessions, a detailed month-by-month guidebook, and structured opportunities for collaborative problem-solving, participants will navigate key responsibilities aligned to the academic year, including compliance requirements, identification procedures, assessment data use, and program planning. Sessions blend timely guidance, participant questions, peer collaboration, and voices from the field so the experience is both practical and responsive. The collaborative builds participants’ capacity to lead compliant, asset-based multilingual programs.

Fundamentals of Restorative Practices

In this two-day introductory series, participants will learn the history and core principles of Restorative Practices, reflect on their potential impact in both professional and personal contexts, and apply the RP continuum within educational settings. The training is led by certified facilitators using official materials from the International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP). Participants must attend both sessions to be eligible for the next phase of Restorative Practices training. 

Addressing Harmful Language Using Restorative Practice

As student access to technology expands, harmful language is increasingly embedded in everyday interactions often without full understanding of its history or impact. This interactive two-day session equips educators with restorative practices to respond to harm in ways that promote accountability, empathy, and relationship-building rather than punishment.

Participants will analyze the impact of harmful language, apply restorative strategies such as circles and conversations to real-world scenarios, and design actionable systems for sustainable implementation. Grounded in educator experiences and aligned with Connecticut statutes and IIRP practices, this session centers student voice and supports more inclusive, relationship-centered school communities.

Coaching Paraeducators: Tools for Effective Supports

Paraeducators are widely recognized as essential partners in supporting students with disabilities, yet educators often receive little formal preparation on how to effectively supervise, coach, and collaborate with them. Without intentional structures and shared expectations, paraeducators may experience inconsistent guidance, and both team members can struggle to fully leverage their collective impact.

This professional learning session is intentionally designed for paraeducator–supervisor teams to attend together. By engaging in the learning as a partnership, teams develop a shared understanding of roles, expectations, and effective collaboration practices in real time. The session builds both members’ capacity by strengthening supervisors’ ability to provide clear, respectful, and actionable feedback, while empowering paraeducators to engage confidently in their roles.

Attending as a team ensures that participants leave aligned and prepared to apply the learning immediately within their school or district. Together, they will develop concrete tools and shared strategies to clarify roles, strengthen communication, and build more effective instructional partnerships that enhance outcomes for students with disabilities.

Coaching Collective: Advanced Leadership & Practice

The Coaching Collective is a cohort-based professional learning experience designed to support instructional coaches with three or more years of experience in coaching to strengthen their practice and leadership over time. The Collective provides a sustained learning community where coaches engage together in shared inquiry, reflection, and application grounded in their daily coaching work.

IEP Development for Students with Hearing Loss

This full-day professional learning opportunity is designed to take an in-depth approach to IEP development for students with hearing loss that is data-driven. Participants will identify the unique needs of students with hearing loss and align them with skills for the general education setting. Participants will gain an understanding of specific requirements for these students under the IDEA and Connecticut regulations. Participants will gain confidence in aligning the Language and Communication Plan with the IEP; develop data-driven and individualized goals and objectives specific to deaf education; and identify accommodations and modifications that match the student's needs. There is one (1) hour virtual office hour scheduled to support caseload-specific questions and support. Note: Sign Language Interpreter available upon request. Requests need to be made no later than 4 weeks before the session.

From School to Success: Post-Secondary Readiness for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing

This will be a series of five two hour sessions , virtual workshops for school professionals who support transition-age students who are deaf/hard of hearing. Each workshop in the series will do a deep dive into a specific transition-related topic to increase participants’ ability to support their students’ future preparedness in these areas.

Neurodiversity in Action: Practical Inclusive Strategies for Supporting Students on the Autism Spectrum

This session is designed for general education and special education teachers newer to the field, seeking actionable strategies for designing effective support for students on the Autism spectrum. Meaningful inclusion for students on the autism spectrum contributes to improved outcomes and equitable education. Participants will learn strategies to include students on the autism spectrum into general education classrooms. Participants will also develop strategies to help students with ASD navigate all environments in the school.

Middle School Mathematics Intervention Workshop (Session 2) - Advancing Learning

This session focuses on strengthening instructional moves that accelerate student learning rather than remediate in isolation. Participants will discuss the impact of remediation versus advancing learning and explore strategies from TNTP's The Opportunity Makers. Time will be dedicated to planning instructional approaches that move students forward in their mathematical thinking and identify "load-bearing walls" to grade-level standards.

Strategies in Action: Practical Supports for Multilingual Learners

A cohort-based virtual learning series focused on practical, ready-to-use strategies for supporting multilingual learners across content areas and grade levels. Across six monthly sessions, participants will explore one high-impact instructional focus at a time and leave with concrete strategies they can apply in their own classrooms or coaching work. Sessions will include a brief grounding in second-language acquisition, guided exploration of strategies and examples, time to adapt ideas to participants’ own contexts, and structured opportunities to reflect on what they tried between sessions. The series is designed to help educators move from learning about strategies to actually using them with students.

Series Schedule: 10/15/26-Facilitate Comprehension; 11/12/26-Student Talk and Interaction; 12/17/27-Foster Vocabulary Acquisition; 3/25/27-Background Knowledge; 4/29/27-Translanguaging; and 5/27/27-Check for Understanding

Restorative Practices for School Social Workers and Psychologists

School social workers and school psychologists are often expected to lead restorative practices, yet few receive training tailored to their specialized roles. This workshop addresses that gap by aligning restorative practices with clinical expertise, consultation, MTSS leadership, crisis response, and family engagement.

Participants will apply restorative approaches within their professional scope, strengthening their ability to lead sustainable, relationship-centered systems that move beyond behavior management toward equity, accountability, and mental health–informed practice. Rather than introducing a new initiative, this session enhances and operationalizes existing skills for real-world school implementation.

Participants will leave with concrete strategies, role-specific tools, and actionable plans to integrate restorative practices into their daily work, improving school climate, strengthening relationships, and reducing reliance on exclusionary discipline.

School Leadership Decisions That Shape Early Learning (PreK-K): What High-Quality Early Learning Looks Like

What does rigorous instruction look like in a Pre-K or Kindergarten classroom? How can administrators distinguish between high-quality, developmentally appropriate practice and instruction that appears structured but may not support how young children learn? This session builds foundational understanding of early childhood pedagogy for school leaders. Participants will examine what research tells us about brain development, executive function, and early literacy and math foundations. Through classroom scenarios and discussion, leaders will identify observable indicators of strong practice in play-based environments and clarify common misconceptions about rigor in early learning. The goal is to strengthen administrators’ ability to recognize, support, and communicate what effective early childhood instruction looks like.

Empowerment Through Perspective: Reframing Deficit Mindsets and Moving to an Asset-Based Mindset

In this two-part series, participants will be introduced to the concept of deficit-based thinking and how harmful and pervasive it is in education spaces. They will engage in an unpacking exercise to better understand the different harmful outcomes of deficit-based thinking. Then they will learn to reframe deficit thinking and co-create asset-based responses. Part 2 will help you understand the ways society does not value the capital that marginalized students bring to educational spaces. Using Yosso's (2005) community cultural wealth model, participants will reflect and reframe how their students are viewed in deficit ways to more asset-based descriptions.

Enhancing Academic Success: A Workshop on Implementing Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

Join us for an insightful workshop designed to empower educators and administrators with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively implement a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) in the area of academics. This session will provide an overview of MTSS, including its foundational principles, practical strategies and techniques, and best practices for supporting all students in achieving academic success.

From Contact to Community: Working Together with Families Across Cultures

The first interaction a family has with your school often sets the tone for their entire educational journey. Is it a bridge to partnership or a barrier to engagement?

In this workshop series, we explore how school employees serve as the vital frontline of community belonging. We address the "cultural mismatches", differences in communication styles and lived experiences, that can unintentionally create mistrust, especially within culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Learning will be sustained through built-in practice during the session, so participants leave with strategies ready to use, along with practical resources to support ongoing implementation. Participants will be encouraged to collaborate with colleagues to continue reflecting and holding one another accountable, building a community of learners. Change will be evident through increased confidence, more culturally responsive communication, and more restorative and intentional relationship-building with families.

Middle School Mathematics Intervention Learning Series (Session 3) - Shifting Mindset to Focus on Strengths

In this session, participants will examine how beliefs about students influence instructional decisions and outcomes. Grounded in asset-based frameworks from leading research organizations, math leaders will explore how to recognize and leverage students’ strengths, prior knowledge, and cultural assets in mathematics instruction. Participants will reflect on deficit-based practices and consider shifts that promote high expectations, student agency, and inclusive learning environments that support all learners.

School Leadership Decisions That Shape Early Learning (PreK-K): Instructional Leadership Without Pushdown

Administrators often face pressure to increase academic expectations in the early grades. How can leaders support strong academic outcomes without narrowing instruction or reducing time for play? This session focuses on vertical alignment across Pre-K and Kindergarten using CT ELDS and Kindergarten standards as a developmental continuum rather than separate mandates. Leaders will explore how curriculum pacing, materials, and expectations can be aligned without compromising the integrity of early childhood pedagogy. Participants will reflect on how leadership messaging, instructional guidance, and decision-making shape classroom practice across the continuum.

Middle School Mathematics Intervention Learning Series (Session 4) - Using Multiple Representations

This session emphasizes the importance of multiple representations in developing conceptual understanding and supporting diverse learners. Participants will engage with strategies that connect visual, symbolic, verbal, and contextual representations to deepen student comprehension. Drawing from high-quality instructional resources, math leaders will analyze how representations can be intentionally used to scaffold learning without reducing rigor. Opportunities will be provided to design or adapt tasks that incorporate multiple entry points for students.

Complex Learners, Practical Solutions: Supporting D/HH Students with Diverse Needs

Struggling to integrate listening and language strategies for students with complex needs? This online workshop is designed specifically for special education teachers, Teachers of the Deaf, and Speech-Language Pathologists working with students who have hearing loss and additional disabilities (Deaf+/DeafDisabled). Gain practical, job-embedded tools for integrating listening and functional language development and communication skills — built around the real demands of your classroom and caseload — so you can apply what you learn immediately with your students.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for Social-Emotional and Behavioral Supports

Join our comprehensive workshop designed to enhance your understanding and application of social-emotional and behavioral supports within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. This hands-on workshop will delve into how to embed social-emotional and behavioral strategies to support positive behavior and classroom climate at any grade level. SNOW DATE: 1/20/2027

Culture & Connection: Restorative Practices Training for Culture & Climate Representatives

With evolving educational standards and recent Connecticut legislation, schools are called to move beyond exclusionary discipline toward environments that prioritize healing and community. Culture & Connection is a two-day training designed for school-based leaders and Climate & Culture Representatives who are ready to bridge the gap between policy expectations and real-world implementation. By integrating the IIRP model with an equity-driven, trauma-informed lens, this session transforms abstract theory into a practical toolkit for change. Participants will not only explore restorative frameworks and communication strategies but will also join a collaborative network of practitioners, including access to an exclusive post-training workgroup dedicated to fostering authentic belonging and resilient school climates.

School Leadership Decisions That Shape Early Learning (PreK-K): Observation, Assessment, and Accountability in Early Childhood

How should administrators evaluate teaching and learning in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms? What does meaningful assessment look like in play-based settings? This session addresses supervision, assessment, and accountability practices in early childhood. Participants will examine authentic, observation-based assessment approaches and consider how these practices align with district expectations for student growth and data use. Leaders will explore how to adapt walkthrough tools, evaluation frameworks, and feedback conversations to reflect early learning principles. The focus is on helping administrators supervise early childhood classrooms with confidence and clarity.

Middle School Mathematics Intervention Learning Series (Session 5) - Supporting Mathematical Language Development

The final session focuses on strengthening students’ ability to access and use mathematical language to communicate their thinking. Participants will explore strategies that support vocabulary development, discourse, and academic language structures within mathematics classrooms. Using research-based practices, math leaders will consider how to integrate language supports into daily instruction to benefit all learners, particularly multilingual students and those who struggle with language demands.

Fundamentals of Restorative Practices

In this two-day introductory series, participants will learn the history and core principles of Restorative Practices, reflect on their potential impact in both professional and personal contexts, and apply the RP continuum within educational settings. The training is led by certified facilitators using official materials from the International Institute of Restorative Practices (IIRP). Participants must attend both sessions to be eligible for the next phase of Restorative Practices training. Snowdate is 3/16/27

School Leadership Decisions That Shape Early Learning (PreK-K): Systems and Scheduling That Support Play

How do leadership decisions about schedules, staffing, curriculum mandates, and instructional time impact the quality of early learning in Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms? This session is designed for administrators who want to strengthen early childhood outcomes while meeting district expectations. Participants will examine how systems-level decisions—such as daily schedules, pacing guides, intervention blocks, collaboration time, and assessment requirements—either support or unintentionally limit developmentally appropriate, play-based instruction. Through guided discussion and practical examples, leaders will analyze how to structure the school day and year to promote executive function, language development, and strong foundational skills without sacrificing academic goals. The focus will be on aligning systems with what research tells us about how young children learn best.