When time is scarce, professional development can feel more like a burden instead of a solution. But what if you could simplify it all with your district’s very own curated and coherent professional learning plan?
Imagine teachers enjoying the efficiency of having a one-stop experience for meaningful professional development. They access PD choices with the peace of mind that their investment of time comes with district recognition and support. By creating District Academy Models around curated, pre-approved courses, districts offer streamlined, personalized professional learning for educators and leaders. When you include PLCs or facilitated discussions, you establish a cohesive framework that blends flexibility with collaboration to ensure educators apply what they learn and sustain it across the system.
Here are three reasons why your district should streamline professional learning through a District Academy Model.
Reason 1: Simplify and Align Professional Learning
When districts simplify professional learning options, they support educator wellbeing and make it easier for everyone to focus on meaningful growth. Consider the following scenarios:
Scenario 1
In one district, each educator creates an individual PD plan. One may choose an online reading course; another may read a book, and yet another may attend a workshop in a neighboring school. While this approach to professional learning honors choice, it complicates accountability, alignment, and measurable impact.
Scenario 2
A neighboring district offers a curated set of 20 high-quality, self-paced courses aligned with district goals. This structure ensures consistency, simplifies oversight, and still gives teachers meaningful choice within clear parameters.
Monticello Public Schools (MN) implemented this model by building six pathways aligned to district goals. One pathway, focused on differentiated instruction, included these standout courses:
Course Pathway: Differentiated and Specialized Instruction
“It gives me peace of mind as a Superintendent to know that our professional learning offering is structured, organized, and aligned to district goals. Our teachers can count on their credits being approved, and through careful planning with Teaching Channel, we can count on the learning being relevant.”
— Dr. Eric Olson, Monticello School District (MN)
Reason 2: Maximize Flexibility Without Sacrificing Impact
Educators work on tightly packed schedules, often juggling pop-up emergencies that fill every available minute. To truly support them, professional learning must remain flexible in both timing and format.
If leaders expect teachers to differentiate for students, leaders must also differentiate professional learning for teachers and staff. When districts offer voice and choice, even to adult learners, they increase motivation (Digital Promise, n.d.). When teachers feel supported and capable, student engagement and achievement improve. A 40-year synthesis found that teacher self-efficacy is positively linked to classroom processes and students’ academic adjustment (e.g., achievement, motivation, engagement) (Zee & Koomen, 2016).
However, flexibility without structure can limit results. District Academy Models safeguard best practices by incorporating synchronous sessions into scheduled professional development days. These sessions create structured opportunities for collaboration, feedback, and applied learning. One District Academy Model participant journey includes course flexibility paired with structured discussion and implementation milestones. This hybrid approach supports both autonomy and accountability by allowing educators to apply learning in classrooms and return for collaborative reflection.
How do you set up a District Academy Model? That’s easy! You can work with a Learning Success Associate to review and personalize course choices to your district goals and teacher needs while supporting the school’s strategic plan and student growth.
To create your own District Academy Model with Teaching Channel, book time to chat with our team.
Reason 3: Improve Teacher and Leader Retention
Teacher retention remains one of the biggest challenges districts face, but high-quality professional learning offers a proven solution. When educators engage in personalized, relevant, and supported growth opportunities, their morale improves (Aperture Education, 2023). District Academy Models invest in this growth, reducing turnover-related costs and boosting satisfaction.
Additionally, educators grow more effective when they collaborate and reflect with peers, especially in professional learning communities (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). District Academy Models create these conditions and help nurture Collective Teacher Efficacy, the shared belief among educators in their ability to positively impact student learning (Hattie, 2008).
Collective Teacher Efficacy ranks as one of the strongest predictors of student success. John Hattie identifies it as the most influential school-based factor, with an effect size of 1.57. That is more than twice that of feedback (0.72) and nearly four times the gain of a typical school year (0.4)!
As The Riley Institute explains:
“If teachers in a school share a collective belief in their ability to help students succeed and, perhaps more importantly, if they understand the how and why behind that success, they are more likely to want to stay” (Gregory, 2024).
Simply put, when teachers believe in shared impact and know how to achieve it, they choose to stay. District Academy Models for Professional Learning are a key ingredient in this recipe.
Strategic Simplicity in a Complex Time
The District Academy Model is more than a list of pre-approved courses. It’s a strategic shift toward professional learning that honors educators’ individual needs through voice, choice, and clarity. By embracing this model, your district can reclaim time, reduce fragmentation, and provide high-quality learning that strengthens practice and accelerates student outcomes.
About the Author
Keely Keller is the Director of Professional Programs for Teaching Channel in Eagan, Minnesota. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from St. Cloud State University, a Master’s of Arts in Education from Hamline University, and additional Director of Special Education and Principal Licensures from the University of Minnesota. Before joining Teaching Channel, Keely served students with special needs as a teacher and Special Education Coordinator in a suburban Minnesota school district. Keely has years of experience working with new teachers.
Fun Fact: Keely loves to go camping in her travel trailer with family and friends.
References
Aperture Education. (2023). Boost Staff Morale in Schools with Effective Professional Learning. Aperture Education. https://apertureed.com/blog/sel-tips-principals-boost-staff-morale-effective-professional-learning/
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, ,. a. M. (2017). Effective Teacher Professional Development. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Effective_Teacher_Professional_Development_BRIEF.pdf
Digital Promise. (n.d.). Learner Choice | Learner Variability Project. Learner Variability Navigator. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://lvp.digitalpromiseglobal.org/content-area/adult-learner/strategies/learner-choice-adult-learner/summary
Gregory, K. (2024). Evidence Matters | Teacher Retention: The Power of Belief. Furman. https://www.furman.edu/riley/evidence-matters-teacher-retention-the-power-of-belief/
Hattie, J. (2008). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. SAGE Publications.
Waack, S. (2018, March 7). Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE) according to John Hattie – VISIBLE LEARNING. Visible Learning. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://visible-learning.org/2018/03/collective-teacher-efficacy-hattie/
Zee, M., & Koomen, H.M.Y. (2016). UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository). UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository). Retrieved August 8, 2025, from https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/9586246/Teacher_self_efficacy_and_its_effects_on_classroom_processes_student_academic_adjustment_and_teacher_well_being.pdf?
