Mission Statement

The Office of Academic Supports is committed to the continuous growth of all District teachers through ongoing professional development and coaching to ensure that students have access to an excellent public education. When we engage in well-constructed, engaging, and relevant professional learning, we refine our practice and we amplify our impact in the organization. The School District of Philadelphia is a learning organization; therefore, ongoing learning is our professional responsibility. Learning is an active process, it is not done to you.  It is the intersection of giving and receiving. Professional learning can be in-person, synchronous, or asynchronous.

Vision

The Office of Teaching & Learning actively seeks to increase the effectiveness of the School District of Philadelphia’s professional learning by providing resources, grounded in adult learning theory, to aid in session design and facilitation. The intent is that individuals who create and facilitate professional learning will incorporate these best practices and seek feedback in order to support participant learning, teacher effectiveness, and increased student learning and achievement.

Resources Supporting

Effective Professional Development

Effective professional development is carefully crafted to meet the learning needs of the participants and to accomplish the goals of the session developers. 

For a selection of resources to support your development of professional learning sessions, click the green button above. Check back periodically; the resources are a work in progress.

No matter how well-designed a session is, the skill of the facilitator is essential to its success. This is a skill that can be learned, practiced, and honed. 

To access a list of resources that support effective facilitation, click the green button above. We will be adding to this collection of supports so check back.