The Learning Framework
The Essex County Learning Community is comprised of a range of elements that we call our “Learning Framework.” The framework includes opportunities for in-district and cross-district learning, role-alike conversations, coaching, and leadership development. The Learning Framework is designed to build solid relationships among educators and encourage the sharing of ideas and practices across Essex County.
Management of ECLC
The ECLC is guided by the ECLC Executive Planning Team, a group of experienced educators and allied professionals--who are all trained in assisting schools and districts in strengthening teaching and learning practices to meet the diverse assets and needs of all students. ECLC's critical operations are driven by the ECLC Project Management Team, which meets frequently, aligns/allocates project resources, designs strategy for completing project components, and implements priorities. The ECLC District Coaching Team provides personalized coaching and mentoring to each district to support the development of district-wide goals and implementation of plans to better serve their diverse populations of students. ECLC school district teams are partnered with an ECLC coach to walk the tough journey of transformation together with them.
Cross-District Groups
At ECLC, we believe consistent, strong leadership at the district and school levels are essential to success: superintendents and principals can lay the groundwork for successful change, by setting a clear direction and tone, investing in professional development, mentoring new faculty, and elevating the importance of collaboration and district-wide ownership of this important work. We also believe in working with each new incoming cohort of district, school, and teacher-leaders to construct unique approaches that respond directly to cross-district and within-district needs.
ECLC has convened District Lead Teams, which typically included assistant superintendents and directors, in order to build network strategies that will lead to the realization of district goals. These quarterly meetings grew out of participants’ desire for time together and became an important space for candid and courageous conversation. In addition, ECLC has convened a Teacher Leadership Council, which included experienced ECLC teachers with knowledge and expertise in topics critical to the growth and success of participating districts, including Academics Tier 1, social emotional learning (SEL)/Behavior Tier 1, and Cultural Competence. This council met every other month to continue their course of learning, with additional opportunities for teachers to become co-facilitators with ECLC staff as they began to implement best practices to support students with diverse assets and learning needs. ECLC also regularly convenes Superintendent Roundtables and Principal Summits to allow leaders to share successes and challenges, engage in dialogue about change leadership, and examine their specific roles in meeting the diverse assets and learning needs of their students.
ECLC has convened District Lead Teams, which typically included assistant superintendents and directors, in order to build network strategies that will lead to the realization of district goals. These quarterly meetings grew out of participants’ desire for time together and became an important space for candid and courageous conversation. In addition, ECLC has convened a Teacher Leadership Council, which included experienced ECLC teachers with knowledge and expertise in topics critical to the growth and success of participating districts, including Academics Tier 1, social emotional learning (SEL)/Behavior Tier 1, and Cultural Competence. This council met every other month to continue their course of learning, with additional opportunities for teachers to become co-facilitators with ECLC staff as they began to implement best practices to support students with diverse assets and learning needs. ECLC also regularly convenes Superintendent Roundtables and Principal Summits to allow leaders to share successes and challenges, engage in dialogue about change leadership, and examine their specific roles in meeting the diverse assets and learning needs of their students.
Targeted PD
Through informal conversations, close review of exit surveys, and findings from formal evaluations of the ECLC, we have been able to determine the most urgent common needs of our member districts. Our Learning Framework is designed to meet those needs through several professional development series for participating districts focused on targeted topics, including:
- Change Leadership
- Communications
- Cultural Competency/Responsiveness
- Equity with an Intersectional Lens
- Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
- Social Emotional Learning (SEL)/Mental Health
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
District-wide Programs
Professional Development (PD) Series are offered as in-person sessions, as well as virtual gatherings/webinars to ECLC school districts on a frequent basis. PD Series range from mini-series (typically two sessions) to full-series, which usually run for at least four sessions. PD Series are led by both guest expert faculty and ECLC experts/facilitators who specialize in topics of interest to ECLC member districts. Often, guest expert faculty join from partner organizations that ECLC has built close relationships with over the years, including Eye to Eye, the Right Question Institute, Transcend Education, Understood, and more.
An important part of our PD Series, as well as our commitment to building relationships among educators, are our Monthly ECLC Community Convenings. These convenings begin during the fall months of the academic year and resume following the winter holidays in January through May. Each month, member districts are invited to gather with their learning community colleagues, and engage in peer-to-peer learning, leadership, and sharing about district "bright spots" and challenges. Monthly Community Convenings are organized in "come as you are"/drop in fashion around a different topic each time, including adult SEL/mental health, communications, equity, and more. Member districts have the opportunity to provide informal sharing and talks to update their cross-district colleagues on the work they are doing and to receive thoughtful feedback through facilitated discussion at the convenings.
The importance of getting outside one’s school or district cannot be overestimated. To that end, ECLC districts are encouraged and supported by their coaches and ECLC staff/leadership in hosting site visits for their cross-district counterparts. During these visits, ECLC districts lead various professional development protocols, in-depth discussions, and have the opportunity to highlight strong inclusive practices in their school classrooms. Districts may also use the time to enlist their ECLC colleagues in solving a pressing problem or challenge in a consultancy format.
In addition to ongoing series, community convenings, site visits, and other opportunities for professional growth and development, our signature annual PD event, the ECLC Summer Institute is an interactive, multi-day conference for member districts to gather and delve deeply into learning. Each year, we offer a plethora of workshops, role-alike group meetings, facilitated panels/discussions, and opportunities for reflection organized around a timely theme. In 2020, ECLC's Summer Institute focused on "Cultivating Belonging and Resilience in Uncertain Times" to reflect concerns, challenges, and opportunities among educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. A full listing of workshops, faculty, and resources can be found by visiting our conference website. Topics covered at previous ECLC Summer Institutes have included: equity and social emotional learning, family engagement, change leadership, student partnerships/agency, and much more. The goal of each ECLC Summer Institute is for participants to leave with a robust toolkit of strategies designed to support educators as they support students with diverse learning assets and needs.
An important part of our PD Series, as well as our commitment to building relationships among educators, are our Monthly ECLC Community Convenings. These convenings begin during the fall months of the academic year and resume following the winter holidays in January through May. Each month, member districts are invited to gather with their learning community colleagues, and engage in peer-to-peer learning, leadership, and sharing about district "bright spots" and challenges. Monthly Community Convenings are organized in "come as you are"/drop in fashion around a different topic each time, including adult SEL/mental health, communications, equity, and more. Member districts have the opportunity to provide informal sharing and talks to update their cross-district colleagues on the work they are doing and to receive thoughtful feedback through facilitated discussion at the convenings.
The importance of getting outside one’s school or district cannot be overestimated. To that end, ECLC districts are encouraged and supported by their coaches and ECLC staff/leadership in hosting site visits for their cross-district counterparts. During these visits, ECLC districts lead various professional development protocols, in-depth discussions, and have the opportunity to highlight strong inclusive practices in their school classrooms. Districts may also use the time to enlist their ECLC colleagues in solving a pressing problem or challenge in a consultancy format.
In addition to ongoing series, community convenings, site visits, and other opportunities for professional growth and development, our signature annual PD event, the ECLC Summer Institute is an interactive, multi-day conference for member districts to gather and delve deeply into learning. Each year, we offer a plethora of workshops, role-alike group meetings, facilitated panels/discussions, and opportunities for reflection organized around a timely theme. In 2020, ECLC's Summer Institute focused on "Cultivating Belonging and Resilience in Uncertain Times" to reflect concerns, challenges, and opportunities among educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. A full listing of workshops, faculty, and resources can be found by visiting our conference website. Topics covered at previous ECLC Summer Institutes have included: equity and social emotional learning, family engagement, change leadership, student partnerships/agency, and much more. The goal of each ECLC Summer Institute is for participants to leave with a robust toolkit of strategies designed to support educators as they support students with diverse learning assets and needs.
