Professional Learning
Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
The SVSU Professional Learning Committee is committed to providing ongoing professional learning opportunities for all staff that support each school’s academic and behavioral goals.
“Educators engaged in professional learning will identify a need and then work to adjust their practice to meet student learning needs, increasing the likelihood of student achievement. Systemic support of this cycle of professional growth by using the standards to plan, facilitate, and evaluate professional learning in schools and district further ensures that improved learning for educators will lead to improved learning for students.” (April 2011 Vermont Department of Education - A Guide for Increasing the Effectiveness of Professional Development in Schools and Districts)
The SVSU Professional Learning Committee is committed to providing ongoing professional learning opportunities for all staff that support each school’s academic and behavioral goals.
“Educators engaged in professional learning will identify a need and then work to adjust their practice to meet student learning needs, increasing the likelihood of student achievement. Systemic support of this cycle of professional growth by using the standards to plan, facilitate, and evaluate professional learning in schools and district further ensures that improved learning for educators will lead to improved learning for students.” (April 2011 Vermont Department of Education - A Guide for Increasing the Effectiveness of Professional Development in Schools and Districts)
RESOURCES:
Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
The SVSU Professional Learning Committee is committed to providing ongoing professional learning opportunities for all staff that support each school’s academic and behavioral goals.
“Educators engaged in professional learning will identify a need and then work to adjust their practice to meet student learning needs, increasing the likelihood of student achievement. Systemic support of this cycle of professional growth by using the standards to plan, facilitate, and evaluate professional learning in schools and district further ensures that improved learning for educators will lead to improved learning for students.” (April 2011 Vermont Department of Education - A Guide for Increasing the Effectiveness of Professional Development in Schools and Districts)
“Educators engaged in professional learning will identify a need and then work to adjust their practice to meet student learning needs, increasing the likelihood of student achievement. Systemic support of this cycle of professional growth by using the standards to plan, facilitate, and evaluate professional learning in schools and district further ensures that improved learning for educators will lead to improved learning for students.” (April 2011 Vermont Department of Education - A Guide for Increasing the Effectiveness of Professional Development in Schools and Districts)
Other Professional Development Opportunities
Lego Robotics for Elementary School Learners
SVSU Elementary Classroom Teachers: Join AMHS STEM educator Karen Schroeder for this four-week series in which you will learn how to teach robotics to elementary students using a LEGO SPIKE Prime kit. By the end of the course, you will acquire the needed skill set to introduce this exciting STEM opportunity to students. Click HERE for the flyer.
When: Mondays, Jan 12th & 26th, Feb 2nd & Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 2026. Please plan on attending all sessions.
Registration is limited to 12 people. Please register by November 24th.
Registration is limited to 12 people. Please register by November 24th.
K-12 Multilingual Learners and Science Educators Collaborative Professional Learning
Audience: Multilingual Learner (MLL) Educators, and K-12 Science Educators
Audience: Multilingual Learner (MLL) Educators, and K-12 Science Educators
The English Learners (EL) and Science Specialists at the Agency of Education are hosting a collaborative professional learning opportunity for multilingual learner educators and K-12 science educators. In this professional learning, you will be presented with actionable strategies to use in the development and implementation of co-planned science lessons and units that integrate both the Next Generation Science Standards and WIDA standards. You will work in MLL/Science teacher pairs or teams, engaging in hands-on activities that model collaborative planning. The training will be on December 3rd from 8:30 am – 3:00 pm at Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee. Please register for this training via our form. The registration fee includes lunch.
Contact: Kathryn Rossman at [email protected]
Vermont Specific Professional Development
We’re so excited to offer something a little different. I have been working with the STEM team at the AOE to put together an all-day in-person training Collaboration and Co-Planning to Support Multilingual Learners in Science Classrooms. The training will be on December 3rd at Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee and will include lunch. The training is appropriate for teachers of science at all grade levels and multilingual learner specialists. This training was designed purposefully for collaborative teams of teachers to attend. There is limited space so please wait for confirmation before submitting the fees: $100/individual or $150 for a team up to three members. To register, please complete this form. For more information, reach out to me and Kathryn Rossman, one of our science specialists at the AOE, [email protected]
Castleton's Center for Schools offers a wide range of continuing education and graduate courses to meet the needs of educators throughout the state. Registration for the course will go through Vermont State University. Please reference your educator’s contract for details about course reimbursement. One of the steps will be to complete Form 101B - College Course Request. Form should be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance to allow sufficient time for processing.
Up for Learning Social/Emotional Learning Opportunities
Up for Learning and the SVSU's portion of the Project Aware Grant are partnering to offer professional learning opportunities. All opportunities are FREE. Please open the link to view more information.
Up for Learning and the SVSU's portion of the Project Aware Grant are partnering to offer professional learning opportunities. All opportunities are FREE. Please open the link to view more information.
Umatter® for Schools
The Umatter® for Schools Suicide Prevention is a national best practice program for suicide prevention.
When: 11/13/25 and 11/20/25 - 8:30-11:30am
Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/umatter-for-schools-fall-2025-tickets-1587167844749?aff=oddtdtcreator
Umatter® Training of Trainers
This is an in-person, all day event is for individuals that have attended an awareness level training (overview, SPAST, schools course) and are interested in becoming Certified Facilitators for Umatter®. This is a great opportunity to build sustainability into your school communities by creating teams of trainers that can facilitate Umatter® for all adults.
When: 11/6/25 - 8:30am-3:30pm
Registration Link available soon!
Self-Paced Workshops to learn more about English/Multilingual Learners- FREE
Vermont offers a WIDA professional learning option for all educators in our state interested in improving instruction and outcomes for English Learners: on-demand Self-paced Workshops. For full descriptions and intended audiences, visit WIDA's Self-Paced Workshop page. You can choose choose to complete as many of these workshops as you want, when you want, at your own pace in the WIDA Secure Portal.
- Developing Language for Learning in Mathematics
- Engaging Multilingual Learners in Science: Making Sense of Phenomena
- Exploring the WIDA PreK-3 Essential Actions
- Let’s Play! Multilingual Children’s Joyful Learning in PreK-3 (NEW!)
- Making Language Visible: Exploring the Key Language Uses
- Newcomers: Promoting Success through Strengthening Practice
- Reading Comprehension Across Content Areas with Multilingual Learners (NEW!)
- Reframing Education for Long-term English Learners
- Teaching Multilingual Learners Social Studies through Multiple Perspectives (UPDATED!)
- The WIDA ELD Standards Framework: A Collaborative Approach
- WIDA Español: Desarollando el español: Las expectativas del lenguaje (NEW!)
- WIDA Español: Evaluaciones del desarrollo del lenguaje a nivel de salón - Classroom assessment for language development (NEW!)
If you are a classroom teacher, specialist, instructional coach, or school leader who does not already have a WIDA Secure Portal account and you would like to participate or get more information, contact the WIDA Client Services Center to set up an account.
WIDA
Through collaboration with member state education agencies and local education agencies, WIDA has created many tools, studies, and training resources to help meet legal and program requirements for ELs, including: Kindergarten- Grade 12 WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework; Can Do Descriptors; Assessments; Professional Learning and Research materials, which can be accessed online at WIDA with an authorized username and password. State-specific information about English language proficiency assessments, including important dates, materials and training, is posted on Vermont's WIDA webpage.
Through collaboration with member state education agencies and local education agencies, WIDA has created many tools, studies, and training resources to help meet legal and program requirements for ELs, including: Kindergarten- Grade 12 WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework; Can Do Descriptors; Assessments; Professional Learning and Research materials, which can be accessed online at WIDA with an authorized username and password. State-specific information about English language proficiency assessments, including important dates, materials and training, is posted on Vermont's WIDA webpage.
Staff Resources
The Vermont WIDA webpage contains self-paced trainings free to all educators
The Vermont WIDA webpage contains self-paced trainings free to all educators
Please check back later for more opportunities.
The Vermont Higher Education Collaborative
Castleton University and Castleton's Center for Schools are proud to partner with the Vermont Higher Education Collaborative (VTHEC) in responding to the professional development needs of districts, schools, educators and administrators throughout Vermont. Please visit the VTHEC site for information on programs, courses, workshops and staff.Want to Become a Special Education Teacher for the 2025-2026 School Year?
- The Agency of Education is supporting alternate pathways to receiving a provisional teaching license with a special education, or early childhood special education (ECSE) endorsement. The VSBPE Provisional waiver will allow districts to expand the applicant pool to include any unlicensed educational professional who possesses a bachelor’s degree (in any subject). If you are interested in becoming a special educator, now is the time!
- If you are currently working in the school district, have your bachelor’s degree, and want to learn more about becoming a special educator for the 2025-2026 school year, please reach out to Nick Gault, Director of Human Resources, at [email protected]