Conversation #33 with Cory Steiner, Superintendent of Northern Cass School District 97 was complete fire! Achieving a fully competency-based and personalized model at scale is impressive, and doing it with teachers in the driver seat makes it sticky - a fantastic strategy blending partner expertise with homegrown talent.

"Our journey toward a competency-based, personalized learning model, which began in 2017, has fundamentally shaped how we approach professional development. We recognize that just as we personalize learning for students, we must also embrace a more tailored, hybrid approach for our educators. Foundational knowledge can often be effectively delivered online, but the power of in-person collaboration is undeniable. It's in those face-to-face interactions that our educators can share their action research findings and build a collective understanding of what works best for our students.

Our instructional model prioritizes small group coaching and 1:1 conferencing, supporting students to unpack their learning and apply it with formative feedback. We have shifted from letter grades and percentages to a holistic reporting of student growth. Our K-5 ELA curriculum is a shared foundation, but beyond that, we encourage our educators to find the resources that best meet the diverse needs of their students, aligning with our Portrait of a Learner competencies. While the state of North Dakota offers a broader curriculum framework, our focus remains on cultivating the essential skills that help students thrive.

Our staff describe themselves as a 'strong family,' and this relationship-based aspect is vital to our professional growth. It was exciting when one of our teachers proposed ideas for designing their own accountability measures – a true testament to distributed leadership and the agency we’re trying to cultivate. Compliance differs greatly from genuine engagement, and empowering teacher voice and autonomy is crucial.

Regular updates with principals often include opportunities for teachers to share their progress and insights, culminating in a capstone experience similar to senior projects. Our district leadership team is intentionally lean, with principals, a Director of Personalized Learning, a dedicated professional learning coach, and myself serving as the primary drivers of PD. This close-knit structure allows for direct engagement with teacher-led initiatives.

While we value our homegrown professional learning approach, there are areas of expertise that external partners have that we value greatly. Transcend encouraged us to connect student learning with community impact. KnowledgeWorks challenged us to think systematically about personalized learning across our K-12 spectrum. And Marzano Resources helped us define proficiency skills in a way that reflects a learner's holistic development. Each year, we survey our professional learning vendors to ask: 'Did you get something from our partnership that allowed you to grow as a partner?' and we reflect on 'What did we get from this experience?' "