It's 2026 and we have 25 more conversations to go before we hit our goal of #100Districtconversations. Today, I'm excited to share conversation #76 with Nicole Toepfer, Administrator for Professional Learning for Sun Prairie Area School District, in Wisconsin. Nicole's work is anchored on an impressive set of instructional frameworks that are paced well for sticky and sustainable professional learning.

"Our instructional framework is not just a document on a shelf: it drives everything we do for learning in our district. It was co-constructed with community members, teachers, and leaders, but most importantly, sparked by what our students told us they needed for learning experiences to be more engaging, affirming, and meaningful.

We've learned that sustainable professional learning that brings the framework to life requires intentional sequencing. Rather than overwhelming staff, we roll out 3 framework elements at a time, spending 3 full years on training, monitoring, coaching, and feedback for each set. This approach, rooted in Implementation Science principles from National Implementation Research Network, has been transformational.

Our partnership strategy has evolved significantly. For example, for the element Culture of Care, we initially brought in external partners like Responsive Classroom for elementary, Developmental Designs for middle/high school, and Restorative Justice Education for Restorative Practices. While those scattered professional learning days during the year got everyone trained, the cadence wasn't ideal. Now we host full 4-day intensive sessions, and we’ve built internal capacity to facilitate Restorative Practice training ourselves.

For our equity work, Courageous Conversation® remains our primary partner for training in the Disrupting Inequity element. We've built internal expertise with train-the-trainer models. Being located just outside Madison, we're fortunate this work can still happen here, though we've seen some partners scrub DEI language due to the politicized landscape. We’ve embraced a focus on brain science and information processing rather than equity terminology alone. Zaretta Hammond's approach has provided strong guidance. Sometimes the shift away from certain messaging actually gets us deeper into learning science, which benefits all students.

Our three newest framework areas excite me most: Multiple Means of Understanding (assessment and feedback loops), Learning Environments, and Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education. Each builds on our strong PLC foundations with the 4 critical questions at the center.

We've also revolutionized our approach to asynchronous learning. Instead of an expensive LMS, we build robust Google Site modules with performance-based exit tickets. This has saved significant money while leveraging our internal expertise.

Our continuous improvement process ties everything together. Root cause analysis leads to 100-day plans connected to strategic priorities. What started as external training is now scaling and sustaining internally.

The biggest challenge remains maintaining fidelity system-wide while ensuring improvements in student outcomes. When students and community are at the center from the beginning, the work has staying power."