Scaling Up The Science Of Learning Across A District

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Scaling up the science of learning across a district

By Margie Lope Moutsatsos

Categories: Change management, Continuous improvement, Implementation, Leadership, Learning designs, Learning science, Learning systems/planning, System leadership

In a district with 211 schools and over 12,000 teachers, providing meaningful professional learning that helps all teachers strengthen their practice is no easy feat. But in Montgomery County, Maryland, which borders Washington, D.C., we knew that’s exactly what we needed to do to change the trajectory of student performance. In 2024, our district was not seeing the gains we had hoped for in our math or reading scores, especially for students of color and, even more significantly, for our emerging multilingual learners and students receiving special services. We were looking to go beyond a superficial initiative, and we understood our challenges couldn’t be solved by the next greatest thing. We also knew our work would require a strategic and coherent vision of change, intentionality,

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References

Fullan, M. & Quinn, J. (2015). Coherence: The right drivers in action for schools, districts, and systems. Corwin; Ontario Principal’s Council.

Grissom, J.A., Egalite, A.J., & Lindsay, C.A. (2021). How principals affect students and schools: A systematic synthesis of two decades of research. The Wallace Foundation. learnfwd.org/490fc1

Leithwood, K. & Jantzi, D. (2005). Transformational leadership. In B. Davies (Ed.), The essentials of school leadership(pp. 31-43). Corwin.

Willingham, D.T. (2009). Why don’t students like school? A cognitive scientist answers questions about how the mind works and what it means for the classroom. Jossey-Bass.

Margie Lope Moutsatsos

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Margie Lope Moutsatsos is the Director of Professional Learning for Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland and oversees the professional learning program for all employees of the school system. She is committed ensuring that all employees have the resources and support to grow with high-quality professional learning that is guided by evidence-informed approaches and ultimately positively impacts teaching and learning so that all students have the opportunity to reach their greatest potential.