Professional Development

DC Prep expects the best from its teachers and school leaders and helps them to achieve it. Professional development is an integrated, and integral, part of the DC Prep experience, and occurs in many forms.

Every teacher receives targeted support based on their needs and school goals, as well as observations from multiple vantage points to ensure a continuous cycle of conversation, reflection, and improved instructional ability. This individual development, along with grade level and content area teamwork - including teachers' access to game-changing innovations to hone their instructional skills like DC Prep's customized data system, Lumos - make DC Prep a rich and vibrant learning environment.

Weekly professional development sessions led by DC Prep’s instructional leaders provide forums for modeling best practices, analyzing data, reviewing student work, and tailoring instructional practice to address areas of need. In addition, quarterly Data Days allow teachers and school leaders to use assessment results to develop re-teach plans and hone methods to increase student achievement.

Over the next five years, DC Prep will open four additional schools and, ultimately, grow to ten campuses enrolling 3,300 students. As part of this growth, we are committed to expanding the intensive professional development that has been a cornerstone of the DC Prep model to not only ensure success in current positions, but to prepare teachers and leaders for positions of increased responsibility as DC Prep expands.

School leadership team members hired for the 2013-14 school year will participate in leadership development designed to hone their skills for success in their current roles, while also developing expertise needed for future leadership opportunities. Their development as leaders will be focused on participation in cohort professional development and customized coaching, while also gaining practical on-the-ground experience.