Home Nonprofit & Education Education Brown report charts path to strengthen teacher professional learning

Brown report charts path to strengthen teacher professional learning

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PBN Staff

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10/07/2025

Brown-University — STABILIZING INVESTMENTS in public education, establishing a clear coaching model for instruction, and finding time that allows districts to implement their professional learning strategies are among the suggestions the Annenberg Institute at Brown University concluded in a report to help strengthen teacher professional learning in Rhode Island. / COURTESY BROWN UNIVERSITY

PROVIDENCE – Stabilizing investments in public education, establishing a clear coaching model for instruction and finding time for districts to implement professional-learning strategies are among the Annenberg Institute at Brown University’s suggestions to strengthen teacher professional learning in Rhode Island. They are outlined in a new report, “Investing in Growth: A Roadmap for Advancing

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PROVIDENCE – Stabilizing investments in public education, establishing a clear coaching model for instruction and finding time for districts to implement professional-learning strategies are among the Annenberg Institute at Brown University's suggestions to strengthen teacher professional learning in Rhode Island. They are outlined in a new report, “Investing in Growth: A Roadmap for Advancing Teacher Professional Learning in Rhode Island" that was developed in partnership with the R.I. School Superintendents Association and the R.I. Department of Education. It highlights how the state can ensure recent investments in teacher professional learning pay off and provides a strategy for how those funds can lead to better outcomes for students. The report focuses on four pillars structuring districts' professional-learning work: strategy, budget, personnel and time. It provides an overview of district strategies and the priorities shaping their investments. The report suggests what is possible when districts commit to investing in teacher professional learning, while also underscoring that sustained progress will require stable investments to build long-term supports and ensure students benefit. "A key part of Rhode Island's plan for high-quality instruction in every classroom is giving teachers more access to professional learning," said R.I. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. "We at RIDE are proud of how we're working with partners to empower educators through better training and high-quality materials. We appreciate that the recent report from Brown University’s Annenberg Institute affirms this collaborative approach and the value of investing in our teachers." Rhode Island school districts face roadblocks across these pillars of professional learning. Specifically, districts wrestle with enacting statewide strategy, limited budgets, personnel instability and unaligned time, according to the report. To combat this, the report recommends:

Stabilizing investments in public learning, enabling districts to make long-term strategic decisions
Identifying a clear instructional coaching model with aligned training and support for coaches and school leaders
Negotiating public-learning time that can enable districts’ professional learning strategies, and creating conditions for that time to be used effectively

“Professional learning is the backbone of a thriving education system. The data and recommendations highlighted in this Annenberg report provide a critical foundation upon which we can build our efforts to ensure that every educator has access to meaningful and impactful professional learning experiences,” said Pete Cummings, superintendent of Narragansett Regional School District. The full report can be found here.