K-12 Professional Development at Harvard Graduate School of Education In Person and Online.
“At Harvard, I found a welcoming community of motivated peers and effective strategies for overcoming the challenges I face every day.”
— John Brickey, Principal Novi Meadows Elementary School, MI
Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) supports educators from around the world with professional development that helps enhance their teaching and leadership skills and make the most of their unique insights into their schools, districts, and classrooms.
Online and on-campus, our programs draw on the practical experience of our faculty, groundbreaking research, and a welcoming community of dedicated educators with one goal in mind: creating the best possible learning experiences to help educators elevate and transform their practice. And when that happens, the world begins to change.
HGSE brings decades of real-world teaching and leadership experience to work every day. Our faculty has taught in classrooms and served as leaders in schools and districts large and small. They understand the challenges — and they’re ready to help you develop practical, actionable solutions that focus on your unique problems of practice.
HGSE pushes the boundaries of the education field to find better, more impactful solutions to the most critical problems in K-12 education. Our faculty and students produce groundbreaking research in fields as diverse as the moral development of children, international education policy, organizational leadership, arts and media, and learning design.
When you learn at HGSE, you join a warm, welcoming community of educators from around the world. No matter where you’re from, what challenges you face, or what your learning goals are, we’re here to make you feel at home. If you’re ready for a transformative learning experience that makes a lasting impact, we’re ready to make you feel seen, heard, validated, and supported.
At HGSE, we focus relentlessly on making a measurable impact on K-12 education. Whether you’re a teacher, teacher leader, school leader, or district leader, we’ve designed programs to address your most critical problems of practice.
Leadership Development
Translate visionary ideas into real-world action.
Organizational Development & Turnaround
Respond effectively to the challenges of turnaround and organizational change.
Evidence-based Practice
Use data to continuously improve instructional practices.
School & Community Well-being
Create school and community environments that are conducive to wellness.
Instruction & Learning Design
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Design engaging, effective learning experiences for all students. 08 12
Since 1981, The Principals’ Center at Harvard has gathered school leaders from around the world to share insights, learn new skills, and find practical solutions to critical problems. If you’re a principal who is looking to elevate your practice, join us in person or online. Find programs that are right for you. These icons will help.
To learn more about The Principals’ Center programs, visit www.gse.harvard.edu/ppe/tpc
Ask us about Principals’ Center custom programs and group enrollment options at www.gse.harvard.edu/tpc-custom
Teacher, school, and district leaders work with Harvard’s experienced faculty to identify their strengths, assess their problems of practice, create effective action plans, and inspire their teams to unite around common goals. HGSE’s Programs in Professional Education welcome the experience you bring to the table and the contributions you’ll bring to the dialogue.
Ground your leadership in best practices and frameworks that empower you to lead schools that support excellence for all learners. (On Campus)
Leadership
Plan your entry into a new education leadership position using steps that involve communities of stakeholders and create opportunities for all students to succeed. (Online Asynchronous)
Harvard
Acquire leadership tools and strategies that enhance your capacity to drive change and help you build effective leadership teams. (On Campus)
Celebrate your strengths, analyze your challenges, and focus on the skills you need now to engage multiple constituencies in the work of improving learning opportunities for students. (On Campus)
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
Build skills to help you become a more effective leader, coach, and mentor within your team or instructional department. (Online Asynchronous)
Acquire the core knowledge, management skills, and leadership tools necessary to build and advance high-quality early education in any learning environment. (Online Asynchronous)
Bring best practices from the fields of business and education to your toolkit, and learn to effectively lead and drive change improvement in K-12 schools. (Online Asynchronous)
Join current and aspiring district and system-level leaders as they deepen their knowledge and skills while working to address current problems of practice. (Online Asynchronous)
In recent years, widespread and rapid transition in K-12 leadership has created situations in which leadership teams, administrators, and teachers have struggled to regain their footing and provide high-quality learning experiences for all students. But the news isn’t all negative.
“There’s a window of opportunity that opens up for change during transition. It is a great time for a new leader to take advantage of the hope… and dissuade the fear.”
—Jennifer Perry Cheatham, faculty chair of Leadership Entry: Empowering Schools and Communities
Jennifer Perry Cheatham offers six tips for effective leadership entry: Avoid harm.
Pay attention to past harm and create opportunities for healing.
Strive to understand current and historical context.
Understand the history of systemic racism and oppression in your community and the nation.
Be self-aware.
Understand who you are, the potential biases you bring, and how you might be perceved by those you are serving.
Listen with empathy and develop a shared vision.
Use your energy to make collaborative and sustainable change.
Look after yourself.
Prepare mentally and introduce routines for self-care from the beginning.
Don’t do the work alone.
Develop a group of trusted advisers to provide feedback and support as they keep you accountable. 1 2 3 4 5 6
Respond effectively to the challenges of school turnaround and organizational change.
Professional development at HGSE can help you effectively navigate challenges such as school turnaround, developing a positive school culture, building skills and community among leaders of color, and meeting needs specific to urban schools. In person and online, you’ll work together with motivated peers who share common challenges — and common goals.
Learn to create the conditions for rapid and sustained change, craft a turnaround plan, generate buy-in, and improve student achievement.
(On Campus)
Refine your leadership skills and broaden your understanding of what effective teaching and learning looks like in urban schools. (On Campus)
Gain a deeper understanding of how strong school cultures develop and design a concrete action plan to drive culture change in your school or district. (On Campus)
Explore ways school leaders of color can make school leadership even more effective by applying organizational development principles to real-time problems of practice. (Online Live)
“I was truly humbled, inspired, and energized by the presentations and collaborations at HGSE... Every interaction reminded me that we are not alone in this very important work we do! It made me fall in love all over again with my profession.”
– Maryann Yarram, Assistant Principal
“I came home with a sense of urgency, focused and energized to take on the daunting task of leading the turnaround at my school. The sense of urgency that I felt at Harvard is what drives me every day.”
— Jackie Gilmore, North End Principal
North End Middle School, one of three middle schools in the Waterbury district, serves about 1,000 students in grades 6–8. In recent years, despite the efforts of North End staff, many of these students have been struggling, and the school was identified as a turnaround school in 2019.
That same year, North End Principal Jackie Gilmore participated in Harvard Professional Development’s School Turnaround Leaders (STL) institute. Gilmore felt so strongly about Harvard’s impact on her own leadership that she asked Harvard to create a custom STL session for her staff in October 2022. In addition, Gilmore brought her three assistant principals to HGSE to attend the National Institute for Urban School Leaders in July 2023.
In fall 2023, after North End’s audit scores improved dramatically, the school’s turnaround designation was lifted. Principal Gilmore attributes that largely to the impact of Professional Development at Harvard.
“Leading a turnaround school is not easy,” Gilmore says. “[But] the Harvard experience came at the perfect time in my career. I came home with a sense of urgency, focused and energized to take on the daunting task of leading the turnaround at my school. The sense of urgency that I felt at Harvard is what drives me every day.”
Interested in running a TPC program in your school or district? Inquire here.
Use data to continuously improve instructional practices.
When it comes to assessing student performance, data plays an important role. But data also holds the key to performance improvement. These programs help you learn to gather and employ data effectively to create learning environments and experiences that improve instructional practices and outcomes.
The Data Wise Project provides support and guidance as educators learn to use collaborative data inquiry to drive continuous improvement of teaching and learning for all students.
For details on the Data Wise Learning Path and Portfolio of programs, see page19.
Learn the principles and practices of instructional rounds, a collaborative process for observing, analyzing, and improving teaching and learning from the Harvard faculty who created the methodology and authored Instructional Rounds in Education (On Campus)
“I feel like a renewed teacher going back to school with so much content on data... I can already feel changes happening in my school for a year of success!”
—Debbie Bravo, Data Wise Participant
Educators have an ever-increasing stream of data at their fingertips, but knowing how to use this data to improve learning and teaching — how to make it less overwhelming, more useful, and part of an effective collaborative process — can be challenging.
Data Wise provides support and guidance as educators learn to use collaborative data inquiry to drive continuous improvement of teaching and learning for all students.
Explore this free self-paced course for an overview of the Data Wise eightstep process and the habits of mind that form the basis for collaborative data inquiry. (Online Asynchronous)
Learn a step-by-step process for using a range of data sources to improve instruction and student outcomes within your school or district. (On Campus)
Learn a step-by-step process for gathering and using data to improve instruction, student outcomes, and educational equity across your district or system. (On Campus)
Benefit from personalized coaching and tools as you implement the Data Wise Improvement Process in your classroom, school, or district. (Online Asynchronous)
Gain the skills you need to lead and coach educators to use the Data Wise Improvement Process to build equitable schools. (Online and On Campus)
If you’re not anchoring [big data] in that kernel of story, of value, of human experience and emotion, you’re going to miss the things that really matter.”
—Adam Parrott-Sheffer, Data Wise Faculty Co-Chair
There’s little doubt that today’s educators have more access to data about their students than ever before. From our desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, we can easily access data about student performance from the national level to the individual classroom. We can view and analyze it in limitless ways, arrange it into easily digestible charts and graphs, and distribute it to our colleagues in seconds.
Still, the dream of using data to create an equitable, effective educational experience for all of our students has largely eluded us. And the reason for that may have less to do with our data collection and distribution capability than the kinds of data we collect.
According to Adam Parrott-Sheffer, Data Wise faculty co-chair and co-author of System Wise: Continuous Instructional Improvement at Scale, we have tended to focus mostly on “big data” from high stakes testing, and using it to shape policy. But this has not served students and families at the margins of our school communities well.
Instead, Parrott-Sheffer says, we need to broaden our idea of evidence to include ‘street data,’ or information about the lived experiences of the people we serve. When we engage with students and families and listen to their stories, we gain critical information that makes big data useful.
“It’s those stories, in context with the data that shows patterns and the quantitative things that ultimately leads to truly transformational change. If you’re not anchoring [big data] in that kernel of story, of value, of human experience and emotion, you’re going to miss the things that really matter.”
Learn more about the Data Wise portfolio of programs.
Create school and community environments that are conducive to wellness.
To create a strong learning environment, we must engage with students and families to identify their strengths, their insights, and the contributions they can make to the learning process. We also need to address the impacts of trauma on mental health. Professional Education at HGSE offers programs designed to help you engage more effectively with students and their families, and to create systems of wellness across schools and communities.
Family Engagement in Education: Creating Effective Home and School Partnerships
Learn to design family engagement practices that are directly connected to student learning. Increase your capacity to engage staff, families, and your community to improve student outcomes. (On Campus)
Mental Health in Schools: Building Systems of Care
Learn to cultivate a school-wide community of wellness using evidence-based support systems and foster the development of mental health and well-being across their school community. (In Person)
“My team walked away with a plan to transform the way we approach family engagement in our district. We have real action steps that we can put into place right away [and we] built relationships with people from all over the world”
—Cheri Martin, Community Schools Coordinator, Kernville Union School District, CA
“When we get beyond checklists and get to know each other as people, we have a more open mentality. And we’re just going to work with each other. That’s where you have more buy-in from home and from school — and more benefit for the student.”
— Matthew Chávez
COMMUNITY AND WELLBEING FACULTY/PARTICIPANT
Matthew Chávez
Education Specialist, Texas Title I, Part A, Parent & Family Engagement Statewide Initiative
Ask Matthew Chávez, and he’ll tell you that “family engagement is about building a relationship that enables families to know that they can trust in and support their child’s education.”
Of course, says Chávez, there are challenges that stand in the way of such relationships. One of the greatest, he says, “is the busyness that both educators and parents constantly struggle with. We have all of the checklist items that have to get done, in school and in life. And too often, we make our checklists the focus of our relationships.”
Chávez and five of his colleagues went to Harvard in the summer of 2023 for Family Engagement in Education: Creating Effective Home and School Partnerships. And there, he says, he learned that getting beyond checklists can be a great way to start building engagement.
“In her presentation, Dr. Mapp used the word ‘libertory,’ which, to me, means the freedom to be who you are, as an educator and as a parent. When you have that kind of relationship you’re less likely to let each other’s little flaws and idiosyncrasies bother you. You can see past those to who the person really is.”
When we get beyond checklists and get to know each other as people, Chávez says, “we have a more open mentality. And we’re just going to work with each other. That’s where you have more buy-in from home and from school — and more benefit for the student.”
Learn more about the Family Engagement in Education program here.
Design engaging, effective learning experiences for all students.
When you design powerful learning experiences for your students, then provide them with the skills and strategies they need to pursue effective inquiry, magic happens. Harvard’s programs in instruction and learning design help you to create learning experiences that engage, support, and challenge every student in your school or classroom.
Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions: Best Practices in the Question Formulation Technique
Teach your students to formulate effective questions, and to use effective questioning to pursue their interests, navigate complex situations, and solve problems. (Online Asynchronous)
Questions at the Core: Extending the Question Formulation Technique to Sustain an Inquiry-Based Culture in Schools
Learn to use the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) to create a deeper culture of inquiry in your classroom, school, district, or organization.
(Online Asynchronous)
Learning Series: Exploring UDL through Cycles of Design, Action, and Reflection
UDL: Explore and UDL: Apply
Develop a deeper understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and gain the knowledge and confidence to design learning environments that increase access to engaging, meaningful learning experiences for all students through this two-program, team-based series. (Online Asynchronous)
How We Argue: Strategies for Disagreeing with Empathy and Evidence
Help your students and colleagues manage complex disagreements in ways that promote collaboration, enhance empathy, and build community.
(Online Asynchronous)
“This course was wonderful. It really helped me to see and understand how the Question Formulation Technique can be used to promote a climate of inquiry in my school.”
— Sarah Pearcy, Teacher, Tecumseh High School Tecumseh, OK
“Teachers are so excited about it because they believe in it. They feel supported by us, that they are valued, and that we want to give them this additional opportunity.”
—Rachael Caggiano, Principal, Derby Middle School
When it comes to designing classroom learning experiences, educators often face a common dilemma. A lesson may look great on paper, but when it plays out in the classroom, the results fall short of expectations.
Universal Design for Learning, Harvard’s curriculum design program, allows for this by providing cycles of design, action, and reflection that allow educators to understand why an instructional experience falls short and how it can be improved.
To facilitate effective learning design, educators at Derby Middle School in Derby, CT, have taken this approach a step further. In fall 2022, school staff participating in Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Instructional Leadership Certificate program took advantage of an unused classroom and created the Live Learning Laboratory. There, teachers can present curriculum ideas — and test them using real students.
According to Principal Rachel Caggiano, “The learning lab represents our belief that we may not get all of this right, but we need to start to take some risks. We need to say, ‘I have a hypothesis: If I’m doing X, it is going to increase student learning. If I try something a different way, it may pay dividends.’”
Drop by the lab during a session, and you might see teachers talking about a shared problem of practice, devising a new lesson, or testing out an instructional experience with a group of students. The lab’s open door policy means both staff and students can drop in anytime to talk about their learning experiences or share ideas for better ones.
The result, says Caggiano, is effective new ideas to boost classroom learning and better engagement among teachers and students alike.
Learn more about the Instructional Leadership Certificate here.
Certificate
Build skills to help you become a more effective leader, coach, and mentor.
Four six-week courses, with an estimated three to four hours of work per week. Complete all four courses to earn your certificate.
Support and advance high-quality early education in any learning environment.
Three learning series of five modules each, for a total of 15 modules. Each module runs for three to four weeks; 10-15 hours of work per module. Complete all 15 modules to earn your certificate.
Harvard Graduate School of Education certificate programs provide you with in-depth learning experiences designed to help you build strong leadership skills, manage change, and address current problems of practice. Here’s some information to help you choose the program that suits your professional development needs.
All certificate programs are online and asynchronous, with options for educators and groups at all levels.
Interested in group participation for your school or district? Inquire here.
Use business and education strategies to effectively lead and drive change improvement in your school or district. Four four-week courses; three to four hours of work per week. Complete all four courses to earn your certificate. In collaboration with Harvard Business School.
deepen your district and system-level leadership knowledge and skills while you work with peers to address current problems of practice. Five twelve-week online modules; an estimated five hours of work per week. Complete four of five modules to earn your certificate.
Professional Development at Harvard Graduate School of Education
DEVELOPING LEADERS
Instructional Leadership Certificate (ILC)
Certificate in Early Education Leadership (CEEL)
Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML)
Achieving Excellence: Leadership Development for Principals (AEL)
Leadership Entry: Empowering Schools and Communities (BEL)
Certificate in Advanced Education Leadership (CAEL)
Harvard Institute for Superintendents and District Leaders (HISD)
Women in K-12 Education Leadership
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT &TURNAROUND
School Turnaround Leaders (STL)
National Institute for Urban School Leaders (USL)
Leading Culture Change: Strategies for School Improvement (CSS)
School Leaders of Color Organizational Development Collaborative (SLCC)
EVIDENCEBASED PRACTICE COMMUNITY & WELL-BEING
Data Wise Portfolio (DW)
Using Instructional Rounds to Cultivate High-Quality Learning (IR)
Family Engagement in Education (FAM)
Mental Health in Schools: Building Systems of Care (MHS)
INSTRUCTION & LEARNING DESIGN
Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions (RQI)
Questions at the Core (RQI-QAC)
Exploring UDL through Cycles of Design, Action, and Reflection
How We Argue (HWA)
INTENDED FOR
If you need support in planning professional development for your team, school, or district, we’re always ready to help. We can guide you in selecting programs to meet specific learning needs, assist in planning annual professional development, and even develop custom programs targeting specific teams, time frames, or problems of practice.
Contact us to find out more.
