*Please fill out this intake form to begin the PLO scheduling process.
Note: Submit requests at least 4 weeks in advance of the anticipated delivery date.
Elementary ELA
Reading Critically to Strengthen Writing
This session examines how reading can be used to strengthen writing instruction. Participants will explore strategies for helping students analyze texts through a writer's lens, use evidence effectively, and apply insights from mentor texts to improve planning and written communication.
Subjects/Grade Levels: K-5 ELA Teachers and Instructional Leaders
Session offerings: 1.5 or 3 hours, October – May
Format: Face-to-Face; Virtual
Critical Thinking that Supports Writing
This session explores instructional strategies that help students think critically during the planning phase of writing. Participants will examine standards-aligned practices that support idea generation, organization, and purposeful writing while developing approaches to strengthen students' planning and decision-making skills.
Subjects/Grade Levels: K-5 ELA Teachers and Instructional Leaders
Session offerings: 1.5 or 3 hours, October – May
Format: Face-to-Face; Virtual
Middle-Level ELA
Writing to Explain: Informative Writing through Knowledge, Structure, and Language
Informative writing helps students build and demonstrate understanding by explaining ideas, concepts, processes, and information clearly. Grounded in the science of reading and writing, this session emphasizes the connection between knowledge-building, comprehension, vocabulary, text structure, and written expression. Participants will examine how students can use evidence from texts, organize information logically, and develop precise explanations through explicit instruction and guided practice. Educators will leave with tools for planning informative writing tasks that deepen content understanding and improve students’ academic language.
Subjects/Grade Levels: 6-8 ELA Teachers, Middle-Level Social Studies Teachers, Instructional Coaches
Session offerings: 3.5 hours, October – January
Format: Face-to-Face; Virtual
Reigniting Writing: Building Middle School Writers from the Ground Up
Many students need additional support with essay writing as they have not yet become proficient in complex sentence structures. This session shifts the focus to explicit, sentence-level instruction embedded directly into core content. Participants will learn how to use strategies like appositives, sentence combining, and subordinating conjunctions to help students produce complex texts and articulate high-level thinking. Educators will leave with actionable mini-lessons and templates that can boost vocabulary and background knowledge into writing practice.
Subjects/Grade Levels: 6-8 ELA Teachers, Middle-Level Social Studies Teachers, Instructional Coaches
Session offerings: 3 hours, October – January
Format: Face-to-Face; Virtual
From Story to Structure: Strengthening Narrative Writing in Middle School
Narrative writing strengthens students’ ability to organize ideas, develop language, and communicate meaning with precision. Grounded in the science of reading and writing, this session explores how explicit instruction supports stronger narrative compositions. Participants will examine ways to help students move from personal storytelling to purposeful writing that includes clear sequencing, elaboration, dialogue, and description. Educators will leave with practical planning tools and instructional routines that support narrative writing across units, texts, and content areas.
Subjects/Grade Levels: 6-8 ELA Teachers and Instructional Coaches
Session offerings: 3 hours, October – January
Format: Face-to-Face; Virtual
Building Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning: Argumentative Writing in Grades 6-8
Argumentative writing requires students to read closely, think critically, and communicate reasoning clearly. Drawing from research in adolescent literacy, explicit instruction, and the science of writing, this session focuses on helping students develop claims, evaluate evidence, explain reasoning, and organize arguments for clarity and impact. Educators will explore how reading comprehension, background knowledge, vocabulary, syntax, and planning support students’ ability to write well-developed arguments. Participants will leave with classroom-ready strategies, scaffolds, and mini-lesson ideas that strengthen argumentative writing.
Subjects/Grade Levels: 6-8 ELA Teachers and Instructional Coaches
Session offerings: 3.5 hours, October – January
Format: Face-to-Face; Virtual
Secondary ELA
Strategies for Teaching Argumentative Writing
Argumentative writing is a critical skill that prepares students for success in college, careers, and civic life. This session provides educators with intentional, research-based strategies for teaching argument writing. Participants will explore effective instructional practices, analyze standards-aligned expectations, and leave with actionable steps they can immediately implement to strengthen students’ argumentative writing skills.
Subjects/Grade Levels: English 1-2 Teachers
Session offerings: 1-3 hours, October – April
Format: Face-to-Face; Virtual
Instructional Practices for Standards-Aligned Robust Questions
This session equips participants with practical strategies to elevate text-based reasoning, increasing both student engagement and comprehension. Using AOR indicators, participants will analyze standards closely and develop high-quality, standards-aligned questions that promote deeper thinking and understanding.
Subjects/Grade Levels: English 1-2 Teachers
Session offerings: 2-3 hours, October – April
Format: Face-to-Face
A Deeper Dive into AOR.5.3 to Plan Effective Instruction of Rhetoric
This professional learning session explores the nuances of AOR.5.3 and its implications for classroom practice. Through interactive and collaborative learning experiences, participants will identify scaffolds and instructional strategies that align with AOR 5.3. Educators will leave with practical tools and approaches to support rigorous, standards-aligned instruction across grade levels.
Subjects/Grade Levels: English 1-4 Teachers
Session offerings: 1-3 hours, October – April
Format: Face-to-Face; Virtual
