5-year Plan for Successfully Implementing Project Based Learning | E240

In this episode, Ryan Steuer of Magnify Learning details a five-year implementation plan for launching a Project-Based Learning (PBL) movement in a large district, specifically focusing on 13 middle schools. While the example is niche, the process is designed to be customizable and scalable for districts of any size. The episode emphasizes the importance of systematic, structural change, starting with district leadership, and leveraging the "innovation curve" to ensure widespread adoption and sustainability.

Key Takeaways & Implementation Steps:

• Magnify Learning & PBL Networks
  
  
• Magnify Learning has over a decade of experience in PBL, stemming from a grassroots collaboration among educators.
• We are launching free PBL Networks in October to provide a safe space for educators to process ideas, collaborate, and share best practices across different PBL niches (e.g., PBL and CTE, PBL and STEM, PBL and Maker Spaces, PBL and SEL, PBL and UDL). Find more at pblnetworks.com.
• Collaboration is key: You should never do PBL alone.
• Foundation: District Leadership & Goals
  
  
• The implementation must start with district leadership, not a top-down mandate.
• Involve both secondary and elementary leaders from the outset to align mindsets and processes.
• Clearly define the goals of PBL for the district and individual middle schools, aligning them with the district's mission, vision, and "profile of a graduate".
• District leaders must model student-centered practices; principal meetings should be collaborative, not "sit and get". If district leadership isn't ready to collaborate, the initiative needs to pause and address that foundational work.
• Building the District PBL Team & Plan
  
  
• Establish a district PBL design team of 6-10 central office members.
• Dedicate two-day design sessions to develop the comprehensive 5-year implementation plan.
• Go "beyond the why" to articulate the district's collective purpose for this work.
• Leveraging the Innovation Curve
  
  
• Identify innovators: Map all 13 middle schools onto an innovation curve to identify which are "innovators," "early majority," and "late majority". This is crucial for guiding the timeline.
• Focus on "crossing the chasm": The biggest challenge is bridging the gap between early adopters/innovators and the early majority. This is why a 5-year plan is essential.
• Define roles for innovators: The initial 1-2 innovator schools will implement PBL first, transparently, and are tasked with creating resources (like group contracts, planning forms) for subsequent cohorts. This empowers them and provides tangible tools for others.
• Customized Implementation: While the process is systematic, each school's implementation will be customized based on their readiness (e.g., starting with a specific grade level, subject, or wall-to-wall). The "best way" is what the school's leadership and teachers are most ready for.
• Planned Supports & Training (Before Launch)
  
  
• Leadership Training: Innovator school leaders will receive training similar to the central office team, focusing on creating school-level leadership teams, structures, and processes for PBL sustainability.
• Teacher Training: Multi-day training,