Scaling Deeper Learning: Lessons from Hardin County Schools

What does it take to bring deeper learning to scale across an entire district? In this episode of NTN Unpacked, School Development Coaches Missy Saldana and Val Grijalva take us inside a district-wide transformation at Hardin County Schools in Kentucky, where 10 middle and high schools partnered with New Tech Network to reshape teaching and learning.

You’ll hear from district and school leaders—including Brandy New (Director of Innovation), Tim Isaacs (Principal, Central Hardin High), Brittany Nickel (Principal, East Hardin Middle), and John Calhoun (Middle School Social Studies Teacher)—about how this multi-year rollout has impacted student agency, educator collaboration, and school culture. Through moments of tension, feedback, and collective growth, Hardin County Schools shows what’s possible when a district invests in its people and builds a culture of shared leadership and continuous learning

Tune in for key takeaways on:

• Why Hardin County chose PBL and NTN in response to ongoing learning challenges
• Building trust and buy-in among educators and site leaders
• How collaboration in PLCs and embedded coaching accelerated change
• The importance of student agency, culture-building, and real-world relevance
• What district and school leaders need to sustain momentum in large-scale shifts

Whether you’re a district leader exploring innovation or a teacher curious about how transformation takes hold over time, this episode offers honest, practical insights into scaling PBL in a meaningful and sustainable way.

📌 Bonus Resource: Learn more about Central Hardin High School’s journey and why it was named an NTN Spotlight School → Spotlight on Central Hardin High School

🎟️ Headed to NTAC this summer? Stop by the NTN Unpacked booth to share what’s inspiring you and appear in our special NTAC episode! And if you haven’t yet, register for NTAC today to learn and reflect with other NTN educators!

🔔 Subscribe to NTN Unpacked and follow us on Instagram @NTNUnpacked to hear more authentic stories from New Tech Network classrooms across the country.

Let us know what you want to hear about next!