Topic
Follow the latest professional development developments across US K-12 education. Teacher and leader training, coaching and capacity building.
Last updated: August 31, 2026
As of October 7, 2026, K-12 News has published 3 professional development stories in total, across 1 state and 2 organizations. The most active state is Connecticut.
Advance CTE is coaching Rhode Island and Maryland on expanding access to career pathways, with student participation in shaping programs and policies embedded in the work.
The five-year federal grant will expand small-group reading interventions for Connecticut K-3 students with significant reading difficulties across 75 elementary schools, with coaching for educators.
Connecticut’s free, six-week program will prepare aspiring paraeducators for a required assessment, cover exam and study costs, and connect successful participants with hiring districts.
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Connecticut is expanding K–3 reading interventions and educator coaching through a five-year, $10 million grant covering 75 elementary schools, while Massachusetts is continuing early literacy tutoring funding for 338 schools and awarded nearly $25 million for literacy instruction. Nine Pennsylvania teacher preparation programs received accreditation aligned with structured literacy standards, and Mississippi designated science-of-reading schools and is implementing a statewide adolescent literacy initiative for 2026–27. Indiana reported its fifth consecutive year of rising literacy rates, while Colorado reported elementary literacy gains alongside persistent achievement gaps and declining middle school English language arts scores. In Maine, the number of students earning biliteracy recognition rose 18 percent, and the number of high schools offering it grew 11.5 percent.
Recent grant announcements in Kansas, Florida, Connecticut and Colorado fund educator recruitment pathways, career training, early literacy and school meals. Kansas received $8.4 million in federal funding to strengthen its educator pipeline, while Florida announced the start of Workforce Pell Grant funding for short-term, career-focused training. Connecticut’s five-year, $10 million federal grant will expand small-group reading interventions and educator coaching across 75 elementary schools serving K–3 students with significant reading difficulties. Colorado announced $23.8 million in two noncompetitive grants to expand local food purchasing and scratch cooking in schools and raise nutrition workers’ pay.
Professional learning initiatives include newly available self-paced bus safety courses in Maine, planned free online AI training in Missouri, and a new educator institute tied to the United States’ 250th anniversary in New York City. Connecticut’s five-year federal literacy grant will expand small-group reading interventions across 75 elementary schools and provide educator coaching. In Rhode Island and Maryland, Advance CTE is coaching efforts to expand career pathway access while embedding student participation in program and policy design.
States are expanding career pathways and hands-on learning through grants, new facilities and work placements, including apprenticeships and work-based learning in Florida, paid AI internships in Massachusetts and a manufacturing lab at Mililani High School in Hawaii. Pennsylvania awarded $3.5 million to broaden career pathways, while Mississippi launched a statewide initiative connecting classroom lessons with college and careers for the 2026–27 school year. Rhode Island and Maryland are working with Advance CTE to expand pathway access with student participation in program and policy design. At the federal level, a stopgap spending measure maintained Perkins V career and technical education funding at current levels through December 11.
States are funding educator recruitment and preparation and changing certification pathways: Kansas received an $8.4 million federal educator-pipeline grant, while Illinois allocated $15 million for recruitment and retention in 100 districts accounting for about 77% of reported teacher vacancies. Pennsylvania joined the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact to reduce certification barriers for eligible out-of-state teachers, and Connecticut opened registration for a free six-week paraeducator preparation academy. Teacher recognition programs also progressed from regional selections to finalists and statewide winners in Missouri and Iowa, while Colorado announced finalists and Hawaii, Kansas, Indiana, New York and Florida named 2027 Teachers of the Year.
Based on: Integrating Meaningful Learner Voice Within Large-Scale Systems Change
Based on: Governor Lamont and Education Commissioner Russell-Tucker Announce Connecticut Receives $10 Million Grant Award to Strengthen Early Literacy Supports
Based on: Governor Lamont Announces Registration Open for Connecticut's New Paraeducator Preparation Academy
