What is the ECN?
The Educator Course Network is one component of RIDE's strategic effort to support the improvement of professional learning experiences in Rhode Island schools and districts. RIDE believes that locally designed and facilitated professional learning should be the first option for meeting the needs of educators. Though we recognize that there are times when expertise and additional capacity from third-party vendors is appropriate to augment local initiatives. So, it is through this new online platform that we hope RI schools and districts will become informed consumers of professional learning to look for new ways to engage educators in the learning opportunities that most closely meet collective and individual needs.
Using the ECN is as easy as 1-2-3:
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Review the list of providers, their grade spans, and content areas.
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Click on the provider's name to visit their ECN provider page. There you can learn more through their endorsement icons.
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Submit your inquiry directly to the provider using the contact link at the bottom of the page.
How do I use the ECN?
Provider Endorsements
Professional Learning Offerings
All providers have this icon accompanied by each of their offerings and intended audiences. When you click this icon, you will see the typical frequency, audience, and time of year for each offering.
Evidence of Impact
All providers have this graph icon. When you click this icon, you will see evidence of impact for some or all of the provider's professional learning offerings. When viewing evidence of impact, you can consider which of Guskey's five levels of professional learning the provider has met, or plans to meet.
Aligned with Curriculum
Some providers have the notebook icon. When you click this icon, you will see how the provider offers professional learning aligned to a math and/or ELA curriculum that is highly-rated by EdReports, an independent nonprofit whose mission is to improve K-12 education through the review of instructional materials.
ESSA Evidence Tier
Some providers have the bar graph icon. When you click this icon, you will see the provider's evidence consisting of third-party evaluations of their professional learning. In order to qualify for one of the four ESSA tiers, the evidence meets the standard criteria for academic research.