At AE, we do PD the way PD should be.
We have partnered with hundreds of districts, schools, and organizations across the world in their work to transform teaching and learning. We take tremendous pride in the success of our partnerships and the industry-leading praise we receive for delivering the highest quality professional development.
We customize our approach based on our partners’ needs and strengths.
We provide a highly customized approach to professional development and partnerships. We work to understand the unique needs of its clients and prides itself on designing bespoke solutions that align with our partners’ goals. We don’t offer “off the shelf” presentations or workshops. We believe that customized solutions that reflect our partners’ needs, culture, and context, help ensure their long-term success, the sustainability of their work, and maximize the impact on student learning.
We are deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
We prioritize representation, inclusion, and ensuring that everyone sees themselves in our work together. This includes developing UbD-informed resources as part of an “Inclusivity by Design” PD series, and partnering with Washington, D.C.’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education and D.C. partner organizations to author the state’s groundbreaking actively anti-racist and culturally competent K-12 Social Studies Standards.
At AE, we deliver highly effective teacher professional development that:
Models the types of learning we value in our classroom.
The AE difference: Our sessions use best practices of teaching and learning to equip attendees to be more thoughtful planners and better teachers. We design and lead workshops that are dynamic, engaging, and challenge teachers to think ambitiously about transformative classroom learning.
Leverages the expertise and meets the needs of those in the room.
The AE difference: We use pre-assessment data to help plan bespoke, differentiated sessions that meet the needs of our school partners and their teachers. We meet teachers where they are, providing examples, units, and coaching tailored to their grade levels and subject areas.
Equips and empowers attendees to immediately apply what they’ve learned.
The AE difference: Our sessions are designed with the goals of having teachers leave with “read-to-teach” units and “ready-to-implement” strategies.
Fosters meaningful collaboration.
The AE difference: By design, AE’s sessions include opportunities for attendees to collaborate and across divisions, grades, and subject areas. We work to model and deepen the collaborative cultures that sustain long-term success with Understanding by Design.
Supports teachers as they apply what they’ve learned.
The AE difference: From ongoing coaching to access to a library of resources, we provide teachers with support as they apply what they’ve learned now and in the future.
Delivering on our “PD the way PD should be” promise
With an eye towards continuous improvement, we collect feedback at the end of every session we lead.
With consistent, industry-leading results across four key indicators, we are a trusted partner for schools and districts as they launch, lead, and sustain long-term strategic work.
Register now for Summer 2026 PD!
Check out summer workshop offerings
Leading UbD Work
Building on the “Train the Trainer” workshop offered by the late Grant Wiggins, this 3-day workshop will equip educational leaders with strategies, skills, and resources to successfully lead and foster Understanding by Design work in their schools and districts.
Inclusive Curriculum Design
Offered in partnership with Humanizing History, this 3-day intensive will expand your thinking about best practices for including underrepresented voices, untold stories, and broader perspectives into your curriculum design, resulting in more inclusive and culturally expansive UbD units.