Aligned with Dr. Thomas Guskey’s five levels of evaluation, Designing for Impact provides educators with a practical, step-by-step guide for planning and implementing effective professional learning initiatives. The tool walks teams through critical questions that define clear objectives, measurable goals, and the types of evidence necessary to track progress and success.

“Our goal is to support educators in creating meaningful and sustainable learning environments,” said Dr. Tommy Chang, CEO of New Teacher Center. “This tool helps ensure that professional learning efforts are not only well-planned but also impactful, leading to real change in classrooms and improved outcomes for students.”

In addition to guiding users in setting clear program objectives, Designing for Impact emphasizes an often-overlooked aspect of program design: ensuring the necessary organizational supports are in place to foster success. It addresses the critical elements required to maintain long-term improvement in teacher development, making it an essential resource for schools and districts looking to enhance their instructional coaching and professional learning practices.

Key features of the tool include:

• Guided Planning: A structured approach to designing professional learning initiatives with measurable outcomes.
• Evidence Tracking: Clear identification of the types and sources of evidence needed to gauge implementation progress and impact.
• Organizational Alignment: Focus on creating the right conditions and supports to ensure successful program implementation.

The NTC eight-member board supports the organization with expertise in pedagogy, curriculum, finance, education philanthropy, academia, and district leadership. “I am excited to partner with a leader who brings a wealth of experience and a strong understanding of the needs of students,” said CEO Tommy Chang. “Dr. Contreras will help NTC to cultivate science-proven and relationship-centered working and learning conditions for teachers and students.”

Dr. Sharon Contreras has held two superintendencies – one metropolitan district and one in a county-wide district serving urban, suburban, and rural students. Sharon is celebrated for implementing policies to close achievement gaps and improve student life outcomes. While at Guilford County Schools (GCS), she helped decrease the graduation rate gap and vastly expanded career technical education and advanced placement programs, as well as access to dual enrollment programming to prepare students and their parents for the workforce. The district’s high-dosage tutoring initiative and high-school learning hubs, developed during the pandemic, are considered a national model for addressing unfinished learning. In 2022, GCS’s graduation rate increased to 91.8%, its highest ever. Contreras was named Superintendent of the Year by the North Carolina PTA (2019), was among Triad Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs in 2020, and is the 2022 AASA Women in School Leadership Award recipient. She was named to the Business North Carolina Power List 2022, a collective report of the state’s most influential leaders. Sharon’s current leadership at The Innovation Project oversees a collaborative of 18 school districts across the state.

“I am thrilled to welcome Sharon to our Board of Directors,” said Board Co-Chair Shruti Sehra. “Her unique leadership skills will help NTC strengthen our financial strategies, refine our program vision and play a critical role in our strategic planning. Together with our dedicated leadership and staff, this new board member will contribute significantly to NTC’s mission of expanding our impact in supporting teachers, and create a transformative learning experience for students nationwide.”

“Christy has a proven track record of developing the enabling conditions necessary to cultivate human connection, relevance, and engagement for everyone in the school building,” said CEO Tommy Chang. “Her deep knowledge of how to catalyze coaching and professional learning support to meet the needs of a rapidly changing teacher workforce is aligned with NTC’s vision. We’re thrilled to add her experience in building transformative learning for educators to design optimal learning environments — student-centered learning spaces that are supportive, build strong relationships, and prioritize individual needs, the foundation that research shows drives powerful instruction.”

Christy recently served as the dean of regional programs for the Relay Graduate School of Education, an accredited nonprofit institution of higher education serving 4,000 teachers and 1,200 school leaders across the U.S., offering degree programs, professional development, and learning for teachers, principals, college students, and members of the public. In her role as dean, she led program directors and faculty nationwide, ensuring that each program provided high-quality teacher and leader preparation to “develop the next generation of teachers…to be content experts with high expectations, as well as relationship builders who create positive learning environments where all kids can succeed.”

She began her career teaching English at Georgia State University, which sparked her passion for impacting students’ lives at the beginning of their learning journeys. Christy transitioned to serve as a middle school English teacher and eventually became a middle school principal, where her leadership earned her school a National Blue Ribbon Award. She furthered her impact supporting educators and students as chief academic officer of a charter school network and as a leadership consultant before returning to higher education as the founding dean of the Relay Graduate School of Education in Atlanta, Georgia.

Christy holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Georgia, a master’s degree in English from Georgia State University, a master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in education in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University.