Media contact: Gail Paul, gail.paul@learningforward.org

The Action Guide – Ohio Standards for Professional Learning is a new resource now available on the Ohio Standards for Professional Learning webpage. In a recent update to its constituents, the Ohio State Board of Education announced the availability of the new action guide, which is designed to help educators and leaders develop effective, systemwide professional learning. It supports Ohio educators, school and district leaders, preparation providers, and professional learning partners in:

  • Reflecting on current professional learning systems
  • Identifying priorities for improvement
  • Aligning professional learning to evidence-based practices
  • Developing actionable next steps through structured planning tools

 

The guide incorporates a collaborative reflection and action-planning approach, which helps teams move from just understanding the standards to taking strategic, measurable steps. This resource is designed to be adaptable and flexible locally, allowing schools and districts to improve consistency, enhance results, and support ongoing progress.

Learning Forward partnered with Ohio throughout the state’s standards update

Last year, Ohio’s State Board of Education rolled out the 2025 Ohio Standards for Professional Learning, which were adapted from the Learning Forward Standards for Professional Learning. Learning Forward is thrilled to have served Ohio as a leading thought partner throughout the collaborative process to update their standards.

According to the Ohio State Board of Education’s online newsletter, “The 2025 Standards for Professional Learning reaffirm the State Board of Education’s commitment to ensuring that all educators have access to high-quality, evidence-based professional learning that enhances teaching practices and improves student outcomes. These updates show the changing needs of schools and districts and emphasize ongoing learning, teamwork, and data-driven decision-making in today’s education environment.”

The State Board of Education’s website includes the full text of the standards, their purpose and rationale, guidance for how to use them, and information about the update process. It states:

Simply adopting these standards does not ensure success. Instead, effective school systems must commit to them by creating a culture of inquiry, in which all feel a shared responsibility and a commitment to continuous improvement. … The standards are not a recipe book for how to create a specific professional learning system locally. Rather, the standards and other resources from the State Board of Education of Ohio and Learning Forward are resources that districts should use as they work together in small groups to develop effective systems and processes that meet their needs.

Individual educators, teams, school and district staff, institutions of higher education, external vendors, and other educational providers are encouraged to study the standards to build knowledge, evaluate professional learning opportunities using the standards, and apply the standards to the planning, design, facilitation, and evaluation of their professional learning.

Find more information at sboe.ohio.gov/educator-standards-and-programs/educator-standards/professional-learning-standards-2025