Source: 

rhaccelerate.com ■ Price and licensing: $100 per teacher, $2,500 for site license

Quality and Effectiveness: The value, cost, and scheduling of professional development are often subjects of debate. Teachers have many demands on their time and energy, and PD offerings are often general and not targeted. The Reading Horizons Online PD Course allows teachers to be responsible for their own PD and offers training specific to the program they’re using in the classroom. Teachers can do the training when it’s convenient for them and revisit content when needed. This PD course supports teachers with training modules that are all in the same format and are appropriate for both new and experienced teachers. While teachers can set their own goals and plan their schedules, they’re still directed to finish modules before teaching and to review content to refresh their teaching. Teachers learn how to teach the program before they use it, and have resources available as they continue. Teachers are still accountable, but on their own terms. It’s easy to revisit content, and tutorial videos are linked to lessons that they will present—making authentic and helpful connections between the PD and practice. There are tutorials for setting up and customizing an account, lesson planning, lessons and resources, and community tutorials.

Ease of Use: The Reading Horizons PD course is easy to use and takes specialized PD one step further, giving teachers 24/7 access to course-specific PD. Video support is always available, especially for modeling, and there are downloadable print resources for assessment and lesson planning. Modules are self-paced and offer opportunities for practice and reflection. Users navigate the program and access all resources from a single dashboard. Teachers can also be part of the learning community by subscribing to community forums, starting discussions, or replying to posts from other teachers. This training model is effective, ongoing, and program-specific, with clear outcomes.