SPARK
Woven into the PBLL experience this year was SPARK, an AI-powered 
agent built specifically for this cohort. Designed to support leaders as they 
navigated their projects, SPARK gave each participant a way to engage with 
their own learning in a more immediate and personalized way, retrieving 
their PBLL profile, exploring resources shared across the cohort, and 
connecting with colleagues working in similar areas of focus.
What made SPARK meaningful was not just what it could do, but when. 
Leaders could access it during sessions to surface a connection or revisit 
their goals or return to it independently between meetings as their thinking 
evolved. In this way, SPARK functioned less like a tool and more like a 
thinking partner, one that reflected the divisionʼs own learning back to them 
and helped make the collective work visible. 
Just as PBLL asked leaders to model self-directed learning for their staff, 
SPARK offered a lived example of what it looks like to have personalized, 
on-demand support embedded directly into a learning experience.

Climbing Together
As the year progressed, leaders began to see their work not as separate 
efforts, but as interconnected steps toward a larger vision.
This understanding reflects the deeper meaning behind “Climbing the 
Mountain.” The journey requires persistence, reflection, and the willingness 
to keep moving forward despite challenges.
Through PBLL, LRSD leaders are embracing that journey. They are learning 
alongside one another, supporting one another, and working collectively 
toward improved outcomes for all students.
They are not climbing alone.
They are climbing the mountain as a division.
contexts and challenges. This created a sense of 
collective responsibility and an understanding that 
improving outcomes for students is everyone's work.
PBLL also evolved in response to participants. 
Leaders were invited to provide feedback, and their 
input directly shaped future sessions. As Nicole 
noted, the work was done with leaders, not to them.

A Culture of Reflection and Growth
A key shift this year was the focus on clarity, 
structure, and reflection. Leaders worked toward 
clear goals, revisited their progress regularly, and 
shared their learning with others. 
“Everyone knew what the bullseye was, then I think 
that really helped to keep people on task and to do 
the work that they needed to do to come back to our 
monthly meetings,” reflected Mager. “We also had 
check-ins every month. We would do a little section 
at the beginning that talked about what we did the 
previous month. We were catching people up and 
then moving forward, catching people up and then 
moving forward.”
By making learning visible, PBLL created 
accountability and purpose, while also creating 
opportunities for celebration. Leaders shared their 
projects, learned from one another, and saw the impact 
of their work across the division at a meeting in May.
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