Braden River Elementary: Building a Shared Vision for High-Quality PBL

Case Study

Client: Braden River Elementary School of Innovation, Manatee County Schools, Florida (K-5)
Location: Bradenton, FL
Date: Summer/Fall 2022

The Challenge:

Braden River Elementary, a designated School of Innovation, sought to deepen school-wide implementation of Project Based Learning (PBL). While teachers were already using projects, the leadership team recognized the need for stronger calibration on quality PBL practices across all grade levels.

Key priorities included:

• Creating a shared understanding of high-quality PBL.
• Developing one cohesive school-wide PBL unit centered on SEL and the school’s “rock path / leaving your mark” theme.
• Helping teachers narrow focus and design a unit that felt integrated and seamless rather than “one more thing” to fit into a short 1-2 week window.

The Solution:

CraftED Curriculum partnered with K-5 Curriculum Coach Courtney Walker and the leadership team to deliver a tailored virtual support package:

• Virtual PBL Calibration Workshop (90 minutes) – Delivered to the entire staff on August 2, 2022.
• Summer Planning Workshop (July 20, 2022) – Focused 60-90 minute workshop with grade-level representatives, followed by team planning time.
• Pre-work – Participating teachers completed the PBL Certificate e-course prior to the summer session.
• Ongoing Project Coaching – Differentiated support for grade-level teams throughout the school year.

Implementation Highlights

The PBL Calibration Workshop (August 2) used a highly interactive virtual agenda featuring:

• “Postcards from the Edge” protocol
• Deep analysis of exemplar PBL models via virtual gallery walk
• Multiple lenses for quality (BIE Gold Standard, NTN, HQPBL, etc.)
• Staff prioritization using Mentimeter to define the top 3 PBL goals for the year
• Closing reflection with Compass Points protocol on Padlet

For the July 20 Summer Session, teachers first completed the PBL Certificate e-course. Jenny then led a focused workshop on project planning best practices, with special emphasis on narrowing scope, prioritizing essential elements, and designing an integrated SEL/legacy unit that would fit meaningfully into a short time frame. The remainder of the afternoon was dedicated to grade-level teams refining their implementation plans.

This combination provided both big-picture calibration for the full staff and practical, actionable planning support for the school-wide unit.

The Results:

Braden River Elementary strengthened its identity as a PBL School of Innovation. Teachers left the sessions with:

• A common language and clear vision for quality PBL.
• A well-scoped, cohesive school-wide unit focused on SEL and “leaving your mark.”
• Practical strategies to make PBL feel integrated rather than additive.
• Prioritized goals to guide their work for the year.
• Resources and ongoing coaching support to continue refining practice.

The partnership helped the school move from great ideas to a focused, sustainable implementation plan that honored both PBL quality and classroom realities.

Contact Jenny at jenny@craftedcurriculum.com to explore a custom PBL calibration workshop, summer planning support, or ongoing coaching package.