2021

Year End
Review

A Summary of
What We’ve Learned
About Us
Buck Institute for Education (BIE) is a national nonprofit (dba PBLWorks).

Our mission is to build the capacity of teachers to design and implement high
quality projects and for school leaders to create the conditions for teachers
to do so.

Our vision is for all students, including Black and Brown

students, to engage in high quality Project Based Learning
(PBL) to deepen learning and achieve success in college,
Project
Based
career, and life.

Learning
for all.

All students, especially Black and Brown students, should

have access to quality Project Based Learning to deepen their
learning and achieve success in college, career, and life.

PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 3

What We’ve Learned
Since 1999, we have offered professional development in Project Based Learning (PBL) to teachers
and leaders at the school and district level. Our core beliefs about high quality PBL are based on our
collective experience seeing what is possible for all students, including Black and Brown students.
When done well, PBL...

Transforms students by inspiring them to think differently about themselves as learners,

collaborators, and leaders

Prepares students for success in college, career, and life

Leads students to master core academic content and builds success skills

Advances educational equity and empowers youth furthest from opportunity

Enables teachers to make a difference in their students’ lives

Organizational Highlights
from 2021 include:
The adoption of an Equity Tool used to review Met our 2021 goal of reaching more teachers who
workshops and services. serve 50% or more Black and Brown students.

The integration of racial equity work into day-to- Continued focus on recruiting and retaining a
day workflows instead of designated Advancing diverse staff. In September of 2021, our profession-
Racial Equity Action Teams. al staff consisted of 43% people of color (POC), up
from 38% in 2017.

PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 2

Advancing Racial Equity through PBL – training with system, district, and school leaders
A PBLWorks Imperative and teachers.

We are focused on advancing racial equity through Creating workshop materials and resources that
high quality PBL because it enables all students, will explicitly address how PBL is a vehicle to
especially Black and Brown students, to gain the advance our racial equity vision and we will contex-
academic content knowledge and understanding, tualize the relationship between racial equity and
the success skills, and the sense of agency that will PBL in all our resources and materials.
help them in college, career and life. Given systemic Purposeful choosing of district and school partners
and institutionalized racism and the oppression of that serve the national average or more of students
Black and Brown students in the educational system, furthest from opportunity, especially Black and
we strive individually and collectively to ensure that Brown students.
Black and Brown students experience Gold Standard
Learning as much as we can about racial equity,
Project Based Learning at least twice a year in their
practice skills to interrupt racial inequity, and
school. Our focus on advancing racial equity for
to set and implement organizational policies in
Black and Brown students does not preclude us from
a racially equitable way, so that we model in
addressing any and all other issues of inequity and
our organization the changes we seek in school
oppression for any other people and working for all
systems, schools, and classrooms.
students to experience Gold Standard PBL. Further-
more, we work towards all students experiencing
Gold Standard PBL — excluding no one.

As part of our commitment to advancing racial equity,

the staff and Board continue to sharpen our focus on:

Building the capacity of our staff facilitators, includ-

ing National Faculty, to effectively and productively
address and interrupt implicit and explicit bias,
racism, white privilege and other barriers to
advancing racial equity as it surfaces in our

PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 3

4
 PBLWORKS MAINTAINS A

By the Numbers SUCCESSFUL NON-PROFIT

MODEL THAT IS NOT
DEPENDENT ON PHILANTHROPY.
BUCK
IN 2021,

81% OF OUR
TRUST

PBLWorks Has A 10.6%

Sustainable GRANTS REVENUE WAS FROM
Non-profit Model 8.9% SERVICES PROVIDED
TO EDUCATORS.
SERVICES

80.6%

PBLWorks demonstrated a strong recovery in 2021 with its ability

to provide relevant support to educators in the field.

U-Shaped Recovery Trend Covid-19 Period

$10,000,000 $9,369,360 $10,228,843

$8,000,000
$6,369,074
$6,000,000
$3,934,737
$4,000,000 $3,173,360
$2,425,510 $1,576,686
$2,083,789
$1,835,948 $2,078,816 $2,631,570
$2,000,000 $971,368
A U-Shape recovery trend is emerging for B2B revenue primarily
driven by virtual services, College Board and the Kentucky service
FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 contract. B2B YOY revenue increased by 62% from FY20 to FY21
Actual Actual Forecast Budget and B2C revenue increased by 114% which includes publications
and PBL World.
B2B B2C Grants/Other
 PBLWorks consistentlyprovides high-quality
professional learning experiences.

97% IN 2021, PBLWORKS

STAFF AND NATIONAL
OF WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS FACULTY FACILITATED
AGREED OR STRONGLY
AGREED THAT THEY ARE 797 WORKSHOPS AND
SERVICES WITH AN OVERALL
“VERY SATISFIED”
WITH THEIR WORKSHOP NET PROMOTOR
EXPERIENCE SCORE (NPS) OF 53,
ABOVE THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE
FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.2

We work to increase our impact on Black and Brown students

by reaching teachers and districts who support them.
IN 2021, WE SERVED OVER

10,000 EDUCATORS IN
54% 71% 85 % 420
MORE THAN SCHOOLS
OF EDUCATORS who OF OUR DISTRICT OF THE SCHOOLS
AND ORGANIZATIONS, WHO IN
engaged in our workshops PARTNERS serve 50% or in our School Leadership TURN, SUPPORT MORE THAN

2.5 MILLION
serve 50% or more more black and brown Networks (SLN) service
black and brown students. students in their districts 50% or more black and STUDENTS.
located across 10 states. brown students.

2
Net-promoter-score (NPS)
 It works!
EVIDENCE OF
Adding rigorous PBL to Advanced Placement Courses IMPACT
improved student achievement on AP exams.
Knowledge in Action (KIA): In 2021, Lucas Education Research
(LER) published the results of four rigorous studies showing
a positive impact of PBL on student outcomes, including the
Knowledge in Action (KIA) study for which PBLWorks designed
and facilitated the professional development. This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of 3,645 students
in five large urban districts engaged in both AP Environmental Science and AP U.S. Government and Politics
PBL courses and traditional courses. Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) found that
students in AP PBL courses outperformed students in traditional AP courses by 8 percentage points.

PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 7

The Scaling High-Quality PBL for Deeper Learning Impact project found high project
implementation rates and increased success skills development.
In 2021, PBLWorks completed a three-year research practice partnership focused on scaling high-quality PBL in
two districts: Pearl City Waipahu Complex Area (PCW) in Hawaii and Manchester School District (MSD) in New
Hampshire. The Scaling High-Quality PBL for Deeper Learning Impact project found high project implementation
rates and increased success skills development.

Project Implementation in PCW: 73% of all Increased Success Skills in PCW: Of the 130 plus
students (N = 10,274) in Pearl City Waipahu students in the Pearl City Waipahu Complex Area
Complex Area engaged in at least two projects. surveyed, high percentages reported that engaging
71% of students eligible for free and reduced-price in projects increased their knowledge of academic
lunch, 73% of English Language Learners, and 77% content, especially in learning facts and ideas
of students eligible for special services engaged in (93%), critical thinking skills (99%), communica-
two projects in 2019-2020. tion skills (99%), and collaboration skills (95%).

Project Implementation in MSD: 68% of all Increased Success Skills in MSD: Of the 400 plus
students (N = 9,003) in the Manchester School students in the Manchester School District
District engaged in at least two projects. 69% of surveyed, high percentages reported that engaging
students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, in projects increased their knowledge of academic
69% of English Language Learners, and 67% of content, especially in learning facts and ideas
students eligible for special services engaged in (85%), critical thinking skills (97%), communica-
two projects in 2019-2020. tion skills (98%), and collaboration skills (94%).

PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 8

 FROM THE FIELD:

Our 2021 PBL Champions

Each year we honor PBL Champions from the field who are nominated by their peers. The recipients
of the PBL Champion awards demonstrate a commitment to PBL; have done quality, lasting work;
and have shown evidence of impact on students.

Dr. Yolanda Roberson, Interventionist at John P. Freeman Optional School in Tennessee, led a school-wide PBL
project during the 2020-2021 school year called “flatten the curve” in which all student projects were centered
on the coronavirus pandemic.

“You have the opportunity to help students think critically, bring out their creativity,
learn to collaborate with those that they may not have worked with otherwise,
(and) develop their reading or communication skills. They can develop these skills
all while sharing something about their culture and background with you.”
“What my school and
She said Project Based Learning creates moments that are life-changing I were able to do
for students and is an opportunity to advance racial equity. this year has been
“All you need is heart, enthusiasm, and a willingness to go outside of your comfort a life-changing
zone to give your students voice and choice, and a lens through which you can see the experience for me,”
endless opportunities for your students, especially those that cannot see their full
Dr. Yolanda Roberson
potential, but you can,” she said.

“Remember, if you grab their heart, their minds will follow.”

PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 9

 Waxpool Elementary School in Loudoun County, Virginia, was named
“We were truly making the PBL Champion School for its commitment to Project Based Learning,
the decision to create including during the pandemic. The school opened in 2019 as a

today's 21st-century “wall-to-wall concept school” focused on Project Based Learning.

learners,” “Providing students with experiences relevant to their lives really helped to meet the
needs of all students regardless of previous experiences, background knowledge,
Principal Michael Pellegrino
race, gender, (or) economics.”

Pearl City Waipahu Complex Area in Hawaii and the Manchester School District in New Hampshire were both
selected as PBL Champion Districts
for their work to scale high quality
Project Based Learning during
a three-year research partnership “The commitment we “A game changer for
with PBLWorks. Since the partner- made for PBL to be our students, teachers,
ship began, more than 70% of the implemented across and district. It has
students in their districts have now
all of our schools has improved our student
experienced high quality Project
transformed the way engagement, teacher
Based Learning.
we facilitate teaching efficacy, and student
“Our ultimate goal was to ensure students
and learning,” experiences,”
are college, career, and citizenship ready
Superintendent Keith Hui, Assistant Superintendent Amy Allen,
when they leave our school system, and
Pearl City-Waipahu Complex Area Manchester School District
PBL has helped propel us in this effort.”
Superintendent Keith Hui,
Pearl City-Waipahu Complex Area

PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 10

Expanding and Deepening our Impact
We are creating PBL ecosystems to scale PBL. Our model is a systems approach built on existing assets (e.g.,
relationships, leadership, partnerships) to create sustainable school leadership networks for leaders and teachers
to learn with and from one another while increasing the number of students experiencing high quality Project
Based Learning (HQPBL).

The Hawaiian Innovative Leadership Network We are leading the California Innovative Leadership
(HILN) began in 2017 and is a successful model of Network (CILN), which is a statewide network that is
statewide PBL scaling that we replicated in two differ- a replication of HILN that launched in February 2021.
ent states. Since the launch of HILN in 2017, we have The network serves 13 schools; 92% of the schools
reached 68 school leaders across four cohorts of serve 50% or more Black and Brown students.
school leaders, including the pilot year across all of
The Massachusetts School Leadership Network
the islands. Over the course of the last four years,
is a regional approach and includes school leader
23% of HIDOE’s 293 public and charter school leaders
and teacher services for each school selected to
have engaged in HILN. HILN includes 59 leaders from
participate; Cohort 1 launched in March 2021 with 10
HIDOE public schools, and 9 leaders from HIDOE
schools. 30% of the schools serve 50% or more Black
charter schools. Collectively, HILN leaders serve a
and Brown students. A second cohort of schools is
total of 25,456 students, representing 15% of HIDOE’s
slated to begin in March 2022.
total student enrollment (n = 174,704) in 2020-2021.
HILN leaders in Cohort 4 launches in March 2022. “PBL is our way to make great things happen for kids. The
MA SLN has been transformative in how we continue to
“Because of HILN, I have been able to lead my staff and school
develop the capacity of our teachers for Gold Standard PBL.
forward in this work. Taking us through it step by step and
The support for the leadership team has been excellent.”
creating plans, having a framework, has been really really
Vinnie Regan, Principal at Mary Walsh Elementary
beneficial. I have the foundation to work with my teachers
and answer their questions. I can put myself in my teachers’
shoes now for example as I prepare for my own Presentation
of Learning.” Cynthia Rothdeutsch, Principal at
Kamalii Elementary School
PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 11
In January 2022, we launched a statewide PBL initia- Supporting Educators through Free
tive in partnership with the Kentucky Department Resources
of Education that engages 492 schools across the 8
In 2021, PBLWorks has continued to offer free and
educational cooperatives in the state of KY. This
open resources to support educators in the field.
translates into approximately 216,000 of the 647,987
Currently, there are more than 226,000 educators
public-school students in the State.
who have created free my.pblworks.org accounts
where they access free project ideas, research-based
Offering New Services to Individual success skills rubrics, strategy guides to support
Educators teachers as they are designing and implementing
In 2021, we started offering new business to consum- projects. New and updated resources are consistently
er (B2C) services to individual educators through added to the collection. For example, in 2021, the
Open Online Workshops in addition to the Online District PBL Evidence Framework Toolkit was added
Courses and PBL World. These additional online to support district leaders who are planning, monitor-
services supported almost 2,700 educators who may ing, and supporting PBL implementation.
not otherwise have had access to PBL workshops
through their schools
or districts.

PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 12

Looking Ahead: multiple opportunities for equity, impact, and growth,
OER Gold Standard PBL Units through student-facing PBL curricula. The examina-
tion of the curriculum opportunity included: an
In 2020, we completed a strategic planning process
analysis of the curriculum and high-quality instruc-
to define our path for the next three years. In our new
tional materials (HQIM) market scan, a case study of
Strategic Plan 2020-2023, we are launching a new
EL Education’s curriculum business, review and
line of work focused on creating K-12 student-cen-
analyses of existing PBL curricula, interviews of
tered Open Educational Resource (OER) Gold
leaders of curriculum organizations, desk research,
Standard PBL social studies and science/STEM units
in-depth competitor profiles, and analyses of
organized by themes such as racial, social, and/or
PBLWorks’ data.
environmental justice. The decision to move in this
direction is based on results from a comprehensive The analyses of these data revealed that expanding
year-long inquiry that included a review of the our current offerings to include PBL curriculum is a
research on high-quality instruction materials highly viable opportunity for PBLWorks to increase
(HQIM), research on Project Based Learning, market our impact and grow our place in the market while
analyses, case studies, and consultation with leading advancing racial equity.
curriculum experts. The addition of Lucas Education
The new curricula will be a unique and powerful
Research (LER) studies, including the Knowledge in
supplement to the traditional curriculum that 90% of
Action study, for which we designed and facilitated
students experience in K-12 schools. Offering a
the professional development, ensures we are perfect-
high-quality and ready-made PBL curriculum to
ly poised for this opportunity to have a greater impact.
educators at no charge will increase access to
Delivering on our commitment to advancing racial high-quality PBL curriculum, increase the likelihood
equity led us to a deep examination of several strate- that teachers implement high-quality projects, and
gic priorities for the next several years, including increase impact for all students, especially Black and
curriculum. In the spring and summer of 2020, Brown students.
we worked closely with Education First to explore

PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 13

12
Key characteristics of PBL curriculum

High Quality Culturally Responsive Accessible

Aligned with key content Aligned with Dimensions of Open Educational Resource (OER)
standards Equity7 Available under Creative
Aligned with PBLWorks’ Gold Inclusive of literacy strategies to Commons licenses that allow for
Standard Design Elements3 increase access to core content commercial use (e.g.): Attribution
Inclusive of PBLWorks’ Project for all students CC BY, Attribution ShareAlike CC
Based Teaching Practices4 Adaptable with clear guidance BY-SA, and Attribution- NoDerivs
on how to contextualize based CC BY-ND
Aligned with the HQPBL
Framework5 on context, students, and skills Support through my.PBLWorks.org,
our online platform, partner
Inclusive of Embedded High
platforms, and in PBLWorks’
Quality (end note) PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
professional development
Performance Assessment (HQPA)6

3 6
PBLWorks’ Gold Standard Design Elements include: challenging Envision Learning Partners (ELP) defines high quality performance
problem or question, sustained inquiry, authenticity, student voice and assessment (HQPA) as: tight on success criteria, open to different
choice, critique and revision, public product, and reflection. learner approaches, authentic, and a learning experience in and of
4 itself.
PBLWorks’ Gold Standard Project Based Teaching Practices include:
7
design and plan, build the culture, manage activities, engage and coach, Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain:
scaffold student learning, and assess student learning. Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor among Culturally and
5 Linguistically Diverse Students. The framework offered by Hammond
The Framework for High Quality PBL (HQPBL) includes six criteria for
includes three dimensions of equity: multicultural education, social
student experiences in high quality PBL including: intellectually
justice, and culturally responsive pedagogy.
challenging, authenticity, collaboration, project management, public
product, and reflection.
PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 14
2021 PBLWorks Board of Directors
John Gonzalez, President
AnnMarie Baines, Vice President
PBLWorks – Buck Institute for Education
Karen J. Smith, Treasurer
3 Hamilton Landing, Suite 220 Novato, CA 94949
Virgel Hammonds, Secretary
Ayele Shakur pblworks.org
Barbara Chow
Carlos Moreno
Chris Tebben
Dale Erquiaga
Jonathan Raymond
Mark Strickland
Oscar Santos
Rosanna Mucetti
Valerie Greenhill

2021 PBLWorks Leadership Team

Bob Lenz, CEO
Sally Kingston, Chief Impact Officer
Cris Waldfogel, Senior Director of Professional
Learning & Leadership
Lisa Mireles, Senior Director of Design & Innovation
Perry Gold, Senior Director of Operations

©2021 Buck Institute for Education PBLWorks 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 15