Developing Educators and Leaders Through Purposeful Learning Systems

Developing educators and leaders is central to Rebecca Stone-Danahy’s work. Her approach to professional learning is grounded in the belief that strong instruction emerges when educators are supported through clear expectations, purposeful design, and opportunities for reflection and growth.

While Rebecca’s career began in the classroom, her work has expanded to focus on adult learning and faculty development across school-based, organizational, and national contexts. She designs professional learning experiences that strengthen instructional practice, support educator growth, and build institutional capacity over time.

Through her work with schools and national education organizations, Rebecca emphasizes professional learning that is coherent, sustained, and responsive to educator needs. Rather than isolated workshops, she focuses on learning systems that respect educators’ expertise, connect directly to practice, and support meaningful change without overwhelming existing structures.

Adult Learning and Faculty Development

Rebecca has extensive experience designing and facilitating professional learning for educators at the local, state, and national levels. As Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer of Pylstone, LLC, she partners with national education organizations to develop and deliver sustained professional learning opportunities for educators and leaders.

Through Pylstone, Rebecca has led the development and facilitation of webinars, learning series, and professional learning communities serving educators across diverse school contexts. Her work includes topic development, speaker preparation, facilitation design, and post-session evaluation—ensuring professional learning is coherent, responsive, and aligned with educator needs and institutional goals.

Rebecca’s approach to faculty development prioritizes trust, transparency, and practical application. She believes professional learning is most effective when educators feel both supported and challenged, expectations are clear, and when learning connects directly to instructional practice and student experience.

National Program Learning and Educator Support

In her current role as Director of AP Art and Design: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at College Board, Rebecca provides academic and systems leadership for a global program supporting thousands of educators and students.

Rebecca partners with K–12 educators, higher education faculty, and executive leadership to steward curriculum, assessment, and instructional systems that support program quality, equity, and sustainability. Her work includes guiding academic policy, overseeing assessment development and evaluation processes, supporting educator-facing resources, and leading change related to digital platforms and instructional delivery.

This role requires translating vision into practice—clarifying expectations, supporting professional learning structures, and maintaining institutional trust across diverse educational contexts. Rebecca’s systems-focused leadership ensures that educators are not only informed, but equipped, supported, and positioned for success within a complex national program.

Instructional Leadership and Program Design

Earlier in her career, Rebecca held multiple instructional leadership roles in independent and public school settings, where she led curriculum development, mentored faculty, and designed programs aligned with institutional goals. Across these roles, she consistently worked at the intersection of teaching, curriculum, and leadership.

Her experience includes leading advanced coursework, designing interdisciplinary curricula, and developing blended and virtual learning environments. She played a key role in launching and revising online courses, supporting teachers transitioning to digital platforms, and aligning instruction with national standards and assessment expectations. These experiences inform her current work supporting educators through instructional change and innovation.

Rebecca’s instructional leadership emphasizes coherence and clarity. She believes educators do their best work when systems are well designed, expectations are explicit, and professional learning is aligned with daily practice. This perspective continues to shape her work in adult learning and faculty development at scale.

School-Based Leadership Foundations for Adult Learning

Rebecca’s commitment to educator development is grounded in extensive school-based leadership experience. Over the course of her career, she has served in roles including Fine Arts Director, Visual Arts Coordinator, Department Chair, and Administrative Intern. In these positions, she supervised and mentored faculty, coordinated programs and budgets, supported cross-divisional initiatives, and partnered with students and families.

At Forsyth Country Day School, she developed upper school curricula, advised students, supported gifted and talented learners, and served in multiple leadership and service roles across the school community. At Ashley Hall and West Ashley High School, she combined teaching with operational administrative responsibilities, grant development, and program coordination—gaining firsthand experience with faculty supervision, instructional leadership, and school operations.

These experiences continue to inform Rebecca’s leadership. Her systems-level work remains anchored in a deep understanding of school culture, faculty dynamics, and the operational realities educators navigate daily.

Professional Learning, Grants, and Innovation

Rebecca has secured and led multiple grants supporting instructional innovation and professional learning. These projects reflect her ability to identify needs, design responsive solutions, and lead implementation efforts that strengthen teaching and learning and enhance educator capacity.

Her grant-funded work has supported inquiry-based instructional practices, curriculum alignment with national standards, and leadership development through national professional organizations. She approaches grant work not as isolated initiatives, but as opportunities to build sustainable systems that support long-term educator growth.

Recognition and Impact

Rebecca’s contributions to education and professional learning have been recognized through awards, leadership honors, and invited roles within professional organizations.

Throughout her career, Rebecca has prioritized impact over visibility—focusing on educator growth, instructional coherence, and the long-term health of educational institutions.

  • Rebecca Stone-Danahy has delivered national, state, and virtual professional learning experiences for educators, school leaders, and higher education faculty for more than three decades. Her presentations focus on strengthening instructional practice, assessment literacy, equity, and systems coherence. She is frequently invited to present because of her ability to translate complex systems into clear, actionable guidance for educators.

    National Program Leadership & Assessment

    • AP Art and Design and Inquiry Writing (College Board Webinar, 2024)

    • Best Practices Using the Updated AP Art and Design Rubrics (College Board Webinar, 2023)

    • Understanding the AP Art and Design Rubric and Classroom Application (National Art Education Association Convention, 2025)

    • Plagiarism, Appropriation, and Emerging Technologies in AP Art and Design (National Art Education Association Convention, 2024)

    Equity, Inquiry, and Culturally Responsive Practice

    • Culturally Responsive Assessment Practices through AP Art and Design(Gordon Seminar on Assessment in the Service of Learning, 2023)

    • Cultivating High School Latine Artists through AP Art and Design(College Board Prepárate™, 2023)

    • Celebrating the Black Experience: AP Art and Design(College Board A Dream Deferred™, 2023)

    Adult Learning and Professional Development Design

    • Professional Development That Comes to You: NAEA Virtual Art Educators Webinars(National Art Education Association Convention, multiple years)

    • Developing Professional Learning Communities Using Webinars (North Carolina Art Education Association Conference)

    • The Design of Online Learning(National Art Education Association Convention)

    Instructional Leadership and Curriculum Development

    • Inquiry-Based Teaching in AP Art and Design (Illinois Art Education Association, 2022)

    • Teaching the New AP Art History Curriculum(North Carolina Art Education Association Conference)

    • Creating Digital Assessment Portfolios for Students (National Art Education Association Convention)

    Organizational and Association Leadership

    • Independent School Art Education Interest Group Leadership Sessions and Business Meetings (National Art Education Association Convention, multiple years)

    • Writing for the NAEA Advisory (National Art Education Association Conventions, multiple years)

    Across these engagements, Rebecca’s work reflects sustained trust from national organizations, repeated invitations to lead professional learning, and a long-standing commitment to developing educators and strengthening educational systems.

  • Rebecca’s approach to educational development is grounded in research, reflection, and sustained practice across classrooms, schools, and national systems. She contributes to the field through published scholarship and professional writing that examines how curriculum, assessment, and leadership structures can better support equity, inquiry, and meaningful learning at scale.

    Her published work focuses on assessment in the service of learning, socioculturally responsive practice, and the design of coherent academic systems—particularly in visual arts education and portfolio-based learning environments. These publications inform her leadership of national programs, professional learning design, and the guidance to institutions navigating complex change.

    Selected Publications and Research Contributions

    • Assessment in the Service of Learning: An Example from AP® Art and Design
      Handbook for Assessment in the Service of Learning (2025)
      Presents AP Art and Design as a national model for assessment practices that center inquiry, evidence of learning, and instructional alignment while supporting equity and teacher decision-making.

    • A Search for My Voice: Socioculturally Responsive Assessment in AP Art and Design
      Routledge (2025)
      Examines portfolio-based assessment through a sociocultural lens, highlighting how assessment systems can support student voice, identity, and agency.

    • Doctoral Dissertation: Inquiry, Access, and Instructional Systems in Visual Arts Education
      Clemson (2024)
      Investigates how inquiry-based pedagogy, budgeting transparency, and access to materials influence student learning and teacher decision-making in resource-constrained contexts.

    From Research to Practice

    These publications are not endpoints; they are tools for action. The ideas explored in Rebecca’s writing directly inform national curriculum and assessment frameworks, professional learning design, and institutional decision-making related to equity, access, and sustainability. Through research-informed leadership, she works to ensure educational systems are not only effective but also humane, transparent, and responsive to the communities they serve.