Teaching and Learning: Instruction

The Broad Prize Framework for School District Excellence

Instruction Requirements

The district has a shared framework for instruction.
The district implements evidence-based instruction as a standard practice.
The district provides effective instructional support for all students.

Best Practice Instruction Documents

Building Rigorous, Aligned Curricula – Aldine Independent School District

In Aldine Independent School District, district leaders have taken a very thoughtful approach to their academic program. Starting with their mission and core beliefs, they follow Fenwick English’s instructional model based on three pieces of a rigorous, aligned curriculum: the written curriculum (books and materials), the taught curriculum (lesson plans and teacher behaviors), and the tested curriculum (including both high-stakes state tests and interim benchmarks).

1 – District Mission Statement A description of the organization’s vision, mission, and core beliefs and commitments.
What to Notice Aldine’s mission statement is clear and compelling. The language is ambitious and aspirational – Aldine aims to “produce the nation’s best.” But it is also specific about student outcomes. The core beliefs and commitments describe the “how” and begin to articulate what kind of behaviors will allow the district to meet its objectives. Notice the emphasis on goal-setting, providing equal access, engaging parents, and supporting employees while holding them accountable.	Questions to Ask How did the district develop the mission, vision, and values? Who was involved in the process? How was a consensus reached? How does the district communicate its mission statement to stakeholders? Do new employees receive it as a part of orientation? How and when is it shared with parents and students? Does this document look like something that was produced for public consumption? How would a public document differ from a document for internal consumption? What goals is Aldine trying to accomplish with this particular document?
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2 – Instructional Model An overview of Aldine’s Academic Organizational Plan (AOP).
What to Notice In this document, Aldine articulates a philosophical approach to instruction. The document begins with a graphic organizer that places the student at the center of a curriculum that includes written, taught and tested components. All three components of the curriculum are aligned with the state standards, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The instructional model is grounded on core beliefs, which are re-statements of the core beliefs from the mission statement.	Questions to Ask How was the Academic Organizational Plan (AOP) developed? How did Aldine select the “Fenwick English model” of a three-pronged curriculum? How does this model compare to other existing models? What research suggests this model is effective in raising the achievement of underprivileged students? How does the district ensure that the three components of the curriculum remain aligned? How much consistency of implementation is there in the district? What percentage of teachers participate in the step-by-step process outlined in pages four through nine? Who guides them through it?
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3 – District mandated instructional programs Description of programs specifically targeted at students with special needs.
What to Notice Aldine has developed rigorous programs that target the needs of specific student populations. Notice that the bilingual program for high school students has been in place for well over a decade, while the district has recently revamped its approach to Special Education and elementary English language learning. These programs reflect the high expectations for all students, as articulated in the mission statement.	Questions to Ask Why did the district decide to launch an inclusion program for Special Education students? How was the previous approach different? What prompted the district to change its approach? For a program like the English Language Institute (ELI) for foreign-speaking high school students, has the district evaluated its effectiveness relative to other options? Has the program evolved since its implementation in the 1990s? What are the specific goals for each program? Who is responsible for monitoring the student outcomes of each program and comparing them to stated goals? How does the district evaluate the effectiveness of these programs?
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Creating Lesson Plans – Long Beach Unified School District

Long Beach Unified School District offers teachers concrete tools to help them develop effective lesson plans aligned to the district’s curriculum.

1 – Lesson Planning Template and Samples Provides one-page tool for teachers to construct effective lesson plans, along with explanatory documents and samples.
What to Notice The tool itself is very simple and consists of only one page. The first step of lesson planning involves defining the instructional objective and identifying how that objective aligns with the district’s content standards. Each lesson consists of a sequence of steps which include (1) articulating the objective to the students; (2) tying the content to what came before; (3) modeling effective strategies; (4) checking for understanding; and (5) independent practice. Notice that the district also includes a glossary and sample lessons, so that teachers can immediately see how the tool can be used most effectively.	Questions to Ask How did the district develop the tool? Who was involved in the process? Did the district test different formats to see what was most effective? How widely is the lesson-planning tool used in the district? Do teachers and/or coaches receive training in how to use the tool?
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2 – Lesson Structure - Math Provides minute-by-minute breakdown of an effective mathematics lesson plan.
What to Notice This tool breaks down a typical hour-long lesson into seven components. Notice that at the beginning and end of the lesson the teacher ties the lesson’s content to what came before and what will come later. The instructions are concrete and provide teachers with the reasoning behind each step in the process.	Questions to Ask How does this department-specific tool build off of the district’s primary Lesson Planning Template? Are the two tools consistent? How much flexibility do teachers have to adjust the structure of individual lesson plans? What kind of training do they receive in the use of the tool? How does the teacher ensure that all students are engaged throughout the lesson? What strategies does the tool suggest?
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Integrating English Language Learners – Aldine Independent School District

As a district in the greater Houston area, Aldine Independent School District serves a large population of highly mobile immigrant families from Latin America. Students from these families may enter the district for the first time in middle school or high school, still lacking fluency or literacy in English. Over time, the district has developed specific programs and a unique instructional approach designed to integrate these students quickly into their schools and give them the best opportunity for success.

1 – ELI Program Description Overview of the district’s program for secondary students who are still learning English.
What to Notice The district has built an aggressive intervention program called the English Language Institute (ELI) to address the needs of new secondary students who are not fully fluent in English. Students qualify for the program by taking a language proficiency test, and are then placed into an English-language immersion environment for 150 to 200 minutes a day. ELI students are mainstreamed for the rest of the day and have access to the same electives as other students.	Questions to Ask What proportion of students who take the language proficiency test qualifies for the ELI program? How does the district ensure that the test identifies the relevant student population? How does the district track the effectiveness of the ELI program? What kind of support do ELI students receive in their mainstream elective classes? How long do students stay in the ELI program? What are the exit criteria?
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2 – EII Program Overview A description of the district’s philosophy and approach to teaching English Language Learners via Equitable Integrated Instruction (EII). This is one element of the district’s strategy for ensuring that the ELI and other programs provide effective instruction for ELL students.
What to Notice Aldine has adopted Equitable Integrated Instruction (EII) guidelines for classifying English Language Learner (ELL) students. ELL classrooms use the same materials as a mainstream class, but also incorporate additional materials customized to meet the students’ special needs. ELL teachers receive special training and instructional materials specifically targeted at the ELL population.	Questions to Ask How much training do ELL teachers receive? Does the district fund this program with special categorical funds from the state or federal government? Which district department is responsible for ensuring effective implementation of the EII approach in different schools? How does the district train principals and others in what to look for?
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3 – ELI Instructional Calendar Instructional calendar for first six weeks of the ELI.
What to Notice The district provides this calendar for the first six weeks of the English language immersion component of the ELI. Each week covers material in each of four categories: (1) literature/vocabulary, (2) grammar/usage, (3) writing, and (4) social interactions. Notice that there is a common assessment given at the end of the six-week cycle to gauge student progress and revisit topics and skills as needed.	Questions to Ask Who develops the curriculum for the ELI? How does this curriculum align with the general curriculum given to all students? Is the common assessment used at different school sites, and are the results analyzed district-wide? How do teachers utilize this assessment information to adjust their instructional practices? How does the district identify best practices in the instruction of ELI students? If so, how and what efforts are in place to disseminate this information? How has the program evolved over the years, and as the district has gained experience with these types of students? What obstacles has the district had to overcome?
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4 – Interventions for ELI/ELL Students and Teachers at MacArthur High School List of campus interventions.
What to Notice MacArthur High School builds on the district-wide programs and provides specific campus-level interventions. Notice that every major department has some sort of intervention program for ELL students, and the science department offers special after-school programs that include labs and speakers.	Questions to Ask How are student coaches selected and trained? How was the after-school program developed or selected? Does the district utilize in-house teachers, or has it contracted out this program? How was that decision made? How does the campus measure the success of these programs as reflected in the test scores of ELL students?
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Intervening With Struggling Students – New York City Department of Education

The New York City Department of Education has launched an aggressive intervention plan for students struggling with literacy. New York City’s plan provides for: (1) a hierarchy of interventions, targeted to the needs of the child; (2) a school-based approach which allows individual schools to purchase the intervention products best suited for their students and program; and (3) support from district “intervention liaisons.”

1 – Elementary School Intervention Toolbox Outlines interventions available to help teachers and principals intervene with students struggling with literacy.
What to Notice The first page provides a clear, concise overview of the district’s new intervention initiative. Note that the initiative gives local principals and teachers the discretion to select the intervention products which are best for their students. District intervention liaisons are available to help determine which programs are best suited to which students. The attached table provides a detailed list of intervention products, grouped by the set of literacy skills promoted by the product. Note that the table provides suggestions for literacy assessments, mapped to instructional programs and software packages.	Questions to Ask How many intervention liaisons does the district employ? How many schools are they responsible for? And how is their effectiveness measured? What training do they receive? How will the district judge the success of the new intervention initiative? What changes do they expect in state assessment data? Do they disaggregate the assessment results? How is the Toolbox document distributed? Did principals and teachers receive any required training on the district’s new intervention initiative? How else did the district communicate the importance of the initiative to school-site educators?
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2 – Literacy Intervention Pyramid Complements the more detailed Toolbox (see above), ranking selected intervention programs by their relative intensity.
What to Notice In comparison to the Toolbox document, which focuses on the skill sets targeted by intervention programs, this visual aid ranks common intervention programs by their relative intensity, giving teachers and principals more information that can help them target programs to the appropriate students.	Questions to Ask How widely is this table distributed? Is it used as a part of a training program? Are there tools for skills other than literacy? How is the intensiveness of an intervention determined? Are the district intervention liaisons readily available to help interpret the tool and assist educators with the selection of intervention programs?
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