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?
> Download Document (pdf)

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?
> Download Document (pdf)

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?
> Download Document (pdf)

Differentiating Instruction to Meet Student Needs – Socorro Independent School District

Socorro Independent School District has several complex research-based instructional strategies that provide opportunities to tailor instruction to individual student needs. Because these strategies are designed to move students from basic to more applicable skills, they all require teachers to understand how to continuously monitor student progress, differentiate instruction, and manage multiple groups simultaneously. These approaches are all nested within the district’s overall approach to supporting teaching and learning.

1 – SISD Curriculum and Instruction Plan Chart illustrating the district’s strategic approach to curriculum and instruction.
What to Notice This chart illustrates the district’s strategic approach to curriculum and instruction. The text below it explains the different components and how they fit together. While visual representations of multi-layered systems provide a useful at-a-glance reference, they also highlight which programs and activities are important and how those pieces fit together. This chart illustrates that student goals are the focal point of the system. Key inputs leading to student goals include: the district’s Socorro SchoolHouse information system (implemented in school year 2009-2010); curriculum alignment; Response to Intervention 3-Tier Model; differentiated curriculum; and the 90-minute 5 E’s Model. The state and national standards, district core values, and a continuous cycle of assessment and review form the support and drivers of the work.	Questions to Ask Outside of the required state standards, who decides which standards the district will include in their curriculum? How are those additional standards incorporated along with the state standards? Who is the audience for this chart? Do teachers understand how the various components align to meet student goals? How do central office departments support these different components? How do they come together to connect them? How do principals and teachers learn to use the different components systematically?
> Download Document (pdf)

2 – 5-E Lesson Plan model Chart depicting the five cognitive levels addressed within the lesson plans provided to teachers.
What to Notice This chart explains the 5E model used for instruction and subsequently in lesson planning. The 5E model provides an easy way to remember the five cognitive levels that are similar to Bloom’s taxonomy, which moves learners from simple introductory activities to higher applicative ones. The circles and arrows demonstrate how lessons cycle to higher cognitive levels. The circles below depict the depth of skills found within each of the 5E levels. The boxes below the circles provide clear examples of the types of activities each “E” represents.	Questions to Ask How are teachers trained to apply 5E instruction and planning? How do teachers decide when it is appropriate to use these strategies? Who monitors whether teachers are applying all the 5E levels? Is there an expectation about how much time a teacher spends at each level? Who determines which “E” is represented in lesson plans provided by the district? How are principals trained to support and evaluate the use of the 5Es in instruction? How are lessons and assessments at the more applicative “Extend” and “Evaluate” levels balanced with more rote activities often associated with state standards and assessments?
> Download Document (pdf)

3 – 3-Tier Model Chart illustrating the district’s application of the 3-Tier model.
What to Notice The 3-Tier model has gained much traction over the past five years as part of the “response to intervention” or RTI model, originally used primarily for students with reading or learning disabilities. The RTI model has a wide research base and has become a preferred method for differentiating instruction for remediation as well as acceleration. This chart provides a visual explanation of the 3-tier model. What is unique about this particular model is the distinction between interventions for behavior and academics. Most charts illustrate the same triangle, but focus on academics only. The colors and boxes make it easy for new users of this model to understand the differences between the three levels, and the percentages set a general expectation for how many learners would likely fall in each category.	Questions to Ask How are teachers trained to use the 3-Tier model? Are principals trained as well? What behavioral intervention, tools, and supports are available to teachers working with Tier II or Tier III students? What tools and supports are available to teachers working with accelerated students in Tier III? Is the 3-Tier model used for other activities outside of instruction, like classroom placement? How are teachers trained to differentiate instruction across the three tiers during the same lesson? How does the 5E model work within the 3-Tier model? Are they distinctly different or is there overlap found in the two models?
> Download Document (pdf)

4 – 90-minute instructional model Chart illustrating the 90-minute instructional model for math and reading.
What to Notice The intensive block schedule grew popular in the mid-1990s as a way to provide more intense instruction for students over a semester, rather than the traditional 50-minute classes spanned over a year. This departure from traditional teaching has always made planning and implementing 90-minute instructional blocks very challenging for teachers. This chart provides a good visual illustration of not only how to organize various instructional groups, but also how to physically organize them within a classroom. The grouping format provides the teacher with ample opportunities to differentiate instruction for various student needs. Quite often, the only information teachers have about implementing 90-minute lessons is that they should vary the lesson and consider grouping students to address different needs. However, they receive little instruction on how to divide the time-block and what activities the groups might be doing. At a glance, this chart shows teachers that they will begin with a whole-group lesson for 20 minutes and then direct students into four separate stations for 60 minutes while the teacher works with three different smaller groups for 20 minutes each. The chart shows the activities to be covered in the 60 minute stations and how to divide the smaller groups by ability level. The lesson then wraps up with 10 minutes of whole-group instruction. The format is similar for reading and math.	Questions to Ask How are teachers trained to organize, plan and implement 90-minute lessons? Are math and reading the only subjects using this model? Is it used at the middle and high school levels? Are the students working at the four 60-minute lesson stations doing self-directed work? How do teachers ensure that students remain focused for the entire 60 minutes? What do the small-group students do when they are not working directly with the teacher? Does the district provide model 90-minute lesson plans? If so, how much detail is included in these plans?
> Download Document (pdf)

5 – ARMS Instructional Strategies Electronic system used to document intervention strategies for students coded At-Risk.
What to Notice Many districts target and provide interventions to struggling students. However, those interventions are not always documented in a strategic way, and sometimes are not documented at all. The district’s internally developed At-Risk Management System (ARMS) provides a web-based system for teachers to easily select, among a multitude of research-based interventions, strategies for struggling students. The easy-to-use one-stop tool allows teachers to monitor student progress and ensure that students are moved out of the at-risk system when ready. Additionally, it provides a way to communicate which other personnel working with at-risk students to understand which interventions were used, as well as their outcomes to encourage best-practice sharing.	Questions to Ask How are listed interventions selected for the ARMS system? How are students identified as “at-risk?” What mechanism determines when a student is ready to be removed from the list? How are teachers trained to use the various invention strategies? Who monitors the success of the selected strategies? Is there someone to guide teachers who have difficulty finding a strategy for a specific student? Do teachers or other personnel who work with the same at-risk students collaborate to select interventions for these students?
> Download Document (pdf)

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?
> Download Document (doc)

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?
> Download Document (doc)

Differentiating Learning for Students and Teachers – Gwinnett County Public Schools

Instructional strategies in Gwinnett County Public Schools are well communicated and are selected to differentiate teaching and learning for students as well as teachers. Aligned instructional strategies are found in many of the district’s documents and are designed around the Continuous Quality Improvement cycle to help teachers and students reflect and improve upon their own learning.

1 – Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies Document that outlines research-based instructional strategies to be used to implement the curriculum.
What to Notice The first page of this document clearly lays out the instructional strategies to be used in the district. The strategies identified show the value the district places on differentiating instruction, practicing high-level cognitive skills, and pairing instruction with assessment practices. This document does a particularly good job defining the categories through bulleted lists that describe what effective use of each strategy looks like in practice. The second page illustrates the same instructional approach tailored for English Language Learners (ELLs). The strategies are very similar, but they provide details that are specific to ELL student needs. The similarity between instructional approaches for the general and special populations illustrates a balance between adjusting strategies for particular learners and providing the same high-quality educational program for all students. This is important, as many districts tailor instruction without this type of cross-walking and mapping back to ensure a clear pathway to the district’s academic standards.	Questions to Ask Who receives these summary instruction documents? How are teachers trained on the various strategies? How much time does it take for teachers to master all these strategies? How are teachers instructed to balance the various skills like problem-solving and collaboration within various lessons? Does the district train teachers in all of these skill areas, or are there certain skills that most teachers learn in their preparation programs? How well do students monitor their own progress? Do students at all grade levels self-assess and establish goals? How were the ELL-specific strategies developed? Do they work for all types of ELL students? Are there similar documents for other specific student populations like special education?
> Download Document (pdf)

2 – Examples of Walkthroughs Sample walk-through document used to monitor the use of the Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies.
What to Notice The graphic on the first page of this document lays out the purpose of classroom walkthroughs very well. The bullet points characterize the importance of providing informal constructive feedback, opportunities to discuss and reflect on instruction, and motivating and encouraging teachers. The document on the second page represents one school’s walkthrough document. This document aligns well with the district’s Quality Plus Teaching Strategies, as it addresses all 13 strategies. In addition to logging the presence of a particular strategy, it also allows the user to identify observable behaviors to categorize the teacher’s implementation level of each strategy based on preset criteria.	Questions to Ask Does each school design its own walkthrough protocol? How much latitude does the school have to decide what components are included? How is quality control monitored? Do all schools conduct walkthroughs with the same frequency and/or for the same duration?? If not, who makes that decision? Does the district establish any minimum requirements that all schools must follow? How and when are teachers informed about the walkthrough process? What feedback have teachers given about the process? How is information collected in the walkthroughs shared with the teachers? How are principals trained to conduct walkthroughs? Do personnel other than principals and assistant principals conduct walkthroughs? How are the results of the walkthroughs used at the school level? Are results also used to make decisions at the district level?
> Download Document (pdf)

3 – Instructional Framework Rubric Rubric designed for teachers to assess their instructional skill level.
What to Notice This document created by a middle school provides a well-laid-out one-page rubric that helps teachers reflect on their instructional skills in five important aspects of teaching. Similar to the Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies document, the rubric uses teacher-centered language to describe what a skill at a particular level looks like. In any instructional area, a teacher can look across a skill like “learning to use technology” and understand the skill trajectory between novice and expert. Not only does this approach acknowledge that teachers are at different levels in different instructional areas, such as assessment, it also helps them understand where they are and where they need to improve to become an expert practitioner.	Questions to Ask Who developed this document? How is it used? Do all teachers at this middle school use it to assess their instructional skills? What supports are available to teachers who want to improve in a particular area? Are there training opportunities at every level in every area? How is this document updated? Does it change as district instructional strategies change? What impact has this rubric had on veteran teachers? Has it prompted any additional training requests? How does this document relate to teacher evaluation? Are these the same skills that appear on the evaluation instrument?
> Download Document (pdf)

4 – Differentiating Instruction Presentation about the assumptions and implementation of differentiated instructional strategies.
What to Notice This presentation takes the audience through the process of understanding the importance of differentiating instruction for various learners, and then breaks down the concept by essential elements. The presentation matches the district’s teaching philosophy by being very learner-centered, as it first answers the natural question, “Why would or should we do this?” It then moves to “How will we do this?” This presentation is thoughtfully detailed, and shows evidence of being designed by someone who understands the training needs of the target audience.	Questions to Ask How is this presentation used? What follow-up training or practice is provided to teachers on differentiating instruction? What would this skill look like if it were mapped from novice to expert like the Louise Radloff Middle School instructional rubric? What other materials or other supports are available to help teachers incorporate these strategies into their lessons? How do teachers balance differentiating instruction for individual students and making sure all students master the state standards?
> Download Document (pdf)

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?
> Download Document (pdf)

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?
> Download Document (pdf)

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?
> Download Document (pdf)

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?
> Download Document (pdf)

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?
> Download Document (doc)

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?
> Download Document (doc)

Sharing and Implementing Effective Instructional Strategies – Broward County Public Schools

Broward County Public Schools provides several tools to document and share research-based instructional strategies that will engage students and address their individual needs.

1 – Best Practice Repository Brochure explaining how to access and share instructional strategies through the district’s best practice repository.
What to Notice To support the fourth goal in their district strategic plan, focusing on innovative practices, the district looks within its own ranks to share and promote best practices across the district. The district’s structured format for collecting best practices not only serves as an efficient and cost-effective way to share and align good work happening within its classrooms, but it also increases and encourages collaboration and professional growth opportunities for the district and school communities. This brochure clearly explains how best practices are submitted and vetted for the best practice repository. Selections are made by a committee composed of multiple district leaders, and the process extends beyond a simple paper review. The best practice categories overlap with the district’s strategic goals and include operations, finance, parent involvement and partnerships. The level of expertise on the committee and the thorough submission process illustrates a level of rigor and quality control that moves beyond similar efforts in other education organizations. The document also explains why sharing best practices is important for creating a learning community and aligning instructional strategies with the district’s strategic plan.	Questions to Ask How often are submissions solicited during the school year? What is the average number of submissions per cycle? Are submissions evenly distributed across grade levels, content areas and geographic zones? What is the time commitment for each member of the review committee? Do committee members rotate annually? How often do teachers use the best practice repository? Do they find it useful? Other than teachers, what other district stakeholders submit best practices? How is the repository managed? Is there a cost associated with creating and maintaining it?
> Download Document (pdf)

2 – Weekly Team Meeting and Team Planning Forms Forms that guide the team meeting process.
What to Notice The weekly meeting form provides clear guidelines for how time is to be utilized during team meetings, with the majority of it spent on academic planning. The box at the bottom allows participants to log their concerns and receive administration feedback on those concerns. The team planning form does a good job of tying in the district’s eight-step instructional process with the planning process. The form prompts users to divide their students into three performance groups, and to identify one of the eight high-yield strategies and how technology will be used to support the strategy. At the bottom is a place to identify how skills will be maintained. This form is helpful for guiding team members through a continuous improvement planning process that uses data and aligns interventions with the district’s research-based instructional approach. It also provides a useful record for teachers to review and track performance and planning across the entire year.	Questions to Ask Does the administration feedback box on the weekly meeting form refer to the school principal? How often do teachers receive that feedback? Who monitors team meetings to ensure that the time is spent appropriately? How are team leaders selected? Are they responsible for filling out the team meeting form? Does each team member receive a copy of the form? Who reviews the completed forms and how is that information used? Who is responsible for filling out the team planning form? Does each teacher fill one out, or is it completed based on aggregated results? What kind of training is provided to support the use of these forms? How often do teachers in the same meeting group find significant variance in their students’ mini-assessments scores? Does that variance impede or promote sharing instructional strategies and materials? Are different instructional strategies targeted to different student needs (e.g., enrichment vs. bubble students)? Do teachers or teams revisit these forms to review outcomes of the selected high-yield strategies? Who reviews the completed forms and how is that information used? Are both of these forms available and completed by teachers electronically? How often is each of the two forms used?
> Download Document (pdf)