4th grade Instructional Guide

Canyons School District

Instructional Supports Department

High Quality Implementation

Tools for Implementation

Critical Actions for Educators ------------------------ ● Use observations regularly to meet school goals ● Align observations to teacher need ● Calibrate observational dataand feedback among observers ● Use consistent tools ● Give actionable feedback aligned

Strong instructional program coherence comes from the use of a common instructional framework and routines that guide instruction and combine expectations and learning strategies for student learning. Additionally, teachers beneft by increasing their skills and understanding of instructional craft through participating in coherent programs and common routines. Teachers hone skills and sustain support for instructional improvements when they implement and refne new instructional methods (Newmann et al. 2001). Feedback is essential for refning and improving instruction. One way to receive feedback is through common observation tools. Coaches facilitate the intermediary step between the observation and a teacher’s personal mastery of new instructional practice through coaching cycles. This includes co-planning, coach modeling and debriefng. This is the course for developing new teacher understandings and beliefs “this will work with my students.” Coaching also builds a relationship of trust as the cycle reverts to the teacher teaching the class, with the coach supporting. Finally, coaching should be provided for all teachers. Both new and veteran teachers deserve a level of support appropriate to whatever they individually need to reach and maintain the highest possible level of classroom practice. (Terry Wilhelm, 2008). The following High-Quality Instructional Checklists provide the data and feedback necessary for teacher next steps to improve instruction. The ELA Checklists can be found in the tools for implementation linked above. ELA High Quality Implementation Checklists Foundations 95%Group

to teacher or school goals

● Coachthe feedback

necessary to make change.

Spelling Routine

Structured Classroom Discussion

Close Reading Routine Skills-based Instruction

LETRS Administrator Walkthrough tool (make a copy) PCP Walkthrough Tool (Also found in tools for implementation)

Walkthrough data has the potential with debriefng and coaching hone in on the high leverage frameworks and strategies render highly effcient instructional time. Not all observations would be used in a one-year cycle. Instead, using the observations aligned to school goals or teacher need is advised.