Secondary Literacy Guide

HIGH QUALITY IMPLEMENTATION

Considerations for Educators

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 benefit 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 implement and refine new instructional methods (Newmann et al. 2001). Feedback is essential for refining and improving instruction. One way to receive feedback is through common observation tools. Achievement 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 debriefing. This is the course for developing new teacher understandings and beliefs “that 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. This data changes from what works, to what works best. Honing in on the high leverage frameworks and strategies render a highly efficient instructional time. Leadership should be involved when setting the expectations for observational feedback. Public practice needs to be built overtime. Not all observations would be used in a one-year cycle. Instead, using the observations aligned to school goals or teacher need is advised.

• Use observations regularly to meet school goals

• Align observations to teacher need

• Calibrate observational

data and feedback among observers

• Use consistent tools

• Give actionable feedback aligned to teacher or school goals

• Coach the feedback

necessary to make change.

• Hold debriefing sessions with teachers close to the observation • Develop mastery before changing the observational tool