Written By: Dr. Amanda Patterson, Senior Director of Academic Planning and Analytics at HMH
As schools start the 2024-2025 school year the excitement for what possibilities lie ahead can be felt as you walk down any hallway or attend any open house. The students and the teachers are still smiling. But how do we maintain the joy as the rigor of work students are asked to complete emerges as a challenge? How do we maintain the work life balance of the teacher who is still unpacking standards, writing lesson plans, and grading exit tickets?
Looking for suggestions? In this blog, please find suggestions and helpful links to content that will help focus and drive the instructional changes necessary to provide the return on investment we all desire: improved student achievement!
Strategies for Driving Instructional Changes
1. Establish Goals and Clarify Data Points
Oftentimes when the new school year begins teachers are given their class rosters and the assessment data from the previous spring. Great, right? Well yes, if that data is then used to create rigorous, differentiated, aligned instructional lessons which meet the needs of all learners in the classroom.
Assessment results for teachers should be used as a tool to drive what lessons and standards are taught and how they are taught. Assessments for students should reveal what they know, and more importantly what they are ready for next. Assessment results for parents and caregivers are a window into what their child can do; and an opportunity for families to extend learning at home.
Does your school have a universal screener? What type of data points are you able to derive from the results? How do you then use the data to tier students instructionally? Learning outcomes are not measures of consequence or happenstance but carefully curated skills that address the metacognitive skills of the learner.
Start with a uniformed definition of what an assessment is and your purpose for administering it. Then use the results to create 30-60-90 days goals that are meaningful and intentionally aligned to instruction. Teach. Adjust. Repeat.
2. Creating Time for Learning
What is important is not the quantity of the work or homework assigned – but the relevance and meaningfulness of the learning objective and outcome. Does it really take 50 multiplication math problems to realize that a student does not understand multiplicative thinking or the distributive property? Does a spelling test reveal that a student lacks the ability to compare and contrast or comprehend text at a 1200 Lexile?
Teachers need time to unpack standards and digest DOK levels in ways that allow for their creativity to come alive. Creating aligned instructional activities that engage the learner while challenging themselves as teachers to understand MTSS for all students – including those that are above Tier 1 – should be the focus. Incorporating formative and summative assessments to ensure the rigor is there also allows students to have real-time instructional practice that extends into their lives outside of the classroom.
I recall a superintendent I had the pleasure of supporting with his mathematics teachers. The students of these 8th grade teachers found themselves unable to pass the end-of-course assessment to move on to 9th grade. What we uncovered was the time to build teacher capacity was desperately needed. But how do you find more time to add to the day? Creativity and Changing the Culture “of this is the way we do it here” is a novel idea. Students will not flourish where teacher capacity is an issue. So, let’s build in time for our teachers to develop their confidence in a safe space that improves student outcomes.
One great way to do this is to ensure as instructional leaders (all administrators), we model best instructional practices for teachers. Modeling what teachers need for them to grow, similarly to how teachers’ model for their students, will build teacher confidence. Ultimately, providing a glimpse into the professional learning needs of teachers; professional learning can be tiered for their success at the same time they are focusing on what students need to be successful. Time spent in the classroom with a teacher, asking “what can I do to support your efforts” goes a long way. Putting the first thing first and minimizing interruptions is a great starting point.
3. Lastly, but certainly not least, Consistency.
We are all guilty of this, or at least I am. Whether it is starting off the new year with resolutions, or recommitting to go to the gym, we all start strong while others of us meander off the path.
But building a relationship of trust and consistency is the success to any goal or plan that you create. Teaching is a relationship profession. Students need to see teachers, teachers need to see their principals, and the school community is watching all of us.
What message do you want to send about your leadership style? Is student achievement important to you? Do you care about the cadre of teachers entrusted to you growing and getting better? Do you want to see your students achieve their every heart’s desire? We all do. Therefore, identify your goal, use rubrics to calibrate your results, change instructional practices and replicate those that are aligned and work, and remember to measure the outcomes by focusing on growth. Do this and watch your students and teacher’s flourish!
Dr. Amanda Patterson is Senior Director of Academic Planning and Analytics at HMH who is starting her 32nd year in education. She works with United States state boards of education, superintendents, and US district leaders as they redefine what success looks like for them and how to achieve that success.
Want to learn more from Dr. Patterson on this topic? Join us for a FREE webinar September 9th, “Built to Last: Driving Instructional Change to Achieve Desired Outcomes” REGISTER
School Leaders! Attending AMISA LeadCon24 in Buenos Aires this October? Attend Dr. Patterson’s workshop “Built to Last: Elevating your Leadership while Achieving Desired Outcomes” and visit the HMH booth for more leadership resources.
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