Component Overview: Instruction Preparation

In this component of a Standards-based Education System, actions and resources are recommended to help leadership teams plan supports to help educators implement the selected instructional practices. Once effective instructional practices have been selected for implementation, ongoing support for educators to learn and master those practices is necessary.

In the Getting Started Instruction component, educators and/or leadership teams examined current instructional practices and data, explored effective practices, and selected specific instructional practices to implement. In this component, the focus is upon preparing to support educators to learn and implement the selected instructional practices. This preparation includes:

• Planning supports for educators to increasingly improve their instructional practices
• Understanding, articulating, and communicating the depth and components of the selected practice(s) and its benefits to students
• Identifying what it looks like when the selected instructional practices are implemented well
• Identifying and determining tools for measuring fidelity in order to assess the impact of and improve supports for teachers

These steps help ensure all educators get the support needed to continuously improve their instructional practice.

Why is support for improving instruction important?

Implementing selected instructional practices necessitates change, both for the organization and individual educators. “If we have learned anything about effective change in schools or any complex organization, it is that neither managerial imperatives nor inspirational speeches will be sufficient to move people and organizations from their entrenched positions” (Reeves, 2009). It is imperative that teams and organizations provide necessary supports for educators to find success in improving instruction.

Suggested Actions

Guidance and resources throughout the Portal are specifically designed to support educator teams in preparing supports for instruction. The following important actions are recommended:

1. Planning Instructional Supports guides teams in identifying goals and building an action plan.
2. Develop Tools helps educators develop practice profiles for supporting selected instructional practices.
3. Measuring Fidelity helps teams develop tools to measure fidelity in order to evaluate the supports it is providing for educators.

Sources

Reeves, D. (2009). Leading Change in Your School: How to Conquer Myths, Build Commitment, and Get Results. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.