What it means:
Change instruction when learning slows—and to help students advance faster—based on monitoring.
More Detail
Adjusting instruction to meet each student’s needs includes the following:
- Collaborate with colleagues to improve instruction rapidly for mastery & growth
- Regroup students
- Reteach when needed
- Offer advanced work
- Personalize assignments, pace, etc.
- Research additional interventions aligned to each student’s need, as needed
See a one-page Instructional Excellence Summary covering all the key elements.
Videos—For Teachers & Multi-Classroom Leaders
Watch these short videos of educators discussing the elements of Adjust Instruction, organized by action:
Collaborate with colleagues to improve instruction rapidly
Meet Daily to Adjust Instruction for Each StudentMCL Russ Stanton details the power of collaborative, daily team teacher meetings to constantly adjust instruction and keep students from falling behind. | Data Drives Flexible GroupingAnalyze multiple data sources to help group and shift students according to their current needs, MCL Frank Zaremba says. |
Research additional interventions aligned to each student’s need
More videos to come!
Discussion Questions
Use these discussion questions to help guide your instructional team through the elements of Adjust Instruction:
- Which actions in this element of instructional excellence are strengths for you or your team?
- Which actions in this element of instructional excellence are weaknesses for you or your team? Think about actions you never take, fail to take as often as needed, or do not take as well as needed to achieve strong learning growth consistently.
- What one to three specific changes will you or your team make to use your strengths more often or more consistently and improve weaknesses in the coming months?
- Make a brief action plan with specific goals, roles, and time by which you will make specific changes!
- Did your changes produce better learning results? If so, keep them. If not, think again about what other changes to make!
Study Guide
See this printable study guide with discussion questions and real examples from educators:
- For Multi-Classroom Leaders—Key Element of Instructional Excellence: Adjust Instruction [pdf]
Instructional Excellence Support Tools
Use this tool and action list to guide and support your teachers:
- Instructional Excellence Action List: Monitor Learning and Adjust Instruction [Word]—print a copy of this detailed, checkable action list for each teacher you lead
- Instructional Excellence Support Guide Overview and Support Tool [Word]—use this tool to record observations, provide feedback, and identify next steps
Other Developmental Resources
See the following developmental resources, provided by other organizations, related to the elements of Adjust Instruction:
General Resources: Adjust instruction to meet each student’s needs
Quick Resources:
ASCD, Educational Leadership, Research Matters: How Student Progress Monitoring Improves Instruction (article)
Papers & Books:
Leverage Leadership: A Practical Guide to Building Excellent Schools (book or chapter on Data-Driven Instruction)
Driven by Data 2.0: A Practical Guide to Improve Instruction (book)
NewSchools Venture Fund: Acting on Data, How Urban High Schools Use Data to Improve Instruction (report with case studies and templates)
Collaborate with colleagues to improve instruction rapidly for mastery and growth
Quick Resources:
engageNY: Data Driven Instruction (includes videos of a results meeting, templates, & more)
KIPP: Content Team Overview, a how-to guide for leading instructional teams to improve student achievement outcomes (white paper)
KIPP: Content Team Rubric (tool)
KIPP: Content Team Checklist (tool)
KIPP: Teacher Teachback Checklist (tool)
engageNY: Action Planning Worksheet (tool)
Papers & Books:
Leadership: A Team Approach to Student Data (book)
Driven by Data: A Practice Guide to Improve Instruction (book)
Spotlight On: Differentiation to Regroup, Reteach, Offer Advanced Work & Personalize
Reading Rockets: What Is Differentiation? (framework)
Teaching Channel: Differentiating with Learning Menus (video)
Teaching Channel: Data Walls (video)
Papers & Books:
Data Driven Differentiation in the Standards-Based Classroom (book)
Research additional interventions aligned to each student’s need, as needed
Quick Resources:
EdReports.org: Independent reviews of instructional materials by educators (resources)
Reading Rockets: Reading Intervention Comparison Chart (tool)
IES: What Works Clearinghouse (resources)
Papers & Books:
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