What it means:
Execute rigorous lessons aligned with the curriculum, personalizing and differentiating instruction for highly-engaging, high-growth learning.
More Detail
Executing rigorous, personalized lessons for mastery and growth includes the following:
- Ensure that all students have ambitious learning goals
- Set challenging, measurable goals, overall and with each student
- Encourage students to work hard toward goals
- Plan and teach lessons aligned with curriculum and student needs
- Assess students before lessons with diagnostics
- Set sequential learning targets to and well beyond standards
- Continue developing and editing engaging lesson plans that align both with curriculum/standards and what students know
- Include in lesson plans: frequent checks for understanding, personalization/differentiation, re-teaching, and acceleration
- Differentiate instruction for students at different learning levels
- Include assignments that allow any student to advance by choice
- Use culturally and personally relevant activities
- Script out higher-order questions and correct answers
- Incorporate digital instruction wisely
- Engage students deeply in the learning process
- Incorporate student-centered teaching models, inquiry, and discussion
- Deepen understanding via evidence and teamwork
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 and demonstrating the elements of Execute Rigor and Personalization, organized by action:
Ensure that all students have ambitious learning goals
Help Students Internalize and Reach GoalsMaster Reach Teacher Jimmel Williams explains how students internalize their learning goals, monitoring themselves and learning how to learn. |
Plan and teach lessons aligned with curriculum and student needs
Differentiate Without Excluding Lowest StudentsMCL Ellen Rayburn explains how struggling students get both the remediation they need and instruction to match their grade level. | Maintain Rigor While Personalizing to Ability LevelMCL Hadley Moore focuses on choosing appropriately challenging work for each student,always selecting for rigor and engagement. | A Concept-Driven Class Allows PersonalizationCreating a concept-driven class allows students to go as deep as they like, Blended-Learning Teacher Scott Nolt says. |
Small Groups Personalize Elementary InstructionUsing personalized lessons anchored by small-group teaching is a key to success, MCL Stephanie Roper explains. | Combine Whole-Group, Small-Group, Independent WorkMix whole-group, small-group, and independent instruction to reach all students’ needs, MCL Tonya Reaves says. | Using Station Rotations to Personalize LearningRotating students through small-group, differentiated learning stations allows for personalized instruction, MCL Kathryn Smith says. |
Incorporate digital instruction wiselyWhen using technology in the classroom, have a goal and objective in mind, MCL Amber Hines says. |
Engage students deeply in the learning process
To Engage Students, Use Broad Range of Resources Technology OffersTarget a student’s interests to make learning relevant and engaging, MCL Amber Hines says. | Create Growth Mindset, Try-Again AtmosphereHelp students continue to learn by allowing them to fail, Blended-Learning Teacher Scott Nolt says. | Keep Instruction Fun and Culturally RelevantTo create lifelong learners, don’t forget fun, and make instruction relevant to your students’ lives, MCL Bri Waddell says. |
Incorporate student-centered |
Discussion Questions
Use these discussion questions to help guide your instructional team through the elements of Execute Rigor and Personalization:
- 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: Execute Rigor and Personalization [pdf]
Other Developmental Resources
See the following developmental resources, provided by other organizations, related to the elements of Execute Rigor and Personalization:
General Resources: Execute rigorous, personalized lessons for mastery and growth
Quick Resources:
Match Mini: Running A Quality Lesson (quick tutorial)
Teaching Channel, New Teacher Survival Guide: Planning (video & tools)
Teaching Channel: Deeper Learning Video Series (videos & tools)
ISTE: Turn Your Classroom into a Personalized Learning Environment (short article)
Success Academies Education Institute: Literacy Curriculum for K-8 (tools, e-courses)
Ensure all students have ambitious learning goals
Papers & Books:
Teaching As Leadership: The Highly Effective Teacher’s Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap (book)
Set challenging, measurable goals, overall and with each student
Quick Resources:
Edutopia: SMART Goal Setting With Your Students (short article)
Papers & Books:
The Power of SMART Goals: Using Goals to Improve Student Learning (book)
Teach Like a Champion, Field Guide 2.0 (book)
Teaching As Leadership: The Highly Effective Teacher’s Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap (book)
Encourage students to work hard toward goals
Quick Resources:
Match Mini: Generating Student Effort (quick tutorial)
KQED/MindShift: Challenging Work is Essential To Deep, Meaningful Learning (short article)
Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov’s Field Notes: Rue Ratray: Frustration and Rigor, Part 1 (blog)
Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov’s Field Notes: Rue Ratray on Rigor, Frustration & The Monomyth (blog)
Papers & Books:
Teach Like a Champion, Field Guide 2.0 (book)
Teaching As Leadership: The Highly Effective Teacher’s Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap (book)
Plan and teach lessons aligned with curriculum and student needs
Quick Resources:
Edreports.org: Independent reviews of instructional materials by educators
Teaching Channel: Aligning Curriculum (video)
Teach Like a Champion: Designing Lesson Materials for Success, Implement Double Planning (guide & template)
Papers & Books:
Lesson Planning for Effective Learning (book)
Where Great Teaching Begins: Planning for Student Thinking (book)
Teaching As Leadership: The Highly Effective Teacher’s Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap (book)
Assess students before lessons with diagnostics
Quick Resources:
American Psychology Association: How Do My Students Think: Diagnosing Student Thinking, Understanding misperceptions is a key early step (framework)
Spotlight On: Activating Prior Knowledge
Teaching Channel: Preparing Learners, Activating Prior Knowledge (video)
Mindful Learning 101 Proven Strategies for Student and Teacher Success, Beginning With What Students Know: The Role of Prior Knowledge in Learning (book excerpt with templates)
Papers & Books:
Educational Leadership: Informative Assessment, Learning to Love Assessment (article)
Set sequential learning targets to and well beyond standards
Quick Resources:
Match Mini: Designing A Target Task (quick tutorial)
ACSD, Educational Leadership: Knowing Your Learning Target (short article)
Teaching Channel: SWBAT Communicating Learning Goals (video)
Papers & Books:
ASCD: Learning Targets: A Theory of Action (book)
ASCD: Learning Targets, Helping Students Aim for Understanding in Today’s Lesson (book)
ASCD: The Purposeful Classroom: How to Structure Lessons with Learning Goals in Mind (book)
Continue developing and editing engaging lesson plans that align both with curriculum/standards and what students know
Quick Resources:
Match Mini: Our Planning Framework & Running a Quality Lesson (quick tutorials)
Houston ISD: Develop Effective Lesson Plans (toolkit with video)
KIPP: Conceptual Understanding Lesson Plan Exemplar (tool)
Papers & Books:
Include in lesson plans: frequent checks for understanding, personalization/differentiation, re-teaching, and acceleration
Spotlight On: Personalization / Differentiation
RAND: Personalized Learning: The Latest Buzz in Classroom Instruction (short article)
Understood.org, Partnership with 15 nonprofit partners including National Center for Learning Disabilities (website, tools, frameworks, short articles, etc.)
Learner Positioning Systems, Digital Promise (tools)
Spotlight On: Check for Understanding & Re-teaching
The Teacher Toolkit: Checks for Understanding (videos & tools)
KIPP: How Do I Effectively Check for Understanding? (blog)
Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov’s Field Notes: Check For Understanding (video)
Spotlight On: Cold Calling
Match Mini: The Case for Cold Calling (quick tutorial)
Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov’s Field Notes: Cold Call is Inclusive (blog)
Teach Like a Champion, Grab-n-Go Resources: Analyze and Plan Cold Call Prompts Planning Activity (tool)
Spotlight On: Wait Time
Teaching Channel: Get Back to Me: Give Students Think Time (video)
ASCD, Educational Leadership: A New Rhythm for Responding (article)
Uncommon Impact: Wait Time: 100+ Narrative Phrases (tool)
Spotlight On: Acceleration
Edutopia: Instructional Pacing: How Do Your Lessons Flow? (short article)
Papers & Books:
Differentiate instruction for students at different learning levels
Quick Resources:
Teaching Channel: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners (video)
Teaching Channel: Interacting with Complex Texts, Scaffolding (video)
Papers & Books:
ASCD: Leading and Managing A Differentiated Classroom (book)
Teaching in Today’s Inclusive Classrooms: A Universal Design for Learning Approach (book)
Include assignments that allow any student to advance by choice
Quick Resources:
Edutopia: 5 Ways to Give Your Students More Voice and Choice (blog)
ASCD: Chapter 4. Power in the Classroom: Creating the Environment, Classroom of Choice (excerpt)
Use culturally and personally relevant activities
Quick Resources:
TEDxUMN: Bringing Cultural Context and Self-Identity into Education by Brian Lozenski (video)
KQED/Mindshift: Strategies to Reach Every Student Regardless of Language Barrier (short article)
Papers & Books:
Equity Literacy For All, (Gorski), Educational Leadership (short article)
Reading Diversity, Teaching Tolerance (tools)
Script out higher-order questions and correct answers
Quick Resources:
Teaching Channel: Higher Order Questions, A Path to Deeper Learning (video)
Bloom’s Taxonomy Question Stems (tool)
Reading Rockets: How to Increase Higher Order Thinking Skills (framework)
Papers & Books:
ASCD: How to Assess Higher-Order Thinking Skills in Your Classroom (book)
ASCD: Essential Questions: Opening Doors to Student Understanding (book)
Text-Dependent Questions: Pathways to Close and Critical Reading (book): Grades K-5 | Grades 6-12
Incorporate digital instruction wisely
Quick Resources:
Aspire: Blended Learning in Action (video)
EdSurge News: When Teachers and Technology Let Students Be Masters of Their Own Learning (short article)
Papers & Books:
Christensen Institute: Connecting Ed & Tech: Partnering to Drive Student Outcomes (article)
Engage students deeply in the learning process
Quick Resources:
Match Mini: Ratio, All Students Thinking Hard (quick tutorial)
KIPP: Three Ratios to Boost Student Success – Positive Interaction, Questioning, Doing the Work (blog)
KIPP High Impact Ratio: Techniques, Rubric, Sample & Blank Templates for lesson plans (framework & tools)
Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov’s Field Notes: Draft Rigor Checklist (tool)
Teaching Channel: Scaffolds for Critical Thinking (video)
Papers & Books:
Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning (book)
Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement (book)
SREB: Instructional Strategies Motivate and Engage Students in Deeper Learning (short report with case studies)
Incorporate student-centered teaching models, inquiry, and discussion
Quick Resources:
KIPP: How to Lead A Lesson Using Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) (video)
Teaching Channel: Catch and Release, Encourage Independence (video)
Teaching Channel: Deepening Text Analysis Through Student Talk (video)
Teaching Channel: Participation Protocol for Academic Discussions (video)
Match Mini: In-Class Discussions, Part 1 and Part 2 (quick tutorial)
Match Mini: Running a Turn & Talk (quick tutorial)
Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov’s Field Notes: Inside The Box, Disciplined Discussion, using the Socratic method (video)
Visible Thinking: Circle of Viewpoints, A Routine for Exploring Diverse Perspectives (framework)
Papers & Books:
ASCD: Learning for Keeps: Teaching Strategies Essential for Creating Independent Learners (book)
Reading Without Limits: Teaching Strategies to Build Independent Reading for Life (book)
Teaching for Meaningful Learning: A Review of Research on Inquiry-Based and Cooperative Learning (book excerpt)
Center for Inspired Teaching: Inquiry-Based Teaching (issue brief)
Deepen understanding via evidence and teamwork
Quick Resources:
Edutopia: Powerful Learning: Studies Show Deep Understanding Derives from Collaborative Methods (short article)
Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov’s Field Notes: Adding Stretch It To No Opt Out (video)
Expeditionary Learning, Professional Learning Packs: Academic Talk (framework & video)
KIPP: Math Conceptual Understanding Evidence Guide (framework)
Papers & Books:
Inside the Collaborative Classroom: The Core Principles (white paper)
ASCD: Inference: Teaching Students to Develop Hypotheses, Evaluate Evidence, and Draw Logical Conclusions (book & PLC guide)
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