When it comes to implementing best instructional practice at high frequency and high quality, as a profession we do not do it.  Disagree if you wish, but I have actual observation data from the field (close to a million classroom visits over the past years). However, in fairness to all current teachers, the profession has not regressed. Those who taught us weren’t implementing best practice at high-frequency or high-quality either.  Or in the rare cases that a teacher was doing so, she was not required to cover near the amount of material that is expected now, and student failure was a given. So, in a blind draw, I’ll take today’s teacher over yesterday’s teacher 10 times out of 10.

Now there are campuses where the frequency and quality of implemented best practice far exceeds the mean.  But this does not occur by chance. It occurs when the following two events occur in tandem… embedded staff training and leadership engagement. Either of these in isolation, next to no change, but together… just take a look.

Let me explain the above graph.  The green bars represent the observed frequency of 5 recognized best instructional practices prior to the staff receiving specific embedded training and leadership purposely engaging in the cuing and feedback process. The red bars represent the observed frequency of those practices following a 10-week cycle of embedded training, with campus administration actively cuing and supporting the improved practice. As one can see, on this campus the quality of instructional practice is improving in dramatic fashion.

And if you like the look of this graph, you are going to love what I show you tomorrow.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/Fundamental5 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
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