“ A World Class System of Schools ” INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS DEBRIEF Insert School Date Adapted from the book INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS IN EDUCATION: A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning By Elizabeth A. City, Richard F. Elmore, Sarah E. Fiarman, and Lee Teitel

“ A World Class System of Schools ” The basic premise of Instructional Rounds is that people learn best about the meaning of high quality instruction by observing teachers, students, and the work students are asked to do, followed by meaningful conversation and analysis.

“ A World Class System of Schools ” THE BIG IDEA! The idea behind Instructional Rounds is that everyone involved is working on their practice, everyone is obliged to be knowledgeable about the common task of instructional improvement, and everyone’s practice should be subject to scrutiny, critique, and improvement. Instructional Rounds inform and are informed by improvement strategies. Instructional Rounds start with a problem of practice, one that often emerges from some improvement strategy, and end with ideas for making our improvement strategies more effective. Instructional Rounds are, then, a vehicle for improving our strategies and making us much more reflective about our work.

“ A World Class System of Schools ” QUALITY TEACHING DEFINED “Task Predicts Performance” What predicts performance is what students are actually doing...the instructional task is the actual work that students are asked to do during the process of instruction-not what teachers think they are asking students to do or what the official curriculum says that that student are asked to do...” -Dr. Richard Elmore-

“ A World Class System of Schools ” INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS (GOALS) Improve participants’ skills as instructional leaders. Broaden participants’ understanding of their own and other school systems. Improve student learning. Strengthen and deepen existing improvement strategies. Build and reinforce a culture of improvement. Provide clarity and focus for existing professional development. Develop a common vocabulary for teaching and learning among leaders. Build pathways into multiple leadership roles.

“ A World Class System of Schools ” WHAT INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS LOOK LIKE Problem of Practice Next Level of Work Observation of Practice Observation Debrief

“ A World Class System of Schools ” INSTRUCTIONAL CORE The instructional core is composed of the teacher and the student in the presence of content. TEACHER STUDENT CONTENT/TASK

“ A World Class System of Schools ” SCHOOL BACKGROUND Recent Reform Efforts to Improve Instruction Recent Professional Development

“ A World Class System of Schools ” PROBLEM OF PRACTICE

“ A World Class System of Schools ” THEORY OF PRACTICE

“ A World Class System of Schools ” OBSERVATION OF PRACTICE (FOCUS QUESTIONS)

“ A World Class System of Schools ” WHOLE GROUP REFLECTION Patterns Across Classrooms Anomalies Across Classrooms

“ A World Class System of Schools ” PREDICTIONS If students in this school did exactly what teachers asked them to do, what do you predict students would be able to do?

“ A World Class System of Schools ” NEXT LEVEL OF WORK As we look at the data and how we group the data, what do students need next in order to deepen the level of their thinking and quality of their collaborations? What advice would you give to the principal and teachers about the next steps?

“ A World Class System of Schools ” TRANSFER TO PRACTICE In what ways do you intend to refine your own practice as a consequence of this experience? – What do teachers need to know to support optimal learning? – What does the school need to know to support optimal learning?