1. A Coherent Instructional Guidance
(Effect size on changes in math
and language achievement = .40)
(Leithwood, 2011)

2. from Strong Districts…
Support  schools’ efforts to implement curricula that foster students’ deep understandings about “big ideas”, as well as to develop the basic skills students need to acquire such understandings
Work together with their school staffs to help provide all students with engaging forms of instruction

3. from Strong Districts…
District and school staffs work together to help establish ambitious but realistic student performance standards
Include teachers in instructional improvement work, and assist them in developing sophisticated understandings of powerful instruction for students.
Collaboration for this work is extensive, ongoing and involves all key stakeholders

4. from Strong Districts….
Demonstrate “in-classroom” leadership.
School and system leaders are frequently in classrooms acting as instructional leaders and providing “just-in-time” or job-embedded professional development.

5. A. Ensures that all schools strive continuously to develop…
Academic emphasis (Goddard)
Disciplinary climate (Willms)
Teacher efficacy (Tschannen-Moran)
A. Strong districts ensure that all schools are striving continuously to:
Establish the academic program of the school as the main priority for students, parents and teachers. There is a school-wide emphasis on student achievement and well-being (academic emphasis or press); this includes develop high but achievable expectations among staff for their own work with students (academic emphasis: e.g., Goddard et al, 2000).
Develop a collective sense of responsibility on the part of staff and students about the importance of minimizing disruptive behavior across the school and preventing distractions to the academic priorities of the school (disciplinary climate: e.g., Willms & Ma, 2004)
Build a sense of professional efficacy or confidence among staff members both individually and collectively (teacher efficacy: Tschannen-Moran & Barr, 2004).

6. …strive continuously to develop…
Relational trust (Bryk)
Efficient uses of instructional time (OECD)
Deep understanding (Zeiser)
(see Appendix C for local evidence)
Nurture trusting relationships among teachers, parents and students (relational trust: e.g., Bryk & Schneider, 2003).
Use as much of the school day as possible for teaching and learning by developing efficient timetables and buffering staff from distractions to the school’s instructional priorities (uses of instructional time).
Devote significant instructional time to developing deep understanding among students in appropriate areas of the curriculum (deep understanding: e.g., Zeiser et al, 2014)

7. B. Ensures that all teachers strive to continuously….
Contemporary learning theory (Bransford)
Large repertoire (Joyce)
Visible learning (Hattie)
B. Strong districts ensure that all teachers are striving continuously to:
Acquire a basic understanding of how students learn (contemporary learning theory, e.g., Bransford et al, 2000)
Master a larger repertoire of instructional strategies and be able to decide when and with whom it is appropriate to use each (large repertoire; eg. Joyce & Weil, 2008)
Ensure that their students know the purpose of their learning and understand why that purpose is important (visible learning; e.g., Hattie, 2008)

8. …teachers strive continuously to…
High but realistic expectations (Miller)
Supportive, informative feedback (Hattie)
Academically engaged time (Ben Jaffar)
Knowledge building (Scardamalia)
Develop in their students high but appropriate expectations for their own learning and ensure that students value those goals, respond positively, and work hard to meet the challenge (high expectations; Miller, 2001)
Provide their students with supportive and informative feedback about progress with their learning in a timely fashion (assessment for learning: e.g., Hattie, 2008)
Ensure that as much instructional time as possible is “academically engaged” time for students by minimizing transition times and effectively managing student behavior (academically engaged time: e.g., Ben Jaffar).
Reflect the principles of knowledge building in their instruction (knowledge building: e.g., Scardamalia, ND)