Total Instructional Alignment: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

We started our instructional alignment and preparation summer phase two weeks ago that I call "Total Instructional Alignment."  This is the first year we've gotten to do this here at MHS since I've been here due to Covid last summer.  Attached is a schedule of summer instructional staff developments, the ELA and SS pacing guides created for middle school, the PIA calendar created for alignment and monitoring, benchmark assessments, and the data spreadsheet for targeted small-group (data moves test scores).  This has generally been at least a three year process to get working and performing well with teachers (Year 1: Curriculum alignment, pacing, standards-based focus, common instructional framework - Year 2: Curriculum scope and sequence adjustments based on EOC/MAP/Benchmark data, data protocol in place with benchmarks and formative assessments, targeted small-group and RTI focus, blended curriculums to include literacy across all content areas, continue CIF - Year 3: Adjust curriculum scope and sequence based on date, adjust benchmarks and formative assessments, dial in RTI process, data utilization protocol, continue CIF).  

This will let us know that we are teaching what is tested and aligned to how students will be assessed, give us a way to monitor instructional pacing, give us a formative means of assessing and remediating, strategically target the growth component in the bottom 20%, and have an intentional and intensive RTI piece in place.  Benchmarks and formative assessments are created with Schoolnet so that we know the questions are vetted and aligned to standards at the levels they will be tested on EOCs based on DOK and they are uploaded into Mastery Connect for data collection.  MS ELA and Math are in year 2, everyone else here is in Year 1.  I've also included a student data-tracker that we created for students to be able to monitor their own progress on priority standards mastery this Spring.  

Once all teachers return in August, our PD will focus on a Common Instructional Framework, 5 basic components of facilitating instruction that we want to do effectively in all classrooms that we know will have the biggest impact (basically Zemelman with the blended curriculum piece already in place through the PIA process) that includes: Scaffolding Instruction (Gradual Release of Responsibility), Effective Questioning (Strategic Thinking, Formative Reflection/Assessment), Writing to Learn (Representing to Learn, Formative Reflection/Assessment), Classroom Talk/Collaboration (Collaborative Activity, Formative Reflection/Assessment), Literacy Across the Curriculum (Integrated Instruction, Classroom Workshop).  The four things within every school's control that move scores and enhance student academic growth the most are done in a continuous cycle of improvement.  These include Professional Development, Instructional Planning (standards alignment, sequencing, pacing, and instructional facilitation based on PD), Observation/Feedback (based on PD, Planning, and Data), and Using Data to drive performance.  A major focus this year will be on getting better at engaging students and using data to move numbers (standards and students).