Research tells us the quality of instruction has the biggest impact on learning. High-quality instructional interactions require supportive classroom environments, purposeful teaching, and instructional adjustments in response to ongoing assessments. SchoolWorks offers a variety of instructional supports, including instructional inventories, learning walks, and teacher development. All of these supports engage teachers as adult learners in addressing the real challenges and opportunities presented by their students.
Trained and certified team members use the SchoolWorks Classroom Visit Instrument – a research-based tool – to observe classes and collect data on classroom practices to produce an instructional profile for the school. The profile is used to help school leaders and teachers reflect on instructional practices to inform their professional development efforts.
Learning walks bring school leaders and teachers together to observe and discuss classroom instruction in a strategic and collaborative manner. SchoolWorks facilitators assist school leaders and teachers develop a focus of inquiry for the work, such as exploring the extent to which students articulate their thinking. With training and support, teachers visit classrooms to gather data related to the focus of inquiry. SchoolWorks facilitators then guide teacher teams through the critical process of debriefing what they have seen and heard. This results in a set of findings based on evidence – findings that guide the school in developing a vision for instructional practices whereby they identify needs for their own professional development.
SchoolWorks customizes teacher professional development for schools, districts, and departments of education. For example, for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, SchoolWorks provides professional development across the state through regional assistance centers. Offerings include support for promoting classroom discourse, lesson study, looking at student work, and teaching for conceptual understanding, among other topics.
Download our Instructional Supports fact sheet here.