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  2. Instructional Framework

Instructional Framework

This is a new element to our district, adopted to give teachers greater structure for directing their instructional practives in the classroom. The CCSD2 instructional framework pulls directly from the McREL Teacher Evaluation Process, an intergral component of teacher evaluations in CCSD2 for several years. The guidance in this document helps teachers self-direct reflection and improvement through the use of thought-provoking questions.

CCSD2 Instructional Framework
Carbon County School District No. 2 uses the McRel Teacher Evaluation process for evaluating teaching staff, and therefore focuses the district-wide Instructional Framework on the elements of that rubric.  Teachers working within CCSD2 will familiarize themselves with that evaluation rubric and answer the following support questions for each standard in their professional practice:

Standard I: Teachers demonstrate leadership

  1. Teachers lead in their classrooms.

What will I do to:

Encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning? Communicate to students the vision of being prepared for life in the 21st century? Take responsibility for the progress of students to ensure that they graduate from high school?
Use classroom assessment data to inform program planning? Evaluate student progress using a variety of assessment data? Provide evidence of data-driven instruction throughout all classroom activities?
Empower and encourage students to create and maintain a safe and supportive school and community environment? Create a classroom culture that empowers students to collaborate? Establish a safe and orderly classroom?

 

  1. Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school.

What will I do to:

Collaborate with colleagues to improve the quality of learning in the school? Assume a leadership role in a professional learning community (PLC)? Participate in the professional learning community (PLC)?
Assume a leadership role in implementing the school improvement plan throughout the building? Collaborate with school personnel on school improvement activities? Participate in developing and/or implementing the school improvement plan?

 

  1. Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school.

What will I do to:

Seek opportunities to lead professional growth activities and decision-making processes? Establish positive working relationships through professional growth activities and collaboration? Contribute to the improvement of our profession through professional growth?

 

  1. Teachers advocate for schools and students.

What will I do to:

Actively participate, promote, and provide strong supporting evidence for implementation of initiatives to improve education? Particpate in developing policies and practives to improve student learning? Support positibe change in policies and practices affecting student learning?

 

  1. Teachers demonstrate high ethical standards.

What will I do to:

Model ethical behavior and encourages others to do the same? Maintain and uphold ethical principles? Demonstrate ethical behavior?

 

Standard II: Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students.

  1. Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults.

What will I do to:

Encourage and advise others to provide a nurruring and positive learning environment for all students? Maintain a positive and nurturing learning environment? Establish an inviting, respectful, inclusive, flexible, and supportive learning environment.

 

  1. Teachers embrace diversity in the school community and in the world.

What will I do to:

Promote a deep understanding of cultures through the integration of culturally sensitive materials and ideas throughout the curriculum? Use materials or lessons that counteract stereotypes and acknowledges the contributions of all cultures? Display knowledge of diverse cultures, their histories, and their roles in shaping global issues?
Capitalize on diversity as an asset in the classroom? Consistently incorporates different points of view in instuction? Ackowledge the influence of race, thnicity, gender, religion, socio-economics, and culture on a student’s development and attitudes?

 

  1. Teachers treat students as individuals.

What will I do to:

Help students hold high expectations for themselves and their peers? Encourage and value contributions of students, regardless of background or ability? Communicate high expectations for all students?

 

  1. Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs.

What will I do to:

Anticipate the unique learning needs of students and solicit assistance from within and outside the school to address those needs? Understand the roles of and collaborates with the full range of support specialists to help meet the special needs of all students? Collaborate with specialists who can support the special learning needs of students?
Adapt instruction for the benefit of students with special needs and help colleagues do the same for their students? Effectively engage special needs students in learning activities and ensure their unique learning needs are met? Provide unique learning opportunities, such as inclusion and research-based effective practices, for students with special needs?

 

  1. Teachers work collaboratively with the families and significant adults in the lives of their students.

What will I do to:

Promote trust and understanding throughout the school community? Recognize obstacles to family and community participation and conscientiously seek solutions to overcome them? Communicate and collaborates with the home and community for the benefit of students?

 

Standard III: Teachers know the content they teach

  1. Teachers align their instruction with the state standards.

What will I do to:

Assist colleagues in applying such strategies in their classrooms (see right)? Develop and apply strategies based on the state standards and standards developed by professional organizations to make the curriculum balanced, rigorous, and relevant? Understand the state standards, use them in preparation of lesson plans, and applies strategies to make the curriculum rigorous and relevant?
Elementary: Make necessary changes to instructional practice to improve student learning? Elementary: Evaluate and reflect upon the effectiveness of instruction? Elementary: Integrate effective literacy instruction throughout the curriculum? 
Secondary: Make necessary changes to instructional practice to improve student learning? Secondary: Evaluate and reflect upon the effectiveness of instruction within the content areas? Secondary: Incorporate a wide variety of literacy skills within content areas to enhance learning?

 

  1. Teachers know the content appropriate to their teaching specialty.

What will I do to:

Extend knowledge of subject beyond content in my teaching specialty and spark students’ curiosity for learning beyond the required course work? Apply knowledge of subject beyond the content in assigned teaching specialty? Motivate students to investigate the content area to expand students’ knowledge and satisfy their natural curiosity? Demonstrate a basic level of content knowledge in the teaching specialty to which assigned?

 

  1. Teachers recognize the interconnectedness of content area/disciplines.

What will I do to:

Collaborate with teachers from other grades or subject areas to establish links between disciplines and influence school-wide curriculum and teaching practices? Demonstrate knowledge of the links and vertical alignment of the grade or subject area and the state standards?  Relate content to other disciplines? Demonstrate knowledge of links between grade/subject and the state standards?
Promote global awareness and its relevance to all faculty members, influencing curriculum and teaching practices throughout the school? Integrate global awareness activities throughout lesson plans and classroom instructional practices? Promote global awareness and its relevance to the subject?

 

  1. Teachers make instruction relevant to students.

What will I do to:

Deepen students’ understandings of 21st century skills and help them make their own connections and develop new skills? Integrate core content and 21st century content throughout lesson plans and classroom instructional practices? Identify relationships between the core content and 21st century content?

 

Standard IV: Teachers facilitate learning for their students.

  1. Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students.

What will I do to:

Encourage and guide colleagues to adapt instruction to align with students’ developmental levels? Identify appropriate developmental levels of students and consistently and appropriately differentiate instruction? Understand developmental levels of students and appropriately differentiate instruction?
Stay abreast of current research about student learning and emerging resources and encourages the school to adopt or adapt them for the benefit of all students? Review and use alternative resources or adapt existing resources to take advantage of student strengths or address weaknesses? Assess resources needed to address strengths and weaknesses of students?

 

  1. Teachers plan instruction appropriate for their students.

What will I do to:

Monitor student performance and respond to cultural diversity and learning needs through the school improvement process? Monitor student performance and respond to individual learning needs in order to engage students in learning? Use a variety of data for short- and long-range planning of instruction? Monitor and modifies instructional plans to enhance student learning?

 

  1. Teachers use a variety of instructional methods.

What will I do to:

Stay abreast of emerging research areas and new and innovative materials and incorporates them into lesson plans and instructional strategies? Ensure the success of all students through the selection and utilization of appropriate methods and materials? Demonstrate awareness or use of appropriate methods and materials necessary to meet the needs of all students?

 

  1. Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction.

What will I do to:

Provide evidence of student engagement in the higher level thinking skills through the integration of technology? Integrate technology with instruction to maximize student learning? Demonstrate knowledge of how to utilize technology in instruction?

 

  1. Teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

What will I do to:

Encourage and assist teachers throughout the school to integrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills into their instructional practices? Teach students the processes needed to:
  • Think creatively and critically?
  • Develop and test innovative ideas?
  • Synthesize knowledge?
  • Draw conclusions?
  • Exercise and communicate sound reasoning?
  • Understand connections?
  • Make complex choices?
  • Frame, analyze, and solve problems?
 Demonstrate knowledge of processes needed to support students in acquiring critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills?

 

  1. Teachers help students work in teams and develop leadership qualities.

What will I do to:

Foster the development of student leadership and teamwork skills to be used beyond the classroom? Encourage students to create and manage learning teams? Organize student learning teams for the purpose of developing cooperation, collaboration, and student leadership?

 

  1. Teachers communicate effectively.

What will I do to:

Anticipate possible student misunderstandings and proactive develop teaching techniques to mitigate concerns? Create a variety of methods to communicate with all students? Use a variety of methods for communication with all students?
Establish school-wide and grade appropriate vehicles to encourage students throughout the school to develop effective communication skills? Establish classroom practices that encourage all students to develop effective communication skills? Consistently enco9urages and supports students to articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively?

 

  1. Teachers use a variety of methods to assess what each student has learned.

What will I do to:

Teach and encourage students to use peer and self-assessment feedback to assess their own learning? Use the information gained from the assessment activities to improve teaching practice and student learning? Use multiple indicators, both formative and summative, to monitor and evaluate student progress and to inform instruction?
Encourage and guide colleagues to assess 21st century skills, knowledge, and dispositions and use the assessment information to adjust my instructional practice? Provide opportunities for students to assess themselves and others? Provide evidence that students attain 21st century knowledge, skills, and dispositions?

 

Standard V: Teachers reflect on their practice.

  1. Teachers analyze student learning.

What will I do to:

Provide a detailed analysis about what can be done to improve student learning and use such an analysis to adapt instructional practices and materials within the classroom and at the school level? Think systematically and critically about learning in my classroom: Why learning happens and what can be done to improve student achievement? Provide ideas about what can be done to improve student learning in my classroom?

 

  1. Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.

What will I do to:

Apply and implement knowledge and skills attained from professional development consistent with its intent? Participate in professional development activities aligned with goals and student needs? Participate in professional development aligned with professional goals?

 

  1. Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment.

What will I do to:

Adapt professional practice based on data and evaluate impact on student learning? Actively investigate and consider alternative research based approaches to improve teaching and learning and use such approaches as appropriate? Consider and use a variety of research based approaches to improve teaching and learning?

 

View Instructional Framework in Google Docs.

 

Director of Curriculum
Noel Manning, M.A.Ed.

Contact information: nmanning@crb2.org