Develop an Action Plan

Research instructional strategies and techniques and agree upon a New Instructional Approach

6.1 Name a New Instructional Approach Protocol

Name a New Instructional Approach Protocol

Objective: Debrief professional resources and engage in an instructional core brainstorm in order to name a New Instructional Approach

Purpose: In this protocol, teams learn about new techniques or strategies that would help resolve the Problem of Practice and Learner-Centered Problem. The instructional core brainstorm helps teams pick one New Instructional Approach that is tightly aligned with the Problem of Practice and Learner-Centered Problem by asking participants to name how each technique impacts the three elements of the instructional core (students, teachers, and content). This instructional strategy will be the focal point of your action plan.

Recommended time: 25-35 minutes

Preparation: Decision making around the New Instructional Approach is one of the more challenging parts of the data inquiry process. When determining a New Instructional Approach, it is important for the team to reflect on current and past practices in order to identify a solution that will involve a new and authentic change in instruction. The Instructional Core Reading will help focus the team on the student, teacher, and content interactions that form the instructional core and are where your change in practice will occur. The NIA Bank and Instructional Core Brainstorm provide two tools to help the team surface potential adjustments to instruction. It may be helpful to read the case study to consider how “Apple Elementary” moved through the ACT phase of the cycle. An article your team could consider reading is Technique vs. Strategy to help narrow the focus down to the appropriate instructional grain size to support effective collaboration.

Develop an action plan

6.2 Develop an Action Plan Protocol

Develop an Action Plan Protocol

Objective: Develop a shared action plan to guide the Act Phase of inquiry

Purpose: The action plan determines how your team will collaborate and grow for the remainder of the cycle, so you want to make sure it is clear to all team members! In this protocol, the team will outline a plan that will lead to improvements in both teacher practice and student learning. During this meeting, team members will brainstorm and commit to action steps to be completed during the Act Phase of the cycle. To create this action plan, the team will determine a timeline for what tasks they can complete inside the classroom, outside the classroom, and during CPT meetings.

Recommended time: 15-25 minutes

Preparation: Read this list of Act Phase objectives to develop a clear vision of what an action plan could look like. Consider decisions you could make before the meeting to narrow the task of action planning for your team - you might pre-select a few objectives and ask the team in the meeting to order them or have them engage with the objectives before the meeting.

6.3 Develop an Action Plan for Focus Students Protocol

Develop an Action Plan for Focus Students Protocol

Objective: Develop a shared action plan to guide the Act Phase of inquiry

Purpose: The action plan determines how your team will collaborate and grow for the remainder of the cycle, so you want to make sure it is clear to all team members! In this protocol, the team will outline a plan that will lead to improvements in both teacher practice and student learning. During this meeting, team members will brainstorm and commit to action steps to be completed during the Act Phase of the cycle. To create this action plan, the team will determine a timeline for what tasks they can complete inside the classroom, outside the classroom, and during CPT meetings.

Recommended time: 15-25 minutes

Preparation: Read this list of Act Phase objectives to develop a clear vision of what an action plan could look like. Consider decisions you could make before the meeting to narrow the task of action planning for your team - you might pre-select a few objectives and ask the team in the meeting to order them or have them engage with the objectives before the meeting.

Develop Asset Portfolios for focus students

6.4 Create Asset Portfolios

Create Asset Portfolios

Objective: Develop Asset Portfolios for focus students

Purpose: As your team develops its action plan to impact student learning, developing Asset Portfolios provides a process for naming and elevating student strengths. By focusing on student strengths, the team can focus their efforts on building off of these strengths to address the Learner-Centered Problem.

Recommended time: 45-55 minutes

Preparation: Pre-read the excerpt from the text to anticipate what your team members might agree or argue with, aspire to, and apply. Anticipate challenges that your team might have with this process, and be prepared to support them while reorienting them towards the importance of viewing students with an asset-based lens. As pre-work, the team can consider strengths of their focus students.