Embedded Files
Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) has initiated a comprehensive, collaborative effort bringing together key support groups to enhance the implementation of its "Six Promising Practices," aiming to provide integrated and effective support for every student. This initiative kicked off with an inaugural meeting on August 25, 2025, at the Berna Facio Training Center, uniting Teaching and Learning Coaches, Community School Impact Coordinators, and Student Success Systems Resource Teachers.
The primary objective of the Promising Practices Coalition is to provide in-depth opportunities for these three groups to delineate their data collection, collaborate with a solutions-based mindset and build capacity and efficiency in their roles. A significant focus was placed on fostering collaborative work to support the "whole child."
Bryan Garcia, the community schools development specialist, highlighted the crucial work of the Community School Impact Coordinators. Their discussions centered on relationships and restorative practices. Garcia emphasized a strategic shift from merely providing basic needs and wraparound services to a truly transformational strategy focused on student outcomes.
The Student Success Systems Resource Teachers are integral to ensuring that APS's promising practices are evidence-based and effectively implemented to improve student outcomes through structured data review, tiered interventions, and clear intervention matching protocols. Daphne Strader, the senior director for the student, family and community support division, emphasized the groundbreaking gains her team made last year and looks forward to growing the reach into middle schools and high schools this year.
Teaching and Learning Coaches will support educators at school sites with curriculum alignment to grade level standards, deliver high-quality site-based professional development, a transformational model of coaching, and support with data analysis to drive instructional decisions grounded in evidence-based support. The Executive Directors of Teaching & Learning; MariSol Fraga, Leslie Saucedo, and Cheryl Wheeler, emphasized the TLC’s role as mindset cultivators and ultimately as catalysts for change at their school site.
The foundation of this strategic approach lies in the APS Six Promising Practices, which are designed to be evidence-based in accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The Strategic Analysis & Program Research (SAPR) department created a guide to ensure these practices are implemented with fidelity and effectiveness.
The initial August 25th meeting included role-specific professional development sessions, such as "The Transformative Role of a Teaching & Learning Coach," "Time to Level Up the Evolution of Coherence" for Community School Impact Coordinators, and "SSS Implementation Indicators and Best Practices" for Student Success Systems Resource Teachers. The afternoon session focused on collaboration, digital workflow, aligning goals and guardrails, and a data dive using tools like Internal Visualizations, Unified Insights, and Panorama.
High Quality Professional Development:
Must be job-embedded and delivered through a coaching model including regular observations and feedback.
Aligned to grade-level standards and/or curriculum.
Includes opportunities for practicing specific skills with immediate peer feedback.
Requires at least 20 hours of "face-to-face" time (in-person or virtual).
Encourages collective participation from teachers in the same grade/subject.
Genius Hour (Project-Based Learning (PBL) Enrichment):
Projects should be driven by questions connected to real-world problems.
Must involve a sustained inquiry process with multiple revision cycles.
Students need to have voice and choice in the project's direction.
Students must present their work publicly to peers at a minimum.
Grade-level standards should be embedded throughout the experience.
High Dosage Tutoring:
Tutoring sessions must occur at least 3 times per week.
Students should receive tutoring either one-to-one or in small groups of no more than 4 students.
All activities must be aligned to classroom curriculum and grade-level standards.
Formative assessments are crucial for tracking student progress.
Tutor-student pairings should be maintained throughout the school year.
Where possible, sessions should occur during the school day.
Teaching and Learning Coach:
Coaches require support from school leadership to build trusting relationships with staff.
Data-driven cycles of inquiry and improvement must be integrated into school operations.
Coaches must be trained to balance technical and adaptive leadership approaches.
Proficiency in facilitating adult learning through cognitive coaching techniques is essential.
Focus extends beyond individual teacher growth to systems-level change.
Community School Impact Coordinator:
Maintains a system to document community school strategy implementation, including tracking services and outcomes.
Annually conducts a comprehensive needs assessment, root-cause analysis, and asset mapping to inform strategies.
Facilitates two community school council meetings per month to promote collaborative leadership, shared power, and voice.
Prioritizes building intentional strategic partnerships with community organizations.
Must be supported to integrate student supports throughout the school.
Empowered to facilitate family and community engagement.
Student Success Systems Resource Teacher:
Establishes a regular monitoring schedule to review data with school administrators and teachers.
A tiered intervention framework must be established and adhered to, with bi-annual review and adjustment opportunities.
Page updated
Report abuse