High Leverage Practices

Use explicit instruction

• Overtly teach the steps or processes needed to understand a construct, apply a strategy, or complete a task
• Offer multiple opportunities for modeling and practice with fading supports (“I do, we do, you do”)

Teach cognitive and metacognitive strategies to support learning and independence

• Facilitate and support executive functioning.
• Struggling learners need concrete ways to manage abstract information and processes.
• When integrated into instruction and explicitly taught, metacognitive strategies have a great impact on student achievement (Hattie ES = 0.69)

Provide scaffolded supports

• Scaffold supports to help students with tasks that they are not ready to complete independently
• Consider performance, tasks, and processes
• Apply to academics or behavior
• May be pre-planned or in the moment
• Carefully choose technology can provide scaffolded support for students

Systematically design instruction toward specific learning focus

• Clearly define expectations and learning goals
• Reduce student confusion
• Carefully sequence instruction:
• Move from easier to more difficult skills
• Begin with higher utility skills
• Begin with what students already know
• Break down complex tasks
• Incorporate assessment and feedback

Provide positive and constructive feedback to guide students’ learning and behavior

• Increases engagement during instruction and improves student outcomes
• Assists the teacher in monitoring student understanding
• Prompts students to continue successful attempts during practice or to remedy errors before they become entrenched