Section A:
Systemic Leadership

Introduction

Successful implementation of IM Certified Math requires active planning by and participation from instructional leaders.

Effective implementation leadership at the school level is critical, even when a school's district leads a strong adoption process, provides guidance about teaching practices, or offers ample professional learning to all current teachers. School-level factors are the most important levers affecting the day-to-day teaching practices and behaviors that impact student outcomes.

Illustrative Mathematics recognizes that many systems and structures facilitate an effective implementation. While the indicators in Section A do not represent a comprehensive approach to school transformation, the tool does incorporate key instructional leader practices that have been identified by IM as most effective in supporting curriculum implementation.

Section A of the tool contains two strands:

Progression of Practice: A1 and A2

The IRT was not designed to evaluate individual schools or teachers, or with the assumption of an “ideal” minimum threshold for all users of IM Certified Math. Indicators demonstrate a progression of actions aligned to an implementation journey. Progress occurs at different rates across various indicators, based on the context of each school or district.

Each section includes an introduction, progression of practice, and reflection questions by indicator. The Implementing column is highlighted in purple to indicate leadership practices that will support successful implementation. The Reflect questions provide considerations for instructional leaders who have already demonstrated the criteria in the Implementing column and wish to continue evolving their implementation and leadership practices.

Implementing Instructional leaders have formalized a plan for this indicator, and have communicated and implemented it with consistency across the school or district.

Developing Instructional leaders have begun to establish an approach or organize a plan for how to implement this indicator, but have yet to fully communicate to all relevant teachers or implement with consistency across the school.

Organizing Instructional leaders have begun to think about how to implement this indicator, and are in the early stages of planning.

When there are multiple descriptors within a single indicator, the school, the team, or the leader should demonstrate evidence of all descriptors before advancing to the next level on the Progression of Practice, even if they demonstrate some of the practices in the next level. Bold font used in the descriptors identifies key changes in the progression of practice, moving from emerging to implementing.

Select the links below to explore each indicator.