The recent NAEP and Education Recovery Scorecard results shine a well-deserved spotlight on Louisiana and several of the state’s school districts that are outpacing the nation when it comes to student progress.
One major reason for Louisiana’s inspiring gains is a sharp focus on high-quality instruction. In addition to the state’s long-standing and robust curriculum review process, leaders have taken important measures to support teachers to implement new materials with meaningful, aligned professional learning. Through a partnership with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), the state produces an annual Professional Learning Roadmap for district and school leaders to guide goal-setting for implementation to best serve the needs of teachers and students.
NIET has also created a tool designed to support district and school leaders in strengthening professional learning for teachers when integrating high-quality instructional materials into everyday instruction. NIET’s Teacher Learning Progression on Curriculum connects curriculum with instructional practices at various levels of expertise. Teachers starting from scratch may need support in understanding how the curriculum matches up with the standards and objectives they teach or the “why” behind the new curriculum choice. Teachers who already understand the basics of the curriculum may need practice in how to effectively differentiate the content for certain learners or how to transition from teacher-led instruction to student-led learning. Providing relevant, customized support for teachers can help them cater the curriculum to their unique classroom needs and mitigate frustration.
“Districts have been using high-quality instructional materials for a really long time in Louisiana, but it’s so much more than that,” said Dr. Jenna Chiasson, Deputy Superintendent of Teaching & Learning at the Louisiana Department of Education. “Helping teachers use the materials in service of their students involves coaching from experts and teacher leaders, teachers collaborating around that curriculum, and teachers tailoring the material and their instruction around student needs.”
Many districts have embraced the support from the state and NIET’s approach to implementation. One standout is DeSoto Parish Schools, where Superintendent Clay Corley believes that the NIET structure has been the “catalyst” for much of the district’s success. DeSoto employs two master teachers at each school; typically, one supports ELA and social studies instruction, and the other supports math and science. Rather than teaching students, master teachers teach their peers, engaging all teachers with “cluster time” for at least 50 minutes during the school day. Clusters are divided by grade level, subject level, or both, and meetings follow NIET’s five steps of effective learning.
“The one-and-done approach to supporting teachers in implementing high-quality materials doesn’t work,” said Corley. “Teachers come with all abilities and experiences. Our job is to meet them where they are in their craft.”
This system of support is working. Over the 15 years that DeSoto Parish has used NIET’s model, it has climbed from the 47th to the 2nd highest-performing district in the state.
The states out there that hope to be Louisiana in the next NAEP release would do well to consider this thoughtful, intentional approach to supporting student and teacher success.