Teachers matter more to student achievement than any other aspect of schooling.
Opper, I. M. (2019). Teachers Matter: Understanding Teachers’ Impact on Student Achievement (RR-4312). RAND Corporation.
This is why Cedar Rapids Community School District commits so many resources to teacher learning and development. One of these resources is the Model of Instruction for effective teaching in every classroom.
CRCSD has adopted the High Reliability Schools as a comprehensive school improvement framework. Within that framework, Level 2 focuses on effective teaching. From the 43 New Art and Science of Teaching (NASOT) priority elements, a group of dedicated teachers and administrators finalized 12 priority elements:
| Feedback | Content | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Providing scales and rubrics | Chunking content | Noticing when students are not engaged and reacting |
| Tracking student progress | Structured practice sessions | Establishing procedures and routines |
| Formal assessment of individual students | Engaging students in cognitively complex tasks | Demonstrating “withitness” |
| Reflecting on learning | Using verbal and nonverbal behaviors that indicate affection for students | |
| Demonstrating value and respect for reluctant learners |
The NASOT is a model of instruction that was researched and developed by Dr. Robert Marzano along with his associates. View a wealth of NASOT research here.