Determining a Problem of Practice

What are some of the strength of your school? What areas need to be
strengthened?
How do you know about these strengths and weaknesses? What are your
sources of data? How do you know whether you're making progress in
these areas?
What else have you been learning from these sources of data?
What is puzzling to you about the data?
What has felt challenging? What does your staff continue to have
difficulty with?

A Problem of Practice:
Focuses on instructional core (the interactions of the teacher, student and
content)
Is Directly Observable
Is Actionable (and can be improved in real time)
Connects to a broader strategy of improvement and the school's action plan
(within school or school system)
Is high-leverage (would make a significant difference for student learning

Examples:
1. What evidence is there that students receiving feedback improves their
learning?
2. How effectively does feedback student are receiving encourage next step
thinking?
3. What evidence is there that purposeful talk is improving KLA understanding?
4. What evidence is there that teachers are differentiating the lesson?
5. What opportunities are there for students to engage in purposeful talk?
6. What evidence is there that students know the purpose of their learning?