Levels of Practice and Guiding Questions

Instructional Leadership Practice #6: Developing an Aligned System of

Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
Levels of Practice and Guiding Questions Heading Definitions
• Exploring – The leader is learning about the leadership practice.
• Becoming – The leader is practicing the skills associated with the leadership practice.
• Growing – The leader is implementing skills associated with the leadership practice with the instructional
leadership team and is seeking feedback about his/her progress.
• Thriving – The leader is supporting and coaching others, especially the instructional leadership team, in
implementing skills associated with the leadership practice.

Exploring Becoming Growing Thriving

Leaders…
Learn about:
• Minnesota standards.
• Curricular frameworks.
• Quality assessment
practice.
• Effective instructional
strategies.
• Connections among the
above.
Have high expectations for
each student.
Use culturally and
linguistically relevant
practices.
Develop systems for staying
up-to-date on research and
technology to support and
enhance teaching and
learning.
Leaders...
Model reflection and inquiry.
Articulate expectations
for curriculum that meets
students’ academic, civic,
social-emotional, and health
needs.
Assess readiness for teachers
and groups to engage in
curricular and instructional
conversations.
Implement self-assessment
(teachers and leadership team)
of:
• Standards-based
curriculum.
• Effective instructional
strategies.
• Summative assessments.
Use self-assessment data to
determine alignment with
mission and vision.
Identify strengths and areas
needing attention.
Leaders work with their
Leadership Team to…
Collaborate with Professional
Learning Communities of
practice to:
• Assess the degree to which
the current curriculum and
interventions meet academic,
civic, social-emotional and
health needs.
• Develop an action plan for
documenting curriculum.
• Identify core instructional
strategies.
• Co-create valid summative
assessments.
Routinely engage constituents in
courageous conversations and
systemic analysis of equity and
inequity with respect to content,
pedagogy, and knowledge.
Co-construct, implement, and
sustain a rigorous curriculum and
professional development that
includes multiple perspectives.
Leadership Teams and the
learning community…
Provide time and processes for
monitoring alignment of
curriculum, instruction and
assessment for a culture of
high expectations.
Support professional learning
communities’ (PLCs) sharing
evidence of alignment of
curriculum, instruction and
assessment by analyzing
student work collaboratively
during dedicated PLC time.
Support teachers in self-
monitoring:
• Implementation of
curriculum.
• Use of core instructional
strategies.
• Use of valid summative
assessments.
• Facilitation of student
learning options (e.g.,
constructivist, project-
based, social action).
Exploring Becoming Growing Thriving

As new staff are hired, How do I/we facilitate What steps are taken to What early warning systems
what steps are taken to alignment of curriculum, ensure curriculum, instruction, are in place to identify
build their understanding instruction and assessment? and assessment are at an students falling behind?
of these systems and appropriate level of
resources? What actions are taken to complexity, and lead to What interventions are used
guarantee vertical alignment transfer/application? to support students falling
of curriculum, instruction, behind? How might those
and assessment? What learning benchmarks interventions be adjusted or
will teachers use to guide and changed? Who will be
track student learning included in the team to
progress? adjust or change those
interventions?

The “Explore Grow Become Thrive” language was originally created by the Minnesota Education Equity Partnership,
and is used here with permission, to align the school leadership journey with the teacher career journey.