Instructional Framework

Planning is intentional, collaborative, and reflective so that each student is engaged in meaningful learning experiences. In NISD we develop a clear vision by planning for learning that is standards-based and includes high-yield instructional strategies and assessments.

Northwest ISD teachers...

• use backward design to plan standards-based lessons with clear learning targets that outline student success.
• use resources to plan lessons and strategies to ensure that students succeed at the language and level of the standard while making relevant connections to real-world situations.
• work together in professional learning communities (PLCs) to design engaging lessons, high-level questions, and rigorous student tasks.
• plan lessons using the structure of the workshop model and plan for each piece of the workshop model.
• plan for formative assessment to monitor student progress and guide instruction during the lesson cycle.

Instruction is the execution and reflection of the well-planned lesson. Teachers will actively engage in instructional practices that effectively foster student learning and develop independent learners and thinkers.

Northwest ISD teachers...

• use the workshop model as a structure for student learning to allow for direct teaching, modeling, guided practice, independent work time, differentiation, and reflection.
• focus on content standards and vocabulary to actively engage students in academic discourse so they can critically read, write, and communicate in all content areas.
• use questioning strategies to foster student conversation and engagement while modeling metacognitive strategies to help students recognize, monitor, and self-assess understanding and performance.
• give specific, meaningful, relevant and timely feedback to students on a consistent basis to help guide their learning and mastery of goals.
• use a variety of formative assessments to measure student learning and understanding to effectively adjust and differentiate instruction based on the needs of students.

Assessments are aligned to the standards and implemented through a variety of informal and formal strategies. Assessments inform students of their progress and guide teachers’ instruction to improve effectiveness and outcomes throughout the learning cycle.

Northwest ISD teachers...

• design assessments that are authentic, address various levels of complexity, and allow for multiple ways to showcase student performance and mastery.
• model use of success criteria such as rubrics and exemplars to provide feedback, so students regularly self- assess and measure mastery toward learning targets, set goals, and plan for next steps.
• reflect on student progress throughout the lesson and unit in order to adjust instruction for student needs.
• collaborate in PLCs to discuss evidence of student progress, celebrate successes, determine reteaching needs, and develop strategies for differentiation.
• administer common district assessments and utilize historical assessment data to drive planning and inform instruction to improve student outcomes.
   

Learning Environments encompass the culture, relationships, space and resources within safe communities that foster purposeful engagement and authentic experiences for teachers and students.

Northwest ISD teachers...

• build systems and routines to create structures that ensure student responsibility, ownership, and independence.
• establish relationships with students and create safe and culturally responsive environments of inclusivity, equity, and accountability for learning.
• establish norms that encourage risk-taking, resilience, collaboration, and respect for thinking by aligning lessons to the vision of the NISD SEL Framework.
• build learning communities that engage in authentic learning experiences through rigorous academic expectations to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of each student.
• select and use resources that are relevant, actively engage students, support social-emotional needs, and embrace diverse cultures.