Improving Instructional Quality in Jewish Day Schools and Yeshivot ...

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Developing curriculum at the planning stage involves determiningprior knowledge and skills of learners, establishing instructionaloutcomes, and reviewing appropriate resources and materials. Asteachers and principals plan together at this stage, they reflect on theteaching and learning process. During a grade conference, forexample, teachers and principal can examine mandated curricula butstill be free to develop and match instructional objectives with learnerneeds and abilities. Curricular modifications at this stage are possibleand indeed recommended to plan for the most meaningful unit ofinstruction possible. Instructional practices, for instance, in aninclusive classroom will differ dramatically from a more homogenousgrouping of students. During this stage, teachers and principal canreview availability of appropriate resources and materials that supportinstruction. They can also address possible teaching strategies andactivities, goals and objectives, assessment procedures (always keepingthe end in mind), content or subject matter, and standards that mustbe met. Principals play a key role in this opening step of thecurriculum development process as they challenge and lead teachersto consider:• Content matched to the developmental level of students• Prerequisite knowledge and skills before undertaking a newunit of instruction• Inductive and deductive teaching approaches• Selection and appropriateness of learning experiences• Sequencing of learning experiences• Selection and appropriateness of assessment instrumentsBeach and Reinhartz (2000) remind us that “the success of thecurriculum depends on the quality of planning and the decisions thatteachers make as they prepare for instruction” (p. 201).During the second step of the curriculum development process,plans are implemented. Teaching is the process of implementingcurricular plans. Curriculum and teaching are conceived as very muchinterrelated. During this step, teachers present their lessons usingappropriate and varied strategies and activities. Teachers also modelskills and monitor student progress (see Figure 4).64
The third step of assessing teaching and learning is criticallyimportant. If students are not learning, the curriculum developmentprocess requires modifications. Perhaps instructional objectives needreconsideration, teaching strategies may need revision, or reteachingand review may be necessary. Leaders can also assist teachers byengaging them in informal and formal conversations about units ofinstruction. They can assist teachers in gathering learning data from avariety of sources beyond the traditional pencil and paper test.Alternative forms of assessment are shared with teachers that mayinclude, among others, student portfolios that include work samplesand journal writing.Best Practice #5: Understand How to Design Quality CurriculumGlatthorn (2000a, pp. 11-12) highlights several guidelines fordeveloping quality curriculum, some of which are reviewed below:1) Structure the curriculum to allow for greater depth and lesssuperficial coverage. Teachers should engage students inmeaningful and detailed lessons that involve problem-solvingprojects and activities and critical thinking teaching strategies.Such activities and strategies form the basis for any topic to becovered during the course of the school year. Rather thanrushing to “cover” topics or “teaching for the test,” teachersshould give students the problem solving and critical thinkingskills that they, on their own, can apply to any topic. “Just as itmakes no sense to try to teach factual content without givingstudents opportunities to practice using it, it also makes nosense to try to teach critical thinking devoid of factualcontent” (Willingham, 2007, p. 9).2) Structure and deliver the curriculum so that it facilitates themastery of essential skills and knowledge of the subjects.Providing students a rich and deep knowledge base is primarybut should be incorporated with problem solving strategiesthat are realistic and meaningful to students.3) Structure the curriculum so that it is closely coordinated.Coordinating content within lessons and among units over thecourse of the school year is imperative so that curriculum issequential and well organized.65
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Improving InstructionalQuality in J
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Appendix C: Assessing Your Role as
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others, involved in a cognate enter
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Weissberg, Walberg, & Wang., 2004).
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all. “We are never asked for what
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administrator. He was well-organize
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Sartoris, DiPrima Bickel, & Garnier
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grade conferences, etc., effective
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school’s teaching practices, the
Page 20 and 21: een made in the areas of science an
Page 22 and 23: learning is more likely to occur th
Page 24 and 25: content, and the need to ensure tha
Page 26 and 27: pattern.] I didn’t really realize
Page 28 and 29: constraints, increase in administra
Page 30 and 31: The Transformational Change Project
Page 32 and 33: that are not strategic, but episodi
Page 34 and 35: my personal involvement in work wit
Page 36 and 37: schools to even greater levels of s
Page 38 and 39: was: “Well, you know, finding tim
Page 40 and 41: called direct teaching), although e
Page 42 and 43: surprised when no one can answer
Page 44 and 45: RecommendationsI. Teaching1. Teache
Page 46 and 47: standards,” a significant opportu
Page 48 and 49: decide on an area or theme they’d
Page 50 and 51: • Reflective journaling - Another
Page 52 and 53: 3. Deep instructional improvement v
Page 54 and 55: Instructional leadership is about e
Page 56 and 57: 76). Teachers who employ instructio
Page 58 and 59: short answers to two questions. The
Page 60 and 61: may become involved in cooperative
Page 62 and 63: utilized within a differentiated le
Page 64 and 65: Research-Based Teaching Practices i
Page 66 and 67: curriculum? Schools, in my view, to
Page 68 and 69: learning objectives have been ident
Page 72 and 73: 4) Emphasize both the academic and
Page 74 and 75: An Overview of Best Practices in Su
Page 76 and 77: with practices best suited to promo
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Page 80 and 81: • Ongoing - Too much of professio
Page 82 and 83: to do so. In fact, utilizing in-sch
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Page 88 and 89: Leadership is predicated on the fou
Page 90 and 91: Citing Jim Collins (2002 cited by F
Page 92 and 93: Notes1. Before continuing, I sugges
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Page 96 and 97: throughs, explains that according t
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Page 100 and 101: AcknowledgementsI thank all the ind
Page 102 and 103: Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and
Page 104 and 105: Burke, P. J., & Krey, R. D. (2005).
Page 106 and 107: Downey, C. J., Steffy, B. E., Posto
Page 108 and 109: Fullan, M. (2005). Leadership and s
Page 110 and 111: Good, T., & Brophy, J. E. (2007). L
Page 112 and 113: Johnson, C. C., & Fargo, J. D. (201
Page 114 and 115: Marzano, R. J., & Brown, J. L. (200
Page 116 and 117: Popham, W. J. (2008a). Classroom as
Page 118 and 119: Shapira-Lishchinsky, O. (2009). Isr
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Tschannen-Moran, M., & McMaster, P.
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Annotated Works on Instructional Le
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This volume is an inspiring introdu
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you want to learn how to teach stud
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AppendicesAppendix A: Instructional
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Suggested responses:1. To be effect
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Appendix C: Assessing Your Role as
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SA A D SD 3. My spoken language as
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Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
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SA A D SD 13. I have a well-defined
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SA A D SD 13. I rarely desire to se
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20. This is a well managed school.
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Appendix F: Teacher Attitude Questi
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41. My colleagues and I usually dis
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