What is High Quality Instruction?
At Houston ISD, we believe high-quality instruction is the foundation of student success. High-quality instruction is at the heart of how we empower our educators, and it’s how we’re preparing Houston’s students for the opportunities of the future.
High-quality instruction means more than just delivering a lesson. It’s about creating learning environments where every student is actively thinking, problem-solving, and making connections to the world around them. When instruction is excellent, students grow faster, feel more confident, enjoy school more, and are better prepared for the future.
The Key Elements of High-Quality Instruction
- Clear Learning Goals
- Students know what they are learning and why it matters, with clear expectations that help students stay on track.
- Strong Student Engagement
- Students are listening, discussing what they heard, solving problems, and applying what they learned.
- Purposeful, Challenging Lessons
- Every lesson is thoughtfully planned, uses high-quality materials, and challenges students to think critically.
- Frequent Checks for Understanding
- Teachers regularly check to make sure students are comprehending the lesson and adjust their teaching in real time.
- Support for Every Learner
- Teachers provide extra help to students who need it and extend learning for those who are ready to advance.
How HISD Supports High-Quality Instruction
HISD is focused on developing teachers on every campus. We invest in high-quality professional development, consistent on-the-job coaching, and clear, actionable feedback to help teachers continuously grow in their practice. Our approach emphasizes instructional excellence grounded in state standards and research-based strategies that drive student achievement. In every school, principals are trained to be strong instructional leaders who support teacher development, monitor progress in classrooms, and hold high expectations for student learning. By building a culture of accountability and support, we are creating the conditions for effective teaching and learning in every single HISD classroom.
Briscoe Elementary follows the HISD curriculum and incorporates components of the New Education Schools System (NES) with fidelity to increase student achievement.
High-quality instruction refers to teaching practices and strategies that effectively engage students, promote deep learning, and support academic achievement. Here are some key components of high-quality instruction:
1. Clear Learning Objectives: Teachers articulate clear learning objectives for each lesson or unit, so students know what they're expected to learn.
2. Differentiated Instruction: Teachers differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of students, providing multiple pathways for learning and opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding.
3. Active Engagement: Instruction actively engages students in the learning process through hands-on activities, discussions, collaboration, problem-solving tasks, and other interactive experiences.
4. Feedback and Assessment: Teachers provide timely, specific, and constructive feedback to students to help them monitor their progress and improve their learning.
5. Scaffolding: Teachers provide scaffolding to support students as they develop new skills and concepts, gradually releasing responsibility as students become more proficient.
6. Higher-Order Thinking: Instruction encourages students to engage in higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and synthesis, rather than just memorization or rote learning.
7. Collaborative Learning: Instruction incorporates opportunities for collaborative learning, where students work together to solve problems, discuss ideas, and learn from each other.
8. Technology Integration: Instruction leverages technology as a tool to enhance learning experiences, provide access to resources, and facilitate communication and collaboration.
9. Classroom Management: Effective classroom management ensures that the learning environment is conducive to learning, with clear expectations, routines, and procedures in place.
Overall, high-quality instruction is student-centered, engaging, and effective in fostering deep understanding, critical thinking, and a love of learning. It is grounded in research-based practices and responsive to the needs and interests of students.
HISD READY CHARACTERISTICS
At Briscoe all teachers:
- use positive reinforcement at all times
- are prepared and have the lesson objective and DOL up before the start of each class
- plan and use objectives and DOLs aligned with the curriculum calendars
- deliver lessons that include reading, writing, computing, thinking or discussions 95% of the time.
- teach with energy and bring the lessons to life
- facilitate smooth transitions
- teach bell to bell
- manage the classroom well, ensuring students follow the three rules of the school: respect the teacher, respect the learning of others, and do not engage in bullying
- teach grade-level content to every student every day
- push rigor and relevance
- use a lot of visuals
- use a timer
- collaborate with your colleagues.
MULTIPLE RESPONSE STRATEGIES (MRS)_IN ALL CONTENT AREAS
A multiple response strategy is a student engagement technique that requires 100% of all students in the class to respond to a prompt or question from the teacher numerous times throughout the lesson.
Eight key MRS strategies include:
- Think-pair-share
- Table Talk
- Response Card
- Whip-around
- Modified Whip-Around
- Quick Response
- Oral/Choral Response
- White Boards