Power Walkthrough helps N.J. principals become “true instructional leaders”

The Challenge

Millville Public Schools in Millville, New Jersey, had conducted observation walkthroughs for several years, but the district wasn't getting a complete picture on the quality of instruction students were receiving—in particular, whether teachers were teaching higher-order thinking skills. In order to have more meaningful conversations with teachers, principals needed a system that focused on the use of instructional strategies and allowed them to collect data that could be easily exported into reports.

Strategic Solution

The district chose McREL's Power Walkthrough software because of its efficiency and multi-purpose features, as well as its accompanying professional development. At the beginning of the 2010–2011 school year, principals practiced walkthroughs using their iPods or iPads. They then discussed the results and their progress while establishing inter-rater reliability to ensure accuracy and consistency. By February, the district was officially conducting walkthroughs, with principals agreeing to perform 10 per week, while attending regular meetings with superintendents and other principals to share what they were finding.

Results

The district's use of Power Walkthrough has not only increased the instruction of higher-order thinking skills in classrooms, but has also encouraged teachers to use other strategies, such as whole-group instruction and cooperative learning. According to Assistant Superintendent Judith Koru, Power Walkthrough has generated much-needed discussions about effective instruction, and some teachers have even created a Classroom Instruction That Works book club and blog about the strategies. Koru says, "This is the first time all our administrators are trained in a common language and know what to look for in instruction. This has made them true instructional leaders."

Next Steps

Due to its success with Power Walkthrough in identifying, evaluating, and developing higher order thinking skills, the district plans on using the software to improve other areas of instruction and use the data collected to determine upcoming professional development needs. Power Walkthrough has given them a way to educate and communicate with everyone in the school­—teachers, principals, administrators, even students—on the importance of identifying and using research-based instructional strategies.