Earlier notions of creating a "teacher-proof" curriculum - a curriculum so flawless that anyone could teach it - have long since been discredited. There is now a large body of research that demonstrates what parents and students have long known: Good teaching is essential to student achievement. Conversely, ineffective teaching can undo even the most thoughtfully planned curriculum.

Leaders of schools that have improved student achievement on standards-based assessments note that it is imperative to focus on instruction. Even accomplished, veteran teachers can improve and expand their range of teaching techniques. Carefully examining the way curriculum is delivered in the classroom never fails to pay off. Thus, it is crucial for school leaders to work with teachers to examine the instructional strategies that teachers use in the classroom.

Challenges related to instruction include adapting instructional strategies to meet the needs of all students, creating professional development opportunities so that teachers expand their portfolio of instructional strategies, and determining whether specific instructional strategies are working

Here are some resources to help school leaders meet these challenges.

Resources

What Works in Classroom Instruction, by Robert J. Marzano, Barbara B. Gaddy, and Ceri Dean

A Theory-Based Meta-Analysis of Research on Instruction, by Robert J. Marzano and John S. Kendall

Including At-Risk Students in Standards-Based Reform: A Report on McREL's Diversity Roundtable II