Instructional Rounds and Professional Standards for Educational Leaders

Instructional Rounds and Professional Standards for Educational Leaders

 Marzano (2011) states the main purpose of instructional rounds is to observe and compare instructional practices with other teachers’ instructional designs. Research has shown instructional rounds improve instructors’ pedagogical skills, create a collaborative environment, and enhance self-efficacy (Widener, 2014). Instructional rounds focus on three components for improvement: a network of educators, classroom observation, and improvement strategies (City, 2011). Each element allows instructors to establish and achieve set goals to enhance students’ skills and knowledge. Therefore, instructional rounds must hold the highest standards available to ensure each instructor is producing a worthy education. The standards included in the paper are from the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (2015) for instructional leaders that are conducting instructional rounds.

Standard 1. Upholding Shared Values

 Common core values promote collaboration between instructions to learn a procedure that encourages success among students. The Professional Standards for Educational Leaders standard 1 (2015) connects to shared values within a school district by developing common objectives for educators and students to achieve a rich and valuable education. In instructional rounds, common perceptions may increase the achievement rate to succeed set goals. For instance, when instructors from the same field observe and compare instructional planning, instructors may provide valuable feedback to support inspiration. Additionally, instructional rounds assist in promoting shared values to develop a plan that supports active learning. Huffman (2003) concluded that incorporating shared values impacts students’ success and school improvement. Therefore, shared values incorporate instructional rounds by establishing insights on collaborative strategies that support schools’ visions.

Standard 4. Promoting Rigorous Instructional Practice

 Challenging instructional strategies ensure students are active and engaged in the curriculum. Cook (2013) state that students challenged with a rigorous curriculum promote academic achievement and increase potential. The Professional Standards for Educational Leaders standard 4 (2015) encourages instructional strategies to include authentic student experience, individualized learning, intellectually challenging, and identify students’ strengths. Therefore, Professional Standards for Educational Leaders standard 4 (2015) connects to instructional rounds by ensuring instructors are providing an instructional design that strives for confidence and potential among students. For instance, during instructional rounds, an instructional leader may provide feedback on strategies that encourage students to critically think about solutions. Additionally, instructional rounds support challenging instructional practice to prepare students for college and career readiness. Shuptrine (2013) conclude challenged-based learning improves students’ problem-solving skills to increase readiness after schooling. Thus, challenging instructional practice associates to instructional rounds by encourage instructors to identify strategies that may improve students’ critical thinking skills. In which may enhance students’ readiness for life outside secondary schooling.

Standard 6. Individualized Instructions

 Individualized learning targets students’ needs to progress in the learning experience (Oswalt, n.d.). Muse (1998) discovered students that were receiving an individualized instructional environment achieve higher academic performance compared to students in a non-individualized instruction learning environment. The Professional Standards for Educational Leaders Standard 6 (2015) supports individualized instructions to improve and achieve objectives planned for each student. Moreover, Professional Standards for Educational Leaders standard 6 (2015) correlates with instructional rounds by promoting instructors to identify students individual needs to provide additional assistance in struggling areas. For example, instructional rounds allow instructors to specifically identify the strengths and weaknesses of students to discover alternative ways to enhance students’ strengths and improve students’ weaknesses. Furthermore, instructional rounds promote individualized instructions by incorporating an active learning environment where students may focus on their envisioned goals. Cox (n.d.) describes how individualized instruction strategies are essential to include support and guidance to assist students’ comprehension skills. Therefore, individualized instructions relate to instructional rounds by ensuring instructors are gathering the appropriate materials needed to meet the needs of students.

Standard 9. Educational Resources to Support Instructional Practice

 Educational resources are various tools that support and promote an education that encourages active learning. For example, books, games, news, presentations, graphic novels, and many more are resources that educators may utilize in the classroom (What are learning resources, n.d.). Busljeta (2013) discovered that educational resources develop different skills and achieve a desirable attitude and values toward individual goals. In the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders standard 9 (2015) promotes educational resources that may inspire students to increase knowledge, accept positive attitudes, and adopt various skills. Furthermore, Professional Standards for Educational Leaders standard 9 (2015) connects to learning resources by seeking additional resources for students to enhance knowledge and skills. For instance, when instructional rounds occur, the instructor must evaluate the resources used in instructional plan. While observing in the instructional rounds, instructors may identify specific resources needed to advance students’ comprehension skills. s Therefore, educational resources correlate to instructional rounds by ensuring instructors incorporating resources that enrich students learning experience and significantly increase student achievement.

Conclusion

 Each of these standards encourages educators conducting instructional rounds to observe and challenge each aspect of the used materials in the classroom. The standards describe how instructors should include valuable items that promote and support active learning among students. Kelly (2017) describes how standards are vital for academic performance by developing instruction, curriculum, and assessments that assess and define the level of students’ education. Thus, displaying multiple opportunities to achieve a higher potential that shows mastery in the content. Furthermore, standards connect to instructional rounds by providing measurable goals, assessing achievement, and informing instruction plans to educators.

References

Busljeta, R. (2013). Effective use of teaching and learning resources, Czech-Polish Historical and Pedagogical Journal, 5(2), 55-69. Retrieved from https://www.ped.muni.cz/cphpjournal/520132/06.pdf

Cook, E. (2013). A rigorous curriculum really matters. Principal Leadership, 13(8), 36-40. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/15121118/A_Rigorous_Curriculum_Really_Matters

Cox, J. (n.d.). Teaching strategies for individualized instruction. Retrieved from https://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies-individualized-instruction

Huffman, J. (2003). The role of shared values and vision in creating professional learning communities. Sage Journals, 87(637), 21-34. Retrieved fromhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/019263650308763703

Kelly, D. (2017). 3 reasons standards are essential to educational success [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.apexlearning.com/blog/3-reasons-standards-are-essential-to-educational-success

Marzano, R. J. (2011). The art & science of teaching/ making the most of instructional rounds. Teaching Screenagers, 68(5), 80-82. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/Making-the-Most-of-Instructional-Rounds.aspx

Muse, F. M. (1998). A look at the benefits of individualized instruction in a juvenile training school setting: How continuous progress accelerates students’ performance. Journal of Correctional Education, 49(2), 73-80. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23292236.pdf?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Mission, vision, and core values (Standard No. 1). Retrieved from http://npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-Standards-for-Educational-Leaders_2015.pdf

National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Curriculum, instruction, and assessment (Standard No. 4). Retrieved fromhttp://npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-Standards-for-Educational-Leaders_2015.pdf

National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Professional capacity of school personnel (Standard No. 6). Retrieved from http://npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-Standards-for-Educational-Leaders_2015.pdf

National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Operations and management (Standard No. 9). Retrieved from http://npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-Standards-for-Educational-Leaders_2015.pdf

Osewalt, G. (n.d.). Individualized instruction vs. differentiated instruction. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childs-school/instructional-strategies/individualized-instruction-vs-differentiated-instruction

Right, J. (n.d.). The importance of learning materials in teaching. Retrieved from https://www.theclassroom.com/importance-learning-materials-teaching-6628852.html

Shuptrine, C. (2013). Improving college and career readiness through challenge-based learning. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 6(2), 181-188. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1073224.pdf

What are learning resources? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://publishers.org/our-markets/prek-12-learning/what-are-learning-resources

Widener, M. B. (2014). The impact of instructional rounds professional development on teacher self-efficacy (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved fromhttps://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/53025969.pdf