Instruction Cluster of the Quality Indicator Map

The goals expressed in DoDEA’s Community Strategic Plan (CSP) and educational research provide the basis for the Quality Indicator Map (QI Map) which is divided into four main areas called clusters.  The Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Environment clusters were selected based on the relevance these areas have in implementing standards-based programs.

Instruction is the methods and strategies used to teach the curriculum. Students are taught in ways that respond to their needs, are standards-based, and are developmentally appropriate.  The components of the Instruction Cluster are:

  • I-1.  Teaching practices reflect high expectations for student achievement of the standards.
  • I-2.  Students are meaningfully engaged throughout the learning process.
  • I-3.  Students have multiple and varied opportunities to meet/exceed the standards.
  • I-4.  Varied questioning strategies are used to support student learning.
  • I-5.  Varied and flexible groupings are used to assist students in achieving/exceeding the standards.
  • I-6.  Varied teaching strategies are used to support inquiry, higher order thinking, and problem solving.
  • I-7.  Technology is meaningfully integrated throughout instruction to support student achievement of the standards.

Each component (best practice) of the QI Map identifies several dimensions of the best practice which are outlined in the QI Map so you can see the layout of the elements and the continuum. Moving from left to right the quality indicators increase in complexity and rigor. Implementation is the standard level of performance that we wish to obtain for all programs and classroom. Innovation will evolve from committed and talented teachers given the resources to achieve.

The terms used to identify each level of the continuum are:  

  • Initiation  -  The beginning stages of using a practice.
  • Involvement - Limited use and or partial implementation.
  • Implementation - Fully functioning and meeting expectations.
  • Innovation - Exemplary level of use with additional creative enhancement of the practice.
Instruction Cluster Continuum
  Initiation Involvement Implementation Innovation
I-1.  Teaching practices reflect high expectations for student achievement of the standards.
  • The teacher reminds students to try their best to succeed.
  • Quality work is rarely displayed or discussed.
  • The teacher encourages students to work hard and put forth their best effort.
  • At lease one example of quality work is provided with limited discussion of how/why the example meets standards.
  • The teacher demonstrates high expectations for all students and constructs opportunities that promote student perseverance and confidence.
  • Multiple examples and modeling of quality work are provided with teacher comments highlighting important evidence of meeting/exceeding standards.
  • The teacher conveys high expectations for all students, promotes confidence, and assists students in developing their own goals.
  • Multiple examples and modeling of quality work are provided which display diverse ways to be successful and with teacher comments highlighting evidence of meeting/exceeding standards.
I-2.  Students are meaningfully engaged throughout the learning process.
  • The teacher directs all aspects of the learning process.
  • Students have limited types of learning activities. Students demonstrate minimal sharing and lack attention to classroom instruction.
  • Only some students are directly engaged in learning activities.
  • Others seem unclear about requirements for learning assignments or are disengaged.
  • The teacher seeks to motivate students primarily through rewards and maintaining a teacher-centered classroom.
  • The teacher routinely involves the same students in class discussions that are related to the standards.
  • Students receive information in a passive mode.
  • Students are actively engaged in learning, only some of which is directly related to standards.
  • The teacher provides a motivating climate that enhances student interest and engagement in learning activities.
  • The teacher establishes an engaging and high academic learning environment to meet the standards and emphasizes the meaningfulness of the material.
  • Students are provided a variety of opportunities and choices to demonstrate their knowledge.
  • Students are engaged in productive learning activities related to standards.
  • The teacher creates a motivating climate that enhances student interest and engagement in activities, providing for student input in designing learning activities.
  • Teachers and students equally contribute to maintaining the highest level of meaningful engagement to meet or exceed standards. The teacher consistently interacts with all students for input and explanations.
  • Students are engaged in productive learning activities directly connected to meeting/exceeding standards.
I-3.  Students have multiple and varied opportunities to meet/exceed the standards.
  • The teacher rarely deviates from a particular way of presentation (i.e. lecture, centers) and students have limited types of learning activities.
  • The teacher tells students to seek help when they need it.
  • The teacher provides individual assistance when requested.
  • The teacher identifies students in need of extra help when requested to do so by other educators in the school.
  • Students participate in learning activities that are only related to textbook materials/information.
  • The teacher and students focus on a narrow area of learning without connecting new knowledge and skills to prior learning.
  • The teacher uses a limited number of teaching strategies* and learning activities to impart information or teach skills.
  • The teacher plans for accommodations for a few students with identified needs (special education, ESL, gifted) to assist them in meeting/exceeding standards.
  • The teacher identifies students in need of extra help and makes attempts to seek additional support for their learning.
  • Students participate in learning activities that are connected to standards.
  • Students participate in activities that require them to make connections to prior knowledge, experience, and skills.
  • The teacher uses multiple teaching strategies* and learning activities to help students to meet/exceed the standards.
  • The teacher makes changes in learning activities to address varying needs of all students, including those with identified needs (special education, ESL, gifted), assisting them in meeting/exceeding standards.
  • The teacher adjusts his/her role and uses the support available from other adults in the school community to help students in meeting/exceeding standards.
  • Students participate in learning activities that address essential questions and key concepts related to the standards.
  • Students apply prior knowledge, experience, and skills from multiple sources to develop new understandings.
  • The teacher regularly matches teaching strategies* and learning activities to student needs to ensure all students meet/exceed standards.
  • The teacher plans standards-based instruction that provides for various ways to address the specific and changing needs of students.
  • The teacher adjusts his/her role and seeks additional support (guiding, tutoring, mentoring, modeling, and reteaching) from other adults to assist students in meeting/exceeding standards.
  • Students participate in extended investigations that address essential questions and key concepts related to the standards.
  • Students apply prior knowledge, experience, and skills from multiple sources to integrate new learning with existing knowledge.
I-4.  Varied questioning strategies are used to support student learning.
  • The teacher uses a question and answer format, generally directing questions to individual students.
  • The teacher generally asks questions that require one-word or limited responses.
  • Students generally ask questions only to clarify procedures or ask for directions.
  • The teacher poses questions related to the content area, encouraging all students to respond and elaborate.
  • Questions focus on basic knowledge and recall, summarizing basic facts and information addressed in the lesson.
  • Students generally ask questions about areas of personal interest or to clarify procedures or ask for directions.
  • The teacher poses open-ended questions related to the content area that require students to reason and respond thoughtfully.
  • Questions focus on responses that require students to make a connection, support a hypothesis, consider possibilities, or summarize understandings.
  • Students are asked to elaborate on responses or respond to other students’ questions and comments.
  • Students generate relevant questions that extend learning.
  • The teacher and students share responsibility for posing higher level thinking questions engaging in authentic dialogue.
  • Students are well prepared to engage in meaningful dialogue about the topic.
  • The dialogue reflects student engagement in making inferences, developing hypotheses, synthesizing understandings, considering possibilities, and making connections to prior learning and other content areas.
  • Students deepen their understanding of the standards through dialogue.
  • The discussion itself becomes the vehicle for questions.
I-5.  Varied and flexible groupings are used to assist students in achieving/exceeding the standards.
  • The teacher uses textbook materials and lecture format to guide student investigations.
  • Students are engaged in recalling and summarizing information.
  • The teacher limits investigations to one-time independent projects such as science share or invention convention.
  • Projects are not directly related to current standards being addressed.
  • Students display their completed projects. Students can follow and describe the project guidelines.
  • The teacher engages students in some inquiry-based experiences related to content areas.
  • Students follow defined steps and procedures to complete investigations.
  • The teacher limits explorations to those defined in the lesson plan and those that have limited responses/solutions.
  • Students record their results. Students can articulate the steps they followed to complete the activity but cannot explain the key questions, concepts, results.
  • The teacher provides frequent opportunities for inquiry-based experiences.
  • Students engage in careful observations, reasoning, critical thinking, collaboration, reflection, and testing of their ideas and then choose ways to communicate findings.
  • The teacher engages students in first-hand inquiry, using real data, primary sources, and interactive materials in the investigations.
  • Students share their work/findings with each other.
  • Students can explain their thinking processes.
  • The teacher encourages students to identify meaningful questions, issues, and problems to be solved.
  • Students make connections across content areas in the inquiry process.
  • Students work with the teacher to identify important questions to be explored. They use first-hand inquiry, generating real data, using primary source, prior work of others, and interactive materials in the investigations.
  • Student investigators share their work/ findings with interested audiences (i.e. experts, older classes, mentors, interest groups) for presenting the results of the inquiry.
  • Students can articulate the thinking patterns used in constructing their knowledge.
I-6.  Varied teaching strategies are used to support inquiry, higher order thinking, and problem solving.
  • The teacher provides most instruction to the whole group.
  • When groups are formed, they are generally unchanging.
  • Student group work is provided to facilitate tasks rather than build group cohesion.
  • The teacher generally groups students only by size (i.e. one-on-one, small group, whole class) rather than for differentiating learning tasks or grouping by interest/choice or need.
  • Students in groups work more as individuals than as a team.
  • Individuals are not held accountable for the group effort.
  • The teacher uses a variety of flexible instructional groupings to match student learning needs.
  • Groups at times reflect student choices and interests.
  • Each student is expected to contribute productively to the group, with each student held accountable for their work.
  • The teacher varies the grouping of students according to individual learning needs, interests, and styles.
  • The composition of student groups is dynamic and often reflects student input.
  • Students are actively involved in the groupings, self-monitor their productivity, are individually accountable, and coach each other to meet the established standards.
I-7.  Technology is meaningfully integrated throughout instruction to support student achievement of the standards.
  • The teacher uses a limited number of technology applications for students with no direct connections to standards.
  • The teacher makes limited use of technology in presenting lessons and providing learning activities.
  • The teacher allows student access to computers for word processing and/or limited use of selected software programs.
  • Students’ use of technology is minimal.
  • The teacher occasionally modifies lesson plans to include technology in meeting/exceeding standards.
  • The teacher previews and selects specific software and technology for use in delivering instruction and providing learning activities.
  • The teacher provides content specific programs and technology tools for some assignments.
  • All students use similar technology tools and resources.
  • The teacher plans technology-rich experiences in support of standards-based instruction.
  • The teacher integrates the use of multiple delivery methods with technology, including multimedia and computer video presentations, to engage students in learning.
  • The teacher selects specific programs and activities and encourages student use of assistive technology tools, programs, and internet resources in support of the needs of diverse learners in various content areas.
  • Students are directed to use technology for assignments related to communication, research, design, and work products.
  • The teacher creates an environment where technology is used effortlessly as a tool in support of learning.
  • The teacher seeks out new technology and determines appropriate uses for presentations and learning activities in support of student learning.
  • The teacher modifies learning activities and content for select students, using assistive technology tools, programs, and internet resources.
  • Students are able to select the appropriate technology tool for a variety of tasks/projects related to communication, research, design, problem-solving, and creative products.

* Examples of teaching strategies:

  • Varied styles of presentation of content
  • Varied ways for students to access to knowledge
  • Differing learning activities
  • Independent and collaborative learning opportunities
  • Alternatives for integrating new learning with prior knowledge skills and understandings
  • Time for inquiry learning and reflection

Curriculum Cluster | Assessment Cluster   |  Environment Cluster   |  Return to QI Map overview

 

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