1. Instructional Decision Making
Guiding Questions

2. Questions = Continuous Improvement

3. Common Steps for Each Cycle
Assessing Needs
What is the situation and why is it happening?
Planning
What should we do?
Implementation
Are we implementing as planned?
Evaluation
Did our plan work?

4. Core Cycle 1. Is the core program sufficient?
2. If the core is not sufficient, why isn’t core sufficient?
5. Have improvements to the core been effective?
3. How will needs identified in core be addressed?
4. How will the sufficiency and effectiveness of the core program be monitored over time?

5. Supplemental Cycle
6. For which students is the core program sufficient and not sufficient and why?
7. What specific supplemental instruction is needed?
8. How will specific supplemental instruction be delivered?
10. Which students need to move to a different level of instruction?
9. How will the effectiveness of supplemental instruction be monitored?

6. Intensive Cycle
11. For which students is the core or supplemental instruction sufficient and not sufficient? If not, why not?
12. What specific intensive instruction is needed
13. How will specific intensive instruction be delivered?
15. Which students need to move to a different level of instruction?
14.How will effectiveness of intensive instruction be monitored?

7. Core Cycle Remember the Core Cycle 1. Is the core program sufficient?
2. If the core is not sufficient, why isn’t core sufficient?
5. Have improvements to the core been effective?
3. How will needs identified in core be addressed?
4. How will the sufficiency and effectiveness of the core program be monitored over time?

8. Question 1: Is our core program sufficient?
Step 1: Identify screening tool(s)
Step 2: Identify proficiency cut points for
identified tools
Step 3: Collect universal screening data
Step 4: Enter, organize, summarize data
At this point, you may need to make some adjustments to your core program if it is not sufficient for “enough” students.

9. Question 1: Is our core program sufficient?
Step 5: What percentage of proficiency
is acceptable?
Step 6: What percentage of our students are proficient and not proficient?
Step 7: Make Comparison
Step 8: Fork in the Road - What work, if
any, do we need to do with our Core
programming?
At this point, you may need to make some adjustments to your core program if it is not sufficient for “enough” students.

10. Core Program Core Program
Question 2: If the core is not sufficient, why isn’t core sufficient?
Step 1: Review Assessment
Step 2: Review Instruction
Step 3: Review Curriculum/Standards
Step 4: Review CIA Alignment
Step 5: Consider other distal factors

11. Review Assessment
Assessment: Measuring or judging the learning and performance of students.
Consider:
Do you have three types of assessment?
Do you have a data system that is easy to use and is someone using it?
Is your data used for instructional decisions/guiding instruction?
Are assessments technically adequate?

12. Review Instruction Instruction: How the curriculum is taught.
Consider:
What tools, methods and strategies are used to deliver the instruction?
Are SBR practices used?
Adequate time? (Efficiency and Effectiveness)
What evidence indicates teachers are following the Iowa Teaching Standards?
Is there evidence that instruction is driven by data?

13. Review Curriculum/Standards
Curriculum is the body of knowledge that all students are expected to learn. Curriculum can be specific knowledge and learning processes. Curriculum is defined in district standards and benchmarks.
Consider:
Are the Big Ideas (Important concepts, knowledge and skills) covered in the written curriculum and taught curriculum?
Is the curriculum driven by the standards/benchmarks?
Is there breadth and depth to the curriculum across grade levels?

14. Review CIA Alignment
Alignment is the degree to which the individual parts of an educational system fit together, with each other and as a whole.
Check alignment across curriculum, instruction, assessment and standards
Check vertical alignment (the match across grades in one component)
Check horizontal alignment (the degree of alignment across two or more components within the same grade.

15. Consider Other Factors
Professional Development
Leadership/ Supervision
Internal Communication
Culture and Climate
External Environment
Stakeholders
Resources
Technology
Accountability

16. Core Program Core Program
Question 3: How will needs identified in core be addressed?
Step 1: Determine needs
Step 2: Identify resources/training needed to address identified needs.
Step 3: Develop an action plan
Step 4: Implement the plan.
Step 5: Evaluate the impact of the plan on your core program.

17. Core Program
Question 4: How will the sufficiency and effectiveness of the core program be monitored over time?
Step 1: What are the key indicators of success?
Step 2: What is baseline performance?
Step 3: What is the desired goal?
Step 4: Determine your data collection plan.
Step 5: Make decisions about sufficiency and effectiveness of the core.

18. Core Program Question 5: Have improvements to the core been effective?
Step 1: Consider student achievement data (Screening)
Step 2: Compare current with baseline data
Step 3: Consider implementation data
Step 4: Make decision about effectiveness
Step 5: Begin needs assessment again