Framework
The What Matters Most framework identifies those areas that, when addressed properly, are most likely to have positive effects on student success. They are high-leverage, high-pay-off areas for school systems.
- Guarantee challenging, engaging, and intentional instruction. At the core of effective systems are teachers who challenge students, develop positive relationships with them, and are intentional in their use of a broad repertoire of teaching strategies.
- Ensure curricular pathways to success. High-performing systems guarantee that every student, in every classroom, no matter what the aspirations, is provided with both challenging and personalized learning experiences that prepare each of them for life success.
- Provide whole-child student supports. Setting high expectations requires providing students with the scaffolding they need to succeed—a just-in-time, personalized response to students’ cognitive, psychosocial, and academic needs.
- Create high-performance school cultures. Effective schools ensure high-quality learning experiences in every classroom. At the same time, they develop a culture of high expectations for learning and behavior, which is an even more powerful predictor of student success than socioeconomic status.
- Develop data-driven, high-reliability systems. High-performing school systems put data systems and processes in place to ensure high-quality learning experiences for all students, as well as real-time responses to student failures.
