Touchstones
By looking at the best of what works in classrooms, schools, and after-school programs, as well as what works for at-risk students and school and district leaders, we’ve identified principles for changing the odds for students. Like the touchstones of old—black quartz tablets used to test the purity of precious metals—educators should continually return to these “touchstones” to gauge the merit and value of their endeavors.
| What matters Most |
Touchstones |
| Guarantee challenging, engaging, and intentional instruction |
Teachers must focus on
- Setting high expectations and delivering challenging instruction.
- Fostering engaging learning environments and meaningful relations with students.
- Intentionally matching instructional strategies to learning goals.
|
| Ensure curricular pathways to success |
School systems must focus on
- Providing all students with high-expectations curricula.
- Providing all students with personalized learning opportunities.
|
| Provide whole-child student supports |
School leaders must focus on
- Providing real-time supports in keeping with the ounce-of-prevention principle.
- Addressing the deep causes of student performance: home environment, prior knowledge, interest and motivation.
|
| Create high-performance school cultures |
School leaders must focus on
- Raising the quality and reducing the variance among classrooms within the school.
- Creating a school culture of high expectations for academics and behavior.
|
| Develop data-driven, high-reliability district systems |
School systems must focus on
- Setting clear, "no excuses" goals for teaching and learning.
- Attending to the "core" business of schooling: great teachers and teaching.
- Developing a healthy preoccupation with failure, prevention, and intervention.
|
