Back to Basics: How Louisiana is Supporting School Improvement Through Best Practices

Now more than ever, district and school leaders are focused on school improvement. The list of possible solutions runs long, and often one of the most overlooked ideas is one of the most basic: instilling foundational strategies that support strong instruction. Rather than focusing attention on programs and initiatives, schools should turn their attention to strengthening the structures and systems we know are effective in improving school performance – or what we often call "best practices."

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) is focusing on best practices as the lever for school improvement and expanding access to training and support for the schools in most need. During the summer 2021, LDOE partnered with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) to launch the Best Practices for Louisiana Schools training series. The training was originally conceived for schools identified as Comprehensive Intervention Required (CIR) or Urgent Intervention Required - Academics (URI-A) sites. However, because best practices can help all educators excel no matter where they are, the training and support series has been made available to all schools in Louisiana, exemplifying Louisiana's commitment to essential practices and ensuring every student has the opportunity to be taught by an excellent teacher who is supported by an effective leader.

I fully plan to take the content that we were presented to ensure our ILT is effective in improving teacher collaboration and student achievement. From looking at the data, to the planning piece and individual growth plans, the content will be extremely helpful with us being successful.

Educator in Claiborne Parish

The Best Practices for Louisiana Schools series is designed to support school leaders in leveraging essential components that drive professional and student growth. Specifically, the training focuses on five best practices: Instructional Leadership Teams; Teacher Collaboration (Professional Learning Communities); Teaching and Learning Standards; Principal Standards; and Career Pipeline (Teacher Leadership). These foundational practices support professional learning and student growth, and build the capacity of Louisiana educators to enhance leadership through collaboration and professionalism. They have the power to both impact the current school year and build structures that accelerate that impact over time. 

Building Blocks for Success

What makes the Best Practices training so impactful is it equips educators to tailor proven practices to their school’s needs, and schools can select which practices they want to focus on – whether all five or just one or two. The sessions provide school leaders with the building blocks, and the school team – who attends the training together – determines where they want to go. Through these practices, all educators and their students reap the rewards of strong leadership practices, teacher collaboration, effective instructional practices, and career growth opportunities. Here is a brief overview of each Best Practice.

One of the most important building blocks covered in the training is developing an effective instructional leadership team (ILT). ILTs set the stage for schoolwide support, so it is vital that school teams know how to structure, plan, and implement effective leadership team meetings to address the challenges the school is facing and scale support for classroom teachers. In addition to developing a strong ILT, teacher collaboration or professional learning communities are also an essential component of school improvement. Participants learn how to structure, organize, and lead regularly scheduled professional development meetings so they can effectively plan, discuss, and assess lessons using high-quality curriculum. These two Best Practices – ILT and teacher collaboration – are required for all CIR and UIR-A schools.

I will be implementing what I learned the first week of school. I'm going to totally change the way I support teachers in and out of the classroom.

Educator in Lafayette Parish

The most extensive session of the series trains educators on NIET’s Teaching and Learning Standards, a holistic set of standards that provide educators with a common understanding and language for designing and planning high-quality instruction, outline effective instructional practices to support student learning, and help to create an equitable and inclusive learning environment. Participants gain knowledge in observing teachers, collecting, and giving high-quality feedback, and developing post-conferences that are grounded in evidence.

School leadership is paramount when it comes to school improvement, and the Principal Standards training unpacks effective instructional leadership practices. Principals and district leaders develop an in-depth understanding of leadership expectations, as well as how principals’ performance may be measured using the NIET Principal Standards Rubric. To support principals’ capacity, the Career Ladder training emphasizes developing leadership opportunities for teachers. School teams gain a foundational perspective and understanding of the role that successful teacher leadership plays in schools and how leadership roles provide opportunities for teacher leaders to grow and support their colleagues. 

Application of Knowledge

One essential piece of the Best Practices series is the onsite support days that follow the summer training sessions. NIET provides a minimum of two support days for each participating school for school-based learning walks, observations, coaching, and consultation. These visits, conducted by an NIET senior specialist, are tailored to each school’s needs and help leaders apply specific knowledge gained in training in their building and classrooms. 

Onsite support focuses on coaching a school’s ILT in collaboration with key district leaders. Every support day follows a customized onsite consultation agenda that is designed with the school and district to ensure it meets their needs and goals. NIET specialists provide targeted support through planning, observing, and/or coaching ILT meetings, planning PLC or teacher collaboration meetings, or conducting learning walks alongside ILT members and district leaders. Each day begins with data analysis and concludes with identifying action steps.

Although NIET provides two onsite support days, districts are encouraged to discuss additional support day options with NIET and consider expanding district services beyond the required minimum number of support days. "The onsite coaching support that we receive from our NIET partnership is invaluable," one district leader said. "This support is growing our district leaders and will have a direct impact on student achievement. NIET provides the structures, support, and dedication to us as partners which helps us focus on the most important work  – our students."

Without the NIET Senior Specialist onsite support, I would not be as effective in my job as an instructional coach. Her feedback and questioning helped me discover what was lacking in the collaboration development time with my teachers and assisted me in implementing a strategy that I could use, a strategy that I have since implemented at every teacher collaboration, and that has made teacher development time so much stronger.

Educator in Natchitoches Parish

The School Improvement Best Practices series is unique in that it lays the foundation for success, but also helps schools build upon it with onsite support tailored to each individual school’s needs. The training gives schools the tools needed to grow both teachers and students, using data to determine both the instructional needs of students and the professional learning needs of adult learners. By leveraging these five essential Best Practices that drive professional and student growth, educators are able to build a solid foundation and take their school to new heights. 

This summer, the LDOE is continuing its partnership with NIET to offer the Best Practices for Louisiana Schools training for the second year in a row. Schools that participated in year 1 have the opportunity to advance their learning through level 2 trainings for each Best Practice, which will provide strategies and support to help them go further. All training is being provided virtually, with limited in-person opportunities. For more information, please contact Patrice Pujol (ppujol@niet.org).