High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction

District Leaders and Administrators Rubric

Group Version

Facilitating a Group Discussion Guide (opens in new tab)

A learning environment with High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction is academically and intellectually challenging and prepares and empowers students to engage in critical reasoning and independent learning.

Instructions: Meet with the participating district group. Use the guiding questions to discuss the item and estimate together where your district is overall on the progression. Be candid – this activity is most valuable as a formative learning experience. If you cannot come to agreement, add comments and go to the next item. We recommend spending about 45 minutes discussing and completing the rubric. If needed, use the CRS Facilitation Guide for Adult Group Rubrics. Your ratings and comments will not be saved until you click SUBMIT at the bottom of the page. ​

Progression of Engagement

Exploring

Cultural Responsiveness (CR) is in its initial phase

Growing

CR is practiced in some situations

Utilizing

CR is practiced in most situations

Transforming

CR is continuously practiced and promoted

Commitments

The extent of stakeholder dedication to culturally responsive practices across the school experience

Commitments

District Has Equity-Specific Goals & Metrics

Guiding Questions:

What are our district’s  and cultural responsiveness goals? Are they regularly updated?
Exploring

Our district has no goals and metrics thatare specific to diversity and equity.

Growing

Our district has goals and metrics that are specific to diversity and equity.

Utilizing

Our district has goals and metrics that are specific to diversity and equity and are directly linked to achieving our mission and vision.

Transforming

Our district has goals and metricsthat are specific to diversity and equity, are directly linked to achieving our mission and vision, and are regularly monitored and updated.

Selected Rating: None
Commitments

Equity is Incorporated into Classroom Lessons

Guiding Questions:

How do we (district leaders) discuss with school leaders and teachers how to incorporate ideas about and into their lessons? Do we support schools in encouraging their students to challenge the status quo?
Exploring

We rarely discuss and provide ways that schools can incorporate ideas about privilege, equity, and justice into classroom lessons.

Growing

We sometimes (about two times per year) discuss and provide ways that schools can incorporate ideas about privilege, equity, and justice into classroom lessons.

Utilizing

We regularly (about quarterly) discuss and provide ways that schools can incorporate ideas about privilege, equity, and justice into classroom lessons.

Transforming

We regularly (about quarterly) discuss and provide ways that schools can incorporate ideas about privilege, equity, and justice into classroom lessons, and these are regularly monitored and updated.

Selected Rating: None

Empowerment

School practices include all voices

Empowerment

Emphasis of Instructional Expectations

Guiding Questions:

What are our district’s expectations around school leaders' and teachers’ instructional focus on student skill development, conceptual understanding, and critical thinking? How do we encourage and support teachers to develop these educational goals in their classes?
Exploring

We expect schools to primarily focus on the learning and achievement of students’ skill development.

Growing

We expect schools to focus on student skill development with some attention to conceptual understanding.

Utilizing

We expect and encourage schools to focus primarily on conceptual understanding while also supporting student skill development.

Transforming

We expect and encourage schools to focus primarily on student conceptual understanding and critical thinking while also supporting student skill development.

Selected Rating: None
Empowerment

Instructional Strategies for Equity

Guiding Questions:

How do we (district leaders) support schools to adapt instructional strategies that actively disrupt inequities and promote success for all students?
Exploring

We rarely discuss or support schools in using instructional strategies to address inequities.

Growing

We sometimes (about two times per year) provide teachers and school leaders guidance on instructional strategies to address inequities, but not consistently across all schools.

Utilizing

We regularly (about quarterly) provide guidance and support to all schools on instructional strategies that disrupt inequities, and monitor schools’ progress.

Transforming

We regularly (about quarterly) provide tailored support, coaching, and resources to all schools on instructional strategies that disrupt inequities and monitor schools’ progress.

Selected Rating: None

Collaboration

The extent of cooperation between and amongst school community members

Collaboration

School Staff Collaborate with Parents for Student Success

Guiding Questions:

What are our district’s expectations for parents/caregivers to support their children to succeed in school? How do we communicate these expectations to families? What efforts do we make to reach the parents/caregivers of our marginalized students?
Exploring

We rarely encourage schools to work with parents/caregivers to improve their child(ren)’s academic performance (e.g., discussion of academic/personal situations during check-ins and/or parent-teacher conferences, creation of specific plans/strategies, etc.).

Growing

We sometimes encourage schools to work with parents/caregivers, but only when their child(ren) is academically underperforming.

Utilizing

We regularly encourage schools to work with all parents/caregivers to support and enhance their child(ren)’s academic performance.

Transforming

We regularly encourage schools to work with all parents/caregivers to support and enhance their child(ren)’s academic performance, and we follow up with parents/caregivers to make sure we are serving their needs.

Selected Rating: None
Collaboration

Facilitate Structures for Teacher Collaboration

Guiding Questions:

What established formal systems/support structures does our district have in place to encourage and support teacher collaboration across schools? Are these structures accessible to all staff?
Exploring

Our district has no formal systems/ support structures for teacher collaboration (e.g., peer observations, cross-school teams, teacher mentoring, etc.).

Growing

Our district has some established formal systems/support structures for teacher collaboration, but these are rarely used and not consistently supported.

Utilizing

Our district has established formal systems/support structures for teacher collaboration that are accessible to most staff and regularly utilized.

Transforming

Our district has established formal systems/support structures for teacher collaboration that are equitable, widely accessed, continuously refined, and allow teachers to co-create and share their expertise widely.

Selected Rating: None

Submitter Details

You can enter multiple separated by comma (,)