Best Practice:
A System of
Instructional Support
In regards to Best Practice…
“Techniques and instructional strategies
have nearly as much influence on learning
as student aptitude.”
~ James Strong
Qualities of Effective Teachers
Best Practice: What does it mean?
Common Characteristics
• Based on current research
• Includes latest knowledge, technology and
procedures
• Successful across student populations
• Applies across content areas and grade levels
A Systems View:
Strategies
within a
focused topic area
Strategies within
content areas
Cross-content instructional strategies
Structures
Principles
Best Practice: A Bit of History
 Research
• Led by Zemelman, Daniels and Hyde – 1990s
• Focus on teaching and learning
• Purpose – to discover what’s working
 Participants
• Classroom teachers/students throughout U.S.
• Professional Organizations
• Research Centers
 Process
• Interviews
• Meta-analysis of existing research
Best Practice: Findings
Less
More
 Whole class, teacher  Experiential,
directed instruction
inductive, hands-on
learning
 Student passivity
 Active learning
Processing Activity #1
Processing Time
(10 minutes)
 Review Common Conclusions of Learning &
Teaming individually
 Discuss at table:
• Have you used these documents?
– If so, how?
– If not, how might you use them?
Strategies
within a
focused topic area
Strategies within
content areas
Cross-content instructional strategies
Structures
Principles
The 13 Principles of Best Practice:
Processing Activity #2
Processing Time
(10-15 min)
 Review the 13 Best Practice Principles
 Review the four Michigan Teaching and Learning
Standards
 How do the two align?
Best Practice: A Comparative Look
Best Practice
Principles
MI Teaching
and
Learning
Standards
“The literature on instruction suggests that
students whose teachers develop and
regularly integrate inquiry-based, hands-
on learning activities, critical thinking
skills and assessments into daily lessons
consistently out-perform their peers.”
~ Qualities of Effective Teachers, ASCD
Best Practice and Authenticity
“Students provided with authentic
curriculum achieved at levels 2-3 times
higher than students in skills-oriented,
‘low authenticity’ classrooms.”
~ Fred Newman, University of Wisconsin
Strategies
within a
focused topic area
Strategies within
content areas
Cross-content instructional strategies
Structures
Principles
Best Practice: Seven Structures
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reading as Thinking
Representing-to-Learn
Small Group Activities
Classroom Workshop
Authentic Experiences
Reflective Assessment
Integrative Units
Best Practice
These seven structures are:
• Validated
• Documented
• Supported
Best Practice
They are also:
• Rigorous
• Recurrent
• Overlapping
• Interdependent
Best Practice: Reading as Thinking
 Interactive
 Constructive
 Strategic
Examples:
• Brainstorming
• Mapping
• Questioning
• KWL
Best Practice: Representing-to-Learn
 Active construction of knowledge
 Transferring ideas between
mediums for deep understanding
Examples:
• Journals, logs, sketchbooks
• Free writing, mapping,
webbing
• Variety of expressions; music,
visual, etc.
Best Practice: Small Group Activities
 Makes learning active
 Stresses collaboration/teamwork
 Preparation for real-life
experiences
Examples:
• Buddy reading, lab partners
• Peer response/editing groups
• Literature circles
Best Practice: Classroom Workshops
 Class as studio or lab
 Student choice of topic
 Process orientation – scientific process,
writing process
Examples:
• Folder/portfolio work
• Mini-lessons with teacher modeling
• Sharing, presenting, exhibiting
Best Practice: Authentic Experiences
 Bring school to life
 Community connections
 Invite world in – take students out
Examples:
• Speakers in classroom
• Primary source books
• Field trips, visits
• Service projects
Best Practice: Reflective Assessment
 Student reflection, self-assessment
 Multiple measures
 Formative assessments
Examples:
• Portfolios
• Performance assessments with
scoring rubrics
• Student-led conferences
Best Practice: Integrative Units
 Focus on broad problems, issues,
themes
across subjects, disciplines
 Incorporates student interest
 Creates extended inquiries
Examples:
• Thematic Units
• Problem-based learning
• Integrated programs (American
Studies and Whole Language)
Processing Activity #3
Processing Time
(10-15 min)
 Using the Best Practice Principles/Structures Guide:
• reflect on a unit
• check which principles & structures apply
 Share your thoughts
Strategies
within a
focused topic area
Strategies within
content areas
Cross-content
instructional strategies
Structures
Principles
Best Practice:
Cross-content Instructional Strategies
Marzano’s Classroom Instruction that Works
Goal – to find strategies that work for:
• all students
• all grades
• all subjects
Best Practice:
Process of Identifying Strategies
• Meta-analysis of research
• Identified effect sizes
Best Practice: Effect Size
An effect size will help answer the question…
“Does the technique produce a large enough
impact that it’s worthwhile to pursue?”
.20
Small
.50
Medium
.80
Large
1.50
Very Large
Best Practice: A Comparative Finding
Instructional Strategy
Average Percentile
Effect Size
Gain
Identify similarities and differences
1.61
45
Summarizing and note taking
1.00
34
Reinforcing effort and providing recognition
.80
29
Homework and practice
.77
28
Nonlinguistic representations
.75
27
Cooperative learning
.73
27
Setting objectives and providing feedback
.61
23
Generating and testing hypotheses
.61
23
Questions, cues and advance organizers
.59
22
Processing Activity #4
Processing Time
(5-10 minutes)
Individually reflect and document:
Circle – ideas going around in your mind
Square – ideas that squared with your thinking
Arrow – ideas you want to learn more about
Puzzle Piece – ideas for connecting your learning
Elements of Effective Pedagogy:
A Total Picture
Instructional
Strategies
Management
Techniques
Curriculum
Design
Effective Pedagogy
SOURCE: Classroom Instruction that Works, Marzano, et al
Processing Activity #5
Processing Time
(10-15 min)
Explain to your neighbor the difference as
you see it between:
• Best Practice principles
• Seven classroom structures
• Nine instructional strategies
Strategies
within a
focused topic area
Strategies within
content areas
Cross-content instructional strategies
Structures
Principles
Break-out Session – ELA/Math
Reading
Writing
Less
Less
More
Best Practice Strategies that Work




Math
More
Less


Increased Student Achievement
More
Strategies
within a
focused topic area
Strategies within
content areas
Cross-content instructional strategies
Structures
Principles
Best Practice: Day Two
Tomorrow’s workshops focus more specifically
within content areas:
 Informational Reading: What’s It All About?
 Detail/ Examples in Writing: Where Art Thou?
 Fun with Fractions (K-5)
 Developing Abilities in Algebra (5-7)
Best Practice:
Guiding Questions to Consider
 Who is defining the principle, structure, or
intervention as a best practice? (credibility)
 Are there other researchers who are in
agreement with this practice?
 What is their reason or rationale for doing this?
(purpose)
 Is it an effective practice? When you use it
with students are they more successful?
Best Practice: Resources
Additional tools that can help you:
• Recognized literature
• Credible organizations
• Notable websites
• Useful rubrics
A final thought…
“Best Practice –
we admit it is just another name
for progressive education.”
~ Daniels & Bizar