Select an Indicator to display the associated Wise Ways
IA01 The district includes municipal and civic leaders in district and school improvement planning and maintains regular communication with them.
IA03 The district includes parent organizations in district and school improvement planning and maintains regular communication with them.
IA04 The district provides incentives for staff who work effectively in hard-to-staff and restructured schools.
IA05 The district contracts with external service providers for key services in restructured schools.
IA06 The district provides schools with technology, training, and support for integrated data collection, reporting, and analysis systems.
IA07 The district sets district, school, and student subgroup achievement targets.
IA08 The school board and superintendent present a unified vision for school improvement.
IA09 The superintendent and other central office staff are accountable for school improvement and student learning outcomes.
IA10 The district regularly reallocates resources to support school, staff, and instructional improvement.
IA11 The district ensures that key pieces of user-friendly data are available in a timely fashion at the district, school, and classroom levels.
IA12 The district intervenes early when a school is not making adequate progress.
IA13 The district works with the school to provide early and intensive intervention for students not making progress.
IA14 The district recruits, trains, supports, and places personnel to competently address the problems of schools in need of improvement.
IA15 The district allows school leaders reasonable autonomy to do things differently in order to succeed.
IB01 The district operates with district-level and school-level improvement teams.
IB02 The district examines existing school improvement strategies being implemented across the district and determines their value, expanding, modifying, and culling as evidence suggests.
IB03 For each restructuring school, the district makes reference to guidance from What Works When regarding how to assess what the best restructuring options are given its unique district and school context.
IB04 For each restructuring school, the district ensures that the restructuring options chosen reflect the particular strengths and weaknesses of the restructuring school.
IB05 For each restructuring school, the district ensures that the restructuring plan reflects the resources available to ensure its success.
IB06 For each restructuring school, the district ensures that the restructuring plan includes both changes in governance and a detailed plan for school improvement.
IB08 The district ensures that school improvement and restructuring plans include a clear vision of what the school will look like when restructured or substantially improved.
IB09 The district ensures that an empowered change agent (typically the principal) is appointed to head each restructuring school.
IB10 In restructuring schools, the district ensures that the change agent (typically the principal) is skilled in motivating staff and the community, communicating clear expectations, and focusing on improved student learning.
IB11 The district ensures that school improvement and restructuring plans include "quick wins," early successes in improvement.
IB12 The district is prepared for setbacks, resistance, and obstacles on the path to substantial improvement.
IC02 The district designates a central office contact person for the school, and that person maintains close communication with the school and an interest in its progress.
IC03 District and school decision makers meet at least twice a month to discuss the school’s progress.
IC04 District policies and procedures clarify the scope of site-based decision making granted a school and are summarized in a letter of understanding.
IC05 The district provides a cohesive district curriculum guide aligned with state standards or otherwise places curricular expectation on the school.
IC06 The district provides the technology, training, and support to facilitate the school’s data management needs.
IC07 Professional development is built into the school schedule by the district, but the school is allowed discretion in selecting training and consultation that fit the requirements of its improvement/restructuring plan and its evolving needs.
IC08 Staff development is built into the schedule for support staff (e.g., aides, clerks, custodians, cooks) as well as classroom teachers.
ID01 A team structure is officially incorporated into the school improvement plan and school governance policy.
ID01 A team structure is officially incorporated into the school improvement plan and school governance policy.
ID02 All teams have written statements of purpose and by-laws for their operation.
ID02 All teams have written statements of purpose and by-laws for their operation.
ID03 All teams operate with work plans for the year and specific work products to produce.
ID04 All teams prepare agendas for their meetings.
ID05 All teams maintain official minutes of their meetings.
ID06 The principal maintains a file of the agendas, work products, and minutes of all teams.
ID07 A Leadership Team consisting of the principal, teachers who lead the Instructional Teams, and other key professional staff meets regularly (twice a month or more for an hour each meeting).
ID08 The Leadership Team serves as a conduit of communication to the faculty and staff.
ID09 The Leadership Team shares in decisions of real substance pertaining to curriculum, instruction, and professional development.
ID10 The school’s Leadership Team regularly looks at school performance data and aggregated classroom observation data and uses that data to make decisions about school improvement and professional development needs.
ID10 The school’s Leadership Team regularly looks at school performance data and aggregated classroom observation data and uses that data to make decisions about school improvement and professional development needs.
ID11 Teachers are organized into grade-level, grade-level cluster, or subject-area Instructional Teams.
ID12 Instructional Teams meet regularly (twice a month or more for 45 minutes each meeting) to conduct business.
ID13 Instructional Teams meet for blocks of time (4 to 6 hour blocks, once a month; whole days before and after the school year) sufficient to develop and refine units of instruction and review student learning data.
ID14 A School Community Council consisting of the principal, parent facilitator, social worker or counselor, and parents oversees family-school relationships and the curriculum of the home.
ID15 A majority of the members of the School Community Council are parents of currently enrolled students and are not also employees of the school.
ID16 The School Community Council meets regularly (twice a month for an hour each meeting).
IE01 The principal makes sure everyone understands the school’s mission, clear goals (short term and long term), and their roles in meeting the goals.
IE02 The principal develops the leadership capacity of others in the school.
IE03 The principal communicates the likelihood of success based on the plan and hard work.
IE04 The principal models and communicates the expectation of improved student learning through commitment, discipline, and careful implementation of sound practices.
IE05 The principal participates actively with the school’s teams.
IE06 The principal keeps a focus on instructional improvement and student learning outcomes.
IE07 The principal monitors curriculum and classroom instruction regularly.
IE08 The principal spends at least 50% of his/her time working directly with teachers to improve instruction, including classroom observations.
IE09 The principal challenges, supports and monitors the correction of unsound teaching practices.
IE10 The principal celebrates individual, team, and school successes, especially related to student learning outcomes.
IE11 The principal provides incentives for teacher and student accomplishment.
IE12 The principal personally engages parents and the community in the improvement process.
IE13 The principal offers frequent opportunities for staff and parents to voice constructive critique of the school’s progress and suggestions for improvement.
IF01 The principal compiles reports from classroom observations, showing aggregate areas of strength and areas that need improvement without revealing the identity of individual teachers.
IF02 The Leadership Team reviews the principal’s summary reports of classroom observations and takes them into account in planning professional development.
IF03 Professional development for teachers includes observations by the principal related to indicators of effective teaching and classroom management.
IF04 Professional development for teachers includes observations by peers related to indicators of effective teaching and classroom management.
IF05 Professional development for teachers includes self-assessment related to indicators of effective teaching and classroom management.
IF06 Teachers are required to make individual professional development plans based on classroom observations.
IF07 Professional development of individual teachers includes an emphasis on indicators of effective teaching.
IF08 Professional development for the whole faculty includes assessment of strengths and areas in need of improvement from classroom observations of indicators of effective teaching.
IF10 The principal plans opportunities for teachers to share their strengths with other teachers.
IG01 Parent policies, activities, and programs cultivate the "curriculum of the home."
IG02 Parents receive regular communication (absent jargon) about learning standards, their children’s progress, and the parents’ role in their children’s school success.
IG03 Parents receive practical guidance to maintain regular and supportive verbal interaction with their children.
IG04 Parents receive practical guidance to maintain daily conversations with their children about their school experiences and progress.
IG05 Parents receive practical guidance to establish a quiet place for children’s studying at home and consistent discipline for studying at home.
IG06 Parents receive practical guidance to encourage their children’s regular reading habits at home.
IG07 Parents receive practical guidance to model and encourage respectful and responsible behaviors.
IG08 Parents are given opportunities to meet with each other to share their child-rearing concerns and successes.
IG09 Parents are given opportunities to meet with teachers to discuss both their children’s progress in school and their children’s home-based study and reading habits.
IIA01 Instructional Teams develop standards-aligned units of instruction for each subject and grade level.
IIA02 Units of instruction include standards-based objectives and criteria for mastery.
IIB01 Units of instruction include pre-/post-tests to assess student mastery of standards-based objectives.
IIB02 Unit pre-tests and post-tests are administered to all students in the grade level and subject covered by the unit of instruction.
IIB03 Unit pre-test and post-test results are reviewed by the Instructional Team.
IIB04 Teachers individualize instruction based on pre-test results to provide support for some students and enhanced learning opportunities for others.
IIB05 Teachers re-teach based on post-test results.
IIC01 Units of instruction include specific learning activities aligned to objectives.
IIC03 Materials for standards-aligned learning activities are well-organized, labeled, and stored for convenient use by teachers.
IID02 The school tests each student at least 3 times each year to determine progress toward standards-based objectives.
IID03 Teachers receive timely reports of results from standardized and objectives-based tests.
IID06 Yearly learning goals are set for the school by the Leadership Team, utilizing student learning data.
IID07 The Leadership Team monitors school-level student learning data.
IID08 Instructional Teams use student learning data to assess strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum and instructional strategies.
IID09 Instructional Teams use student learning data to plan instruction.
IID10 Instructional Teams use student learning data to identify students in need of instructional support or enhancement.
IIIA01 All teachers are guided by a document that aligns standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
IIIA02 All teachers develop weekly lesson plans based on aligned units of instruction.
IIIA05 All teachers maintain a record of each student’s mastery of specific learning objectives.
IIIA06 All teachers test frequently using a variety of evaluation methods and maintain a record of the results.
IIIA07 All teachers differentiate assignments (individualize instruction) in response to individual student performance on pre-tests and other methods of assessment.
IIIA08 All teachers review the previous lesson.
IIIA09 All teachers clearly state the lesson’s topic, theme, and objectives.
IIIA10 All teachers stimulate interest in the topics.
IIIA11 All teachers use modeling, demonstration, and graphics.
IIIA12 All teachers proceed in small steps at a rapid pace.
IIIA13 All teachers explain directly and thoroughly.
IIIA14 All teachers maintain eye contact.
IIIA15 All teachers speak with expression and use a variety of vocal tones.
IIIA16 All teachers use prompting/cueing.
IIIA17 All teachers re-teach when necessary.
IIIA18 All teachers review with drilling/class recitation.
IIIA19 All teachers review with questioning.
IIIA20 All teachers summarize key concepts.
IIIA21 All teachers re-teach following questioning.
IIIA25 All teachers encourage students to paraphrase, summarize, and relate.
IIIA26 All teachers encourage students to check their own comprehension.
IIIA27 All teachers verbally praise students.
IIIA28 All teachers travel to all areas in which students are working.
IIIA31 All teachers interact instructionally with students (explaining, checking, giving feedback).
IIIA32 All teachers interact managerially with students (reinforcing rules, procedures).
IIIA33 All teachers interact socially with students (noticing and attending to an ill student, asking about the weekend, inquiring about the family).
IIIA35 Students are engaged and on task.
IIIA40 All teachers assess student mastery in ways other than those provided by the computer program.
IIIB01 All teachers maintain a file of communication with parents.
IIIB02 All teachers regularly assign homework (4 or more days a week).
IIIB03 All teachers check, mark, and return homework.
IIIB06 All teachers systematically report to parents the student’s mastery of specific standards-based objectives.
IIIC01 When waiting for assistance from the teacher, students are occupied with curriculum-related activities provided by the teacher.
IIIC04 Students raise hands or otherwise signal before speaking.
IIIC05 All teachers use a variety of instructional modes.
IIIC06 All teachers maintain well-organized student learning materials in the classroom.
IIIC08 All teachers display classroom rules and procedures in the classroom.
IIIC09 All teachers correct students who do not follow classroom rules and procedures.
IIIC10 All teachers reinforce classroom rules and procedures by positively teaching them.
TLA1A Rapid Improvement leader makes an action plan so that everyone involved knows specifically what they need to do differently.
TLA1B The Rapid Improvement leader personally analyzes data about the organization's performance to identify high-priority problems that can be fixed quickly.
TLA2A Rapid Improvement leader first concentrates on a very limited number of changes to achieve early, visible wins for the school.
TLA2B Rapid Improvement leader makes changes that deviate from organization's norms and rules if necessary to gain visible wins.
TLA2C Rapid Improvement leader implements an action plan in which change is mandatory for all staff, not optional.
TLA2D Rapid Improvement leader replaces or redeploys some staff as necessary based on careful examination of skills and readiness for change.
TLA2E