Opportunity Culture schools nationally achieve far more schoolwide high growth than comparable schools, on average. How have teachers who reach more students than is typical—directly or by leading teams—gotten that high growth? They pursue instructional excellence fast and well.

In new, free online help from Public Impact, we share the critical elements of great teaching and great team leadership. Free of jargon so any school, anywhere can use them, and backed up by experts and research, the elements also link to the work of leading experts and more resources.

For each critical element of instructional leadership and excellence, the set of webpages provides: 

• Practical, detailed steps
• Video clips of outstanding teachers and teacher-leaders who have beaten the student learning growth odds while reaching more students, sharing exactly what they do
• Discussion questions for professional development
• Training to launch a new role or improve
• Other developmental resources including books, videos, articles, and tools
• Updated step-by-step action planners for teacher-leaders and principals

All available at Instructional Leadership & Excellence—The Key Elements.

Leading a Team

• Launch and Lead
• Build Team Cohesion
• Lead Instructional Excellence
• Support and Develop Individuals
• Manage Yourself

Achieving Instructional Excellence

• Plan Ahead and Raise Sights
• Connect
• Lead the Classroom
• Execute Rigor and Personalization
• Monitor Learning
• Adjust Instruction
• Share
• Improve

Also see the Instructional Excellence Summary, with detail on each of the elements here.

• Set ambitious goals that are individual for each student, even in large, urban high schools
• Monitor student learning daily—within the classroom, during instruction—not just monthly
• Adjust instruction through daily teacher meetings during school hours
• Build powerful relationships with students and their families, to help everyone aim high
• Lead and support a teaching team to achieve great learning growth for every student

Any teacher, teacher-leader, or principal can use these materials. Those extending their reach in Opportunity Culture schools, and similar models, can help even more students achieve the high growth needed to close gaps and leap ahead. Curious about what’s there? See these pages, and check out a few of the many videos available:

These are just the beginning. Public Impact will continue to add video clips and other resources for months to come, and add more help for principals and support staff, too. We’d love to hear your feedback on these: What else do you need to succeed?