They may have the curricular content, but if you don't have the knowledge regarding teaching methodology, you can't teach. At Turnbull Learning Academy, with the support of Partners in School Innovation and the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative, the school collected enough solid data to set school-wide achievement goals. There is a sense of urgency in this district. Even if they use a set curriculum approach like Success for All or Direct Instruction, all schools have been directed to systematize data analysis, teacher feedback, and reflection on instruction. Time for feedback and reflection is usually conducted during grade-level teacher team meetings.
Principals spend a minimum of two hours a day in classrooms.
To support this, the district does not schedule any meetings in the mornings so that principals can be present in the schools. She feels fortunate to be working for a district that supports professional development and inquiry. For new and experienced teachers, reflective practice is still a relatively novel approach. No matter how much experience teachers have, or what the approach they use to teach content, says Barbara, schools need to allocate funds to provide continuous professional development for the refinement of teaching practice. The process of being more proactive rather than reactive in the classroom is the key to higher student achievement.