Apply Principles

Educators apply principles of the mind to make better instructional decisions, more of the time.

“I now have language to explain why instructional decisions matter—not just what teachers should do.”

— Instructional Coach

As educators develop a greater shared understanding of learning science, they move away from broad intentions to “teach differently” towards a more nuanced understanding of what real learning looks like in real classrooms.

Educators begin lensing instruction differently, noticing small but significant adaptations that will help students attend to, process, and retain new knowledge.

This shift is evident in how teachers justify their actions, and connect classroom decisions to the underlying mechanisms of learning.

Drive Professional Growth

Instructional leaders draw on learning science to support the professional growth of adults across the system.

“Leaders who experience the principles as learners are better positioned to coach and design for them.”

— Professional Learning Leader

As schools and districts deepen their understanding of learning science, they start using the science of learning to teach the science of learning.

District leaders, instructional coaches, and professional learning teams can now practice what they preach by reducing unnecessary cognitive load, incorporating purposeful processing and retrieval opportunities, and explicitly modeling the conditions that support durable learning.

Rather than treating learning science as “content to be delivered,” instructional leaders use it to design adult learning that mirrors the very principles they hope teachers will use with students.

Build Systems That Last

District leaders develop evidence-informed systems to sustain instructional improvement at scale.

“We finally have a coherent framework that connects our instructional priorities.”

— District Leader

District leaders move from seeing the science of learning as “yet another initiative” to using it as a lens through which they accomplish their goals and priorities.

Evidence-informed practices permeate through systems of curriculum design, classroom observation, instructional coaching and school improvement.

Over time, districts create the systemic conditions for lasting instructional improvement, all underpinned by a coherent set of professional principles, practices, and expectations.