The New Art and Science of Teaching (More Than Fifty New Instructional Strategies for Academic Success)

1. The New Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction

The New Art and Science of Teaching, then, represents my perspective on the current state of knowledge about effective teaching.

A comprehensive model. The New Art and Science of Teaching is a framework that encompasses 43 elements of effective instruction, organized into three categories: feedback, content, and context. This model is based on decades of research and aims to provide teachers with a structured approach to improving student learning outcomes.

Evidence-based strategies. The framework is supported by extensive research, including narrative reviews, meta-analyses, and teacher-designed studies. It offers specific, actionable strategies that teachers can implement in their classrooms to enhance student engagement, understanding, and achievement. By focusing on student outcomes rather than teacher behaviors, this model represents a shift in perspective that aligns with current educational research and best practices.

2. Feedback: The Foundation of Clear Learning Goals and Assessment

Students understand the progression of knowledge they are expected to master and where they are along that progression.

Proficiency scales. The foundation of effective feedback is the use of proficiency scales, which clearly articulate learning goals and progression of knowledge. These scales typically include three levels of content: score 2.0 (foundational knowledge), score 3.0 (target content), and score 4.0 (more complex applications).

Formative assessment. Regular formative assessments allow teachers and students to track progress along the proficiency scale. This ongoing feedback loop helps students understand their current level of mastery and what they need to do to improve. Strategies for providing feedback include:

• Using verbal and nonverbal affirmations
• Providing specific, actionable comments on student work
• Implementing student self-assessment techniques
• Conducting regular progress discussions with individual students

3. Content: Designing Lessons for Direct Instruction, Practice, and Application

After presenting content, how will I design and deliver lessons that help students generate and defend claims through knowledge application?

Three types of lessons. The framework emphasizes the importance of designing different types of lessons to support various stages of learning:

1. Direct instruction lessons: Introduce new content in manageable chunks
2. Practicing and deepening lessons: Reinforce and extend understanding
3. Knowledge application lessons: Apply learning to new situations and generate claims

Strategies for each lesson type:

• Direct instruction: Chunking content, processing information, and recording/representing knowledge
• Practicing and deepening: Structured practice, examining similarities and differences, and analyzing errors in reasoning
• Knowledge application: Engaging in cognitively complex tasks, providing resources and guidance, and generating/defending claims

By incorporating all three lesson types, teachers can ensure a comprehensive approach to content delivery and mastery.

4. Context: Creating an Engaging and Supportive Learning Environment

Students are paying attention, energized, intrigued, and inspired.

Multifaceted engagement. The framework recognizes that engagement goes beyond mere attention, encompassing energy, intrigue, and inspiration. Teachers should employ a variety of strategies to create a supportive learning environment that addresses these different aspects of engagement.

Key elements of context:

• Using engagement strategies: Physical movement, maintaining a lively pace, demonstrating enthusiasm
• Implementing rules and procedures: Establishing clear expectations and routines
• Building relationships: Demonstrating care and understanding for all students
• Communicating high expectations: Challenging all students, including those who may be perceived as reluctant learners

By focusing on these contextual elements, teachers can create a classroom atmosphere that supports and motivates all students to reach their full potential.

5. Teacher Development: A Systematic Approach to Continuous Improvement

Teacher development begins with a self-audit.

Self-reflection and goal-setting. The framework emphasizes the importance of ongoing teacher development through a systematic process:

1. Self-audit using developmental scales for each element
2. Setting growth goals based on self-assessment
3. Tracking progress through anecdotal records and scale ratings
4. Observing and discussing effective teaching practices
5. Engaging in collaborative teaming and coaching

Developmental scales. These scales provide a clear progression for each element of the framework, allowing teachers to assess their current level of proficiency and set specific goals for improvement. The scales range from:

• Score 0: Not using the strategy
• Score 1: Beginning to use the strategy with errors or omissions
• Score 2: Developing use of the strategy without monitoring student effects
• Score 3: Applying the strategy and monitoring its impact on students
• Score 4: Innovating to ensure all students experience the desired effects

By using these scales and engaging in ongoing development activities, teachers can continuously refine their practice and improve student outcomes.

6. Unit Planning: Shifting Focus from Daily Lessons to Comprehensive Units

I believe it is an ineffective practice to plan one lesson at a time. Instead, teachers should plan from the perspective of the unit, which should provide an overarching framework for instruction.

Draft unit plans. The framework advocates for a shift from daily lesson planning to comprehensive unit planning. This approach allows for greater flexibility and coherence in instruction. A draft unit plan should include:

• A proficiency scale for the unit's content
• A sequence of activities covering direct instruction, practice, and application
• Integrated strategies for ongoing review and revision of knowledge
• Opportunities for assessment and feedback

Daily reminders. Instead of detailed daily lesson plans, teachers can use a simple "daily reminder" form to focus on:

• Engagement strategies for the day
• Specific students who may need extra attention or support
• Any adjustments needed based on the previous day's progress

This approach balances thoughtful planning with the flexibility to adapt to student needs and learning opportunities as they arise.

7. Blended Instruction: Integrating Technology for Enhanced Learning

With the advent of free Internet-based materials like Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org), WolframAlpha (www.wolframalpha.com), and the like, blended learning is no longer the future of classroom instruction, it is the present.

Technology-enhanced learning. The framework encourages the integration of digital resources to support and enhance instruction. Teachers can create a blended learning environment by:

• Aligning online resources with proficiency scales
• Curating a collection of videos, interactive exercises, and digital texts for each level of content
• Creating teacher-made screencasts or videos to explain key concepts
• Providing students with anytime, anywhere access to learning materials

Personalized learning paths. By leveraging technology, teachers can offer students more personalized learning experiences, allowing them to progress at their own pace and access additional support or challenge as needed.

8. Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum: Balancing Academic Content with Cognitive Skills

I believe that the college- and career-readiness skills embedded in this design area represent a new curriculum that teachers must cover in concert with academic content.

Essential topics. The framework recommends identifying a limited set of essential topics (about 13 per subject per grade level) to ensure a focused and manageable curriculum. This approach allows time for:

• In-depth exploration of key concepts
• Development of cognitive and metacognitive skills
• Application of knowledge to real-world situations

Cognitive and metacognitive skills. In addition to academic content, the framework emphasizes the importance of explicitly teaching and reinforcing cognitive and metacognitive skills throughout the K-12 curriculum. These skills include:

Cognitive skills:

• Generating conclusions
• Identifying logical errors
• Presenting and supporting claims
• Problem-solving and decision-making

Metacognitive skills:

• Goal-setting and planning
• Maintaining focus on challenging tasks
• Seeking accuracy and clarity
• Resisting impulsivity

By integrating these skills into the curriculum, educators can better prepare students for success in college, career, and life.

9. Classroom Measurement: Moving Beyond Traditional Assessment Methods

Specifically, districts and schools can rely on classroom assessments to measure students' status and growth, as opposed to only using tests designed outside of the classroom.

Measurement process. The framework advocates for a shift from traditional assessment methods to a more comprehensive measurement process:

• Design all assessments based on proficiency scales
• Track student scores over time on each scale
• Use mathematical models to estimate true scores and growth

Benefits of classroom measurement:

• More frequent and timely feedback for students and teachers
• Reduced emphasis on high-stakes, infrequent assessments
• Increased accuracy through multiple data points
• Better alignment with classroom instruction and learning goals

By adopting this approach, schools can gain a more accurate and nuanced understanding of student progress while reducing the negative impacts of over-reliance on standardized tests.

10. Standards-Referenced Reporting: Reimagining Report Cards for Meaningful Feedback

The concepts of proficiency scales and measurement as presented in chapters 1 and 2 invite a re-examination of grades and report cards.

Proficiency-based reporting. The framework proposes a new type of report card that provides more detailed and meaningful information about student progress:

• Bar graphs showing growth on each proficiency scale
• Separate reporting for academic content and cognitive/metacognitive skills
• Clear indication of starting and ending levels for each topic
• Overall subject grades based on averaged scale scores

Conversion to traditional grades. While maintaining the benefits of proficiency-based reporting, the system allows for conversion to traditional letter grades:

• A range: 3.00-4.00 (Proficient to Advanced)
• B range: 2.50-2.99 (Approaching Proficiency)
• C range: 2.00-2.49 (Basic Understanding)
• D range: 1.00-1.99 (Below Basic)
• F: Below 1.00 (Far Below Basic)

This approach provides a more transparent and informative picture of student achievement while still accommodating traditional grading systems.

11. Addressing Teacher Effectiveness: Innovative Scheduling for Optimal Learning

Scheduling can be one of the most limiting practices in K–12 education.

Differential teacher effectiveness. Research shows that teacher effectiveness can have a significant impact on student achievement. To address this, the framework suggests innovative scheduling approaches:

1. Maximize exposure to highly effective teachers:

   • Use large group settings for direct instruction by top teachers
   • Create video lessons or screencasts by expert teachers

2. Implement flexible grouping:

   • Regroup students weekly based on proficiency levels
   • Assign the most effective teachers to students needing the most support

3. Establish Focused Instructional Time (FIT):

   • Create periods where students work with different teachers based on their current needs
   • Allow for more personalized instruction and targeted support

By implementing these strategies, schools can mitigate the negative effects of having less effective teachers while working towards improving overall teacher quality. This approach ensures that all students have opportunities to benefit from the most effective instruction available within the school.

Last updated: February 4, 2025