Instructional Practices & Learning Models

  • Learning coach and principal pictured beside graphic highlighting “Spotlight: Howell Elementary School.”

Howell Elementary: Embracing ‘Cognitive Grappling’ to Build Student Mathematicians 

2026-02-10T08:53:05-05:00February 6th, 2026|Categories: Featured, Standards Newsletter|Tags: , , , , , , , |

https://youtu.be/Q1aNhbH1LCU   At Howell Elementary School in the Erlanger-Elsmere Independent school district, a shift in mathematics instruction began with a realization: Teachers were working hard to design their own curriculum, but the lack of alignment K-5 was leaving gaps in student learning. Data revealed a "massive need" for a [...]

Corbin Independent: Shifting Professional Learning to Transform Math Instruction

2025-12-12T09:21:52-05:00December 12th, 2025|Categories: Featured, Standards Newsletter|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Two years ago, Corbin Independent Schools faced a realization familiar to many districts: Students were not consistently demonstrating the mathematical practices necessary for deep understanding. Data from district “learning walks” revealed that classroom tasks didn't always provide opportunities for students to engage in the math practice standards.  Rather than settling for a quick fix, the district asked "why" until they [...]

  • A group photograph of approximately 45 diverse students of various ages posing together in front of a purple illuminated geometric wall and a pattern convention floor. Many wear white JCPS lanyards and some are holding small green or blue signs. A few specific students, including one in a historic costume and others with matching spirit shirts, are visible. The students are smiling and looking at the camera.

Redefining Learning: How JCPS is Aligning Vision and Resources to Transform Student Literacy

2026-03-19T13:57:43-04:00July 29th, 2025|Categories: Standards Newsletter|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is on a mission to transform what teaching and learning look like for every student. At the center of this work is Journey to Success, an initiative that goes beyond access to grade-level content and empowers students to actively engage in their learning, demonstrate their [...]

Brooks Elementary Teachers in Bullitt County Make the Shift to Explicit, Systematic  Instruction in Foundational Skills

2026-03-19T14:49:54-04:00May 19th, 2025|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Brooks Elementary is currently in its first full year of implementing a resource developed by the University of Florida Literacy Institute called UFLI Foundations, an explicit and systematic program for teaching students foundational reading skills. Teachers from kindergarten to grade 3 are using UFLI in their Tier 1 instruction. With [...]

  • A female teacher stands patiently as a young student points to a sentence on a large wall-mounted monitor during a class on a multi-colored number grid rug. Approximately 15 young children are seated, listening, with one child in the foreground raising their hand. The classroom is filled with educational posters, charts, currency and math displays, and shelving with books and colorful bins. The sentence on the screen reads 'Ron rips paper.'

Greenup County Kindergarten Teacher Finds Success Through Internalization of High-Quality Instructional Resources

2026-03-19T14:56:49-04:00April 29th, 2025|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Kindergarten teacher Cassie Thompson at Argillite Elementary in Greenup County faced a unique challenge this year: Implementing two new high-quality instructional resources (HQIRs), Magnetic Reading Foundations and Wit and Wisdom, for the first time. With eight years of teaching experience and a strong dedication to student success, Thompson approached this [...]

  • In a blue-walled classroom labeled "Mrs. Garrison," a teacher stands between two third-grade students at their desks. The students are actively engaged in a "Gallery Walk" activity, examining printed historical artifacts and papers. In the background, a digital timer on a large monitor shows seven minutes remaining, and an American flag hangs on the wall.

Third Grade Students at Flat Lick Elementary are More Engaged in Their Learning and Taking Ownership

2026-03-19T15:02:58-04:00April 15th, 2025|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , |

This spring, Mrs. Garrison’s third grade class at Flat Lick Elementary in Knox County, kicked off a study of the earliest known residents of North America with an engaging gallery walk to spark curiosity and initial student interest, also referred to as priming for learning. The unit is part of the [...]

  • Elementary School Children playing the game Operation in School

Teachers at Lebanon Elementary Say They’ve Gone from Overwhelmed About Teaching Reading to Thriving

2026-03-19T15:06:27-04:00April 1st, 2025|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Lebanon Elementary School (LES) in Marion County, KY, is in its first year of implementing the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) Listening and Learning Strand for grades K-3, emphasizing language comprehension through engaging, content-rich read-alouds. Teachers at LES are seeing increased student engagement and deeper connections between content and real-world [...]

  • five individuals engaged in an educational small-group literacy activity around a large wooden table in a color-corrected and upscaled elementary classroom with natural light. A female teacher with long brown hair, wearing a rich teal-green jacket over a magenta-pink shirt, is seated centrally and looking toward the left student.

Students Engage in Foundational Skills Through Multi-Sensory Learning

2026-03-19T15:24:26-04:00October 1st, 2024|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , |

At South Marshall Elementary in Marshall County, students are diving into foundational literacy through fun and interactive instruction. During a recent foundational skills lesson, students engaged in a variety of multi-sensory activities designed to reinforce their understanding of letters and sounds. They practiced stretching and tapping out sounds in words [...]

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