The Path to Instructional Excellence and Equitable Outcomes

D.C.’s LEAP program helps teachers become experts at teaching high-quality, standards-aligned content so that every student experiences rigorous and engaging instruction every day.

The Path to Instructional Excellence and Equitable Outcomes explores District of Columbia Public Schools’ innovative approach to supporting teaching instruction, called Learning Together to Advance our Practice, or LEAP.

LEAP is based on research that has found the most effective professional learning is school-based and content-specific, grounded in the instructional materials and strategies that teachers will use with their students.

Takeaways:

  • Teacher effectiveness increases through professional learning cycles focused on student content and instructional materials.
  • Implementing high-quality instructional materials is complex and requires intensive support for educators.
  • Alignment of an instructional vision throughout a system is bolstered through collaboration with an external assistance provider.
  • Key enabling conditions for success include a plan for intentional scaling and intentional development of leaders throughout a system.
  • Educators who implemented LEAP with high fidelity saw marked improvements in student results.

LEAP was created through a partnership with Leading Educators, a professional learning nonprofit technical assistance organization. After two years of district capacity building and gradual release of design and implementation, the district has expanded the LEAP program to include teachers in all 116 DCPS schools.

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Social Media Sharing

  • New report! @dcpublicschools' LEAP program helps teachers become experts at teaching high-quality, standards-aligned content so that every student experiences rigorous and engaging instruction every day. Learn more: https://ow.ly/3r8q50vfvT2 via @LearningForward (Tweet this)
  • After two years of district capacity building and gradual release of design and implementation of a program called LEAP it has been expanded to include teachers in 116 @dcpublicschools. Learn more: https://ow.ly/3r8q50vfvT2 via @LearningForward (Tweet this)
  • A new white paper by @LearningForward showcases a program called LEAP that indicates teacher effectiveness increases through professional learning cycles focused on student content and instructional materials. Learn more: https://ow.ly/3r8q50vfvT2 @dcpublicschools @leadingeds (Tweet this)
  • This new @learningforward white paper says key enabling conditions for success include a plan for intentional scaling and intentional development of leaders throughout a system. Read the full white paper: https://ow.ly/3r8q50vfvT2 (Tweet this)
  • Educators who implemented Learning Together to Advance our Practice, or LEAP (@dcpublicschools’ innovative approach to supporting teaching instruction) with high fidelity saw marked improvements in student results. Learn more: https://ow.ly/3r8q50vfvT2 @LearningForward (Tweet this)
  • Every student deserves equitable and excellent teaching every day! A new report from @LearningForward shares how @leadingeds worked with @dcpublicschools to make that possible: https://ow.ly/3r8q50vfvT2 (Tweet this)​​

Talking Points

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Learn more on how teacher teams can engage in intentional, collaborative professional learning based on a five-step inquiry cycle.

One of the most foundational pieces of research used to design LEAP was Learning Forward’s book Becoming a Learning Team, which describes how teacher teams can engage in intentional, collaborative professional learning based on a five-step inquiry cycle (Hirsh & Crow, 2017). The teacher learning team model described in Becoming a Learning Team is echoed in the inquiry process, described in detail.

Learn more here or have us help you walk through the school-based learning team process.

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