Purpose: The purpose of the Problem of Practice is to provide schools with a unique focus for the school, grounded in data and aligned to the district’s strategic priorities and supported by targeted school-based professional development and coaching.
Schools will develop a unique PoP that will focus the school’s work for the year. A school can have two PoPs that address two different Strategic Priorities as long as both are viewed through the same cluster group (social supports or intellectual engagement). A PoP needs to include the following:
- Focus on the Instructional Core
- Is directly observable
- Is actionable (is within the school's control and can be improved in real time)
- Connects to a broader strategy of improvement (DIP)
- Is high-leverage (if acted on, it would make a significant difference for student learning)
The school’s PoP is also aligned to one of the Strategic Priorities found in Strategy #1 of the District Improvement Plan. The Strategic Priorities available are as follows; 1) Foundational Reading (Pre-K – 5), Algebra Readiness (Pre-K – 8) and Disciplinary Literacy (6-12). School Climate is also a Strategic Priority that all schools will be working on in a variety of ways. Use your data review to help determine which one of the three will best fit as a focus for the year. Remember, all schools will be working on the School Climate piece throughout the year.