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The campus or teachers create an overarching Research Theme.  Teachers examine the scope and sequence, student data, and the TEKS. Next they identify the student expectation(s) from the TEKS for the Lesson Proposal.

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Teachers review instructional materials and research. They create an assessment and map out a unit timeline.Teachers plan the Research Lesson.

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Teachers decide among the team who will teach the research lesson.

One teacher instructs the lesson, while the others observe. The other teachers collect data on student engagement and learning during the lesson.

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Teachers and outside observers will reflect on the research lesson and discuss the data collected.

They will decide if they would like to make revisions to the research lesson. Teachers may repeat Phase 3 and 4.

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Teachers will share the research lesson and findings with fellow teachers. The Lesson Proposal and video of the lesson will be available on the Texas Gateway. A network of Lesson Study groups and will be built across Texas.

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Research. Reflect. Refine.

Lesson Study is a form of job-embedded, professional development for teachers that uses a systematic process to foster a collaborative, professional environment in which teachers collaborate in teams of 2-5 to

identify a research theme and student expectation(s) (SEs) from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that students have difficulty understanding;

research best instructional practices for the identified SEs and plan a strategic, research-based lesson;

teach the lesson to students and collect data on students' responses, levels of engagement, and learning processes;

reflect on the lesson and options for refinement; and

share the teacher-designed, research-based lesson and report on the lesson effectiveness with other teaching professionals online via the Texas Gateway.

Lesson Study is a framework for collaborative instructional research and lesson design that can be implemented by all campuses. The construct of the Lesson Study groups can vary based on the campus size and needs. For example, groups may be comprised of teachers that teach the same subject, grade level, or any combination of the two, such as a group of 2nd grade math teachers, a group of 6th, 7th, 8th grade English teachers, or a group of U.S History and English I teachers creating an interdisciplinary lesson.

The purpose of Lesson Study is to help teachers improve their effectiveness, share best practices with other teachers, improve student outcomes, and provide a platform to demonstrate mastery within the teaching profession.

The flyer below is a brief overview of the TXLS initiative. To view and print the TXLS flyer, click the image below.

The video below is Mike Morath, the Texas Commissioner of Education, presenting the Lesson Study initiative to the Senate Finance Committee of the 85th Texas Legislature.

85th Texas Legislature: Senate Finance Committee

Webinar: Part 1

The webinar below was presented to the regional education service centers by Blair Claussen, the TEA Lesson Study Project Manager.

"It is rare that we have time to research and use all of the resources at hand to thoroughly plan for our learners. It was especially enlightening for me to think intensely about how to scaffold grade level material for ELLs."

Testimony

In the video below, Forrest Ridge Elementary principal and teachers share their experiences with the Texas Lesson Study program.

Forrest Ridge Elementary, College Station ISD, ESC Region 6

Lesson Study is a process that can be used any time teachers meet to collaborate. During Lesson Study, teachers are proactive in planning instructional strategies as opposed to reactive. Teachers anticipate student responses and misconceptions in the hopes of addressing potential hurdles before intervention is needed. This differs from meetings in which the focus is on developing interventions when students do not understand the taught lesson. (Intervention discussions may occur during Lesson Study, but not until the end of the Lesson Study cycle, if needed.) Other major differences from traditional professional development include the following:

Teachers participate in research methods and collaborative meetings to create the pedagogical and subject-area bank of knowledge.

The Lesson Study process occurs over a series of meetings.

Teachers observe students to collect data on lesson effectiveness. This provides an opportunity to observe other instructors teach the lesson designed by the group.

The Lesson Study model is centered on improving teaching, not the teacher.

This section provides additional information to our education service centers on the current structures and funding in place for service center staff to implement Lesson Study at the campus level.

TEA awarded three education service centers, ESC Regions 6, 13, and 14, to implement TXLS on campuses. These three service centers collaborated with ESC Regions 5, 15, and 16 and partnered with ESC Regions 9 and 17. It is the intent of the agency to expand the program to all 20 ESC regions.

The image below illustrates participation for fall 2016 and projections for spring 2017.

TXLS Example Staffing Model and Support Structure

The flow charts below show a sample staffing model for participating ESCs and structures for implementation at the district and campus level. However, ESCs have latitude to develop a model that works best for their service center, districts, and campuses.

In the model below, a full-time facilitator works with four campuses throughout the academic year. The facilitator has four TXLS groups in the fall semester and four different groups in the spring semester. If a fall group would like to continue Lesson Study in the spring semester, the facilitator may provide less intensive support for that group as well.

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Lesson Study is a form of job-embedded, professional development for teachers that uses a systematic process to foster a collaborative, professional environment in which teachers collaborate in teams of 2-5 to identify a research theme and student expectation(s) (SEs) from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that students have

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This is a familiar process- we tend to do this work during PLC. 

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This is a familiar process- we tend to do this work during PLC. 

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Student goals should be quantitative and qualitative. Also be sure to examine 3 types of data.

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-It is not only a positive to allow an overarching "soft skill" to be a guiding piece of your lesson planning, it is a necessary piece of your planning.

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All four areas in phase 1 require rigorous collaboration.

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It is so important to look at the data! I hate looking at data, but it is so important when setting goals.

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Theme is what you want the students to be able to do.

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Theme is what you want the students to be able to do.

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One of my key takeaways is how LS aligns with FWISD’s Learning Model. A good example is in the research theme phase.  The long-term skills we want students to leave with are the same skills FW collaborators voiced when developing the Learning Model (ability to communicate, work collaboratively, etc.) This alignment might be an attractive entry point when pointing out advantages to LS. 

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One of my key takeaways is how LS aligns with FWISD’s Learning Model. A good example is in the research theme phase.  The long-term skills we want students to leave with are the same skills FW collaborators voiced when developing the Learning Model (ability to communicate, work collaboratively, etc.) This alignment might be an attractive entry point when pointing out advantages to LS. 