• Active participation

• Willing to ask questions

• Errors are a springboard for learning

• Teachers encourage multiple solutions and methods

• Classroom culture

• Higher-level reasoning

• Grit

Descriptive Evidence-Based Stems

• Yes:

  • More than 50% of students went to the board to ask questions

  • Visible structures for collaboration

  • Evident growth mindset

  • Students aren’t afraid to ask and answer questions

• Not Yet:

  • 3–4 students were distracted/disengaged

  • Class is quiet

• Productive struggle

• Teacher asking probing questions

• Teacher wait-time

• Grade-level benchmark content

  • Collaboration

  • Accountable talk

  • Use of vocabulary

Descriptive Evidence-Based Stems:

• Yes

  • More than 50% of students are able to articulate their answers; students use appropriate vocabulary.

  • Students justify responses without prompting and ask questions of each other; teacher builds conceptual understanding and encourages student discussion.

• Not Yet

  • Teacher gave answers too soon.

  • Teacher voice is dominant; students aren’t collaborating; lesson is more procedure-focused.

• Agenda

• Intentional planning structure / contingency plan(s)

• Grade-level work

• Success criteria

• Topic building, coherence

• Student collaboration for >50% of time

Descriptive Evidence-Based Stems:

• Yes

  • Activities are outlined; flowed instruction.

  • Grade-level appropriate tasks with scaffolds as needed; students gradually progress toward mastery by the end of the course; board configuration aligns to agenda.

• Not Yet

  • Worksheets not at grade level / independent work with no guidance.

  • Not aligned to learning goal.

• Teacher planned (shows confidence & structure).

• Circulating in room to identify misconceptions.

• Open-ended questions focusing on student thinking.

• Teachable moments.

Descriptive Evidence-Based Stems:

• Yes

  • Teacher’s planning shows confidence & structure by ________.

  • Teacher has questions prepared to surface students’ misconceptions; scaffolded questions evidenced by ________.

  • Teachers implement strategies such as “My Favorite No”; teachers use talk moves to encourage discourse.

• Not Yet

  • Teacher-centered classroom.

  • Answer getting.

• Structure for collaboration.

• Higher-level thinking.

• Whiteboards.

• Hear students presenting.

• Teacher guiding, not leading.

• Open-ended questions.

• Emphasis on process, not answers.

• “Why”

Descriptive Evidence-Based Stems:

• Yes

  • Structures for collaboration exist (students may be grouped).

  • Teacher questioning promotes student thinking by ________; checking for understanding in various ways.

• Not Yet

  • Teachers ask yes/no questions or focus on right answers vs. reasoning.

• Sequenced grade-level work.

• Assessment data in PM within assessment window.

• Planning that matches IFC; board configuration matches IFC.

• Remediation / Enrichment.

Descriptive Evidence-Based Stems:

• Yes

  • Teachers are within a week (or so) of each other.

  • Plans for remediation based on assessment data; learning stations are differentiated; students are grouped by data; OR an intentional plan to get back on track.

• Not Yet

  • Students are taking assessments without preparation.