Systems for Instructional Improvement

In Systems for Instructional Improvement, Paul Cobb and his colleagues draw on their extensive research to propose a series of specific, empirically grounded recommendations that together constitute a theory of action for advancing instruction at scale. The authors outline the elements of a coherent instructional system; describe productive practices for school leaders in supporting teachers’ growth; and discuss the role of district leaders in developing school-level capacity for instructional improvement.

Based on the findings of an eight-year research-practice partnership with four large urban districts investigating their efforts to enhance middle school math instruction, the authors seek to bridge the gap between the literature on improving teaching and learning and the literature on policy and leadership. They look at the entire education system and make recommendations on improvement efforts with a focus on student learning and teachers’ instructional vision. In particular, the authors offer insights on the interplay among various supports for teacher learning, including pullout professional development, coaching, collaborative inquiry, the most instructionally productive uses of principals’ time, and the tensions that tend to emerge at the district level. They provide a guide for district-level leaders in organizing their work to support significant teacher learning.

Systems for Instructional Improvement provides an invaluable resource for school and district leaders, while outlining a clearly focused agenda for future research.

“"The authors' detailed and concrete recommendations serve as a large-scope roadmap for districts to improve instruction while keeping students' learning at the center." -- Joy Esboldt & Travis J. Bristol , Teachers College Record”

'Provides a comprehensive framework for instructional improvements throughout a district.' - School Administrator

Paul Cobb is a research professor at Vanderbilt University and the principal investigator of the Middle-school Mathematics and the Institutional Setting of Teaching (MIST) study.

Kara Jackson is an associate professor of mathematics education at the University of Washington, Seattle, and is a coprincipal investigator of MIST.

Erin Henrick is a senior research associate in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University, and is the project manager and a coprincipal investigator of MIST.

Thomas M. Smith is the dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Riverside, and is a coprincipal investigator of MIST.

Based on the findings of an eight-year research-practice partnership, Systems for Instructional Improvement proposes a series of specific, empirically grounded recommendations for advancing instruction at scale. The authors outline the elements of a coherent instructional system; describe productive practices for school leaders in supporting teachers' growth; and discuss the role of district leaders in developing school-level capacity for instructional improvement. " Systems for Instructional Improvement describes the ways that typically isolated elements of practice interact to create the space in which learning happens. The authors map out a pathway for district and school personnel who hope to design instructional systems with the intentionality that will generate results." --Nate Schwartz, chief research and strategy officer, Tennessee Department of Education " Systems for Instructional Improvement vividly illustrates the systemic nature of successful school improvement efforts and the multiple roles that university partners can play in supporting those efforts. The Theory of Action and research-based recommendations from the MIST team's research-practice partnership are invaluable resources for school and district leaders and educational researchers committed to understanding and supporting instructional improvement at scale." --Hilda Borko, professor of education, Stanford University Graduate School of Education "Cobb, Jackson, Henrick, and Smith provide a detailed roadmap for organizing a coherent system to improve adult practice in service of excellent instruction for every child. System leaders, principals, teachers, and everyone who wants to see our kids more engaged in rich experiences every day would do well to follow the path laid out by the authors of this book." --Joshua P. Starr, chief executive officer, PDK International Paul Cobb is a research professor at Vanderbilt University and the principal investigator of the Middle-School Mathematics and the Institutional Setting of Teaching (MIST) study. Kara Jackson is an associate professor of mathematics education at the University of Washington, Seattle, and is a coprincipal investigator of MIST. Erin Henrick is a senior research associate in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University, and is the project manager and a coprincipal investigator of MIST. Thomas M. Smith is the dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Riverside, and is a coprincipal investigator of MIST.

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