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What does it mean to
Make Students as Important as Standards?

If we are to rise to the challenge of Making Students as Important as Standards, then we need to ask five important questions:

1. What skills do students need to develop in order to achieve at high levels?
2. What instructional strategies enable the greatest gains in student performance?
3. How can we address the diversity of our students in a way that is manageable and provides an equal opportunity for all students to achieve?
4. How can we design units of instruction that motivate learners with different learning styles yet still address the skills and core content knowledge students need to succeed?
5. How do schools become professional learning communities that support teachers through the improvement process?

Each of these questions is addressed in the five pillars of The Thoughtful Classroom program, a comprehensive and effective approach to professional development:

Pillar I: The Hidden Skills of Academic Literacy
A concise list of the skills that separate high achievers from low and average achievers

Pillar II: Research-Based Strategies
Sixteen instructional strategies and a set of classroom tools proven to make a difference in student learning

Pillar III: Diversity That Works
A manageable system for differentiating instruction and assessment based on the four major learning styles

Pillar IV: Classroom Curriculum Design
A simple and deep unit design model that helps teachers maximize learning and motivate all students to do their best work

Pillar V: Instructional Learning Teams
Powerful collaborative and coaching structures that make a professional and collegial culture a reality in your school