Walkthroughs can help leaders deepen their understanding of the HQIM and how it is being used in classrooms, identify opportunities to strengthen implementation, and share feedback with teachers. Use these resources to help you identify, create, or use a common tool for walkthroughs.
Effective walkthroughs help leaders gather evidence about the instructional shifts, routines, and teacher and student actions that are most critical to successful HQIM implementation. Rather than focusing on generic indicators of instruction, HQIM-aligned walkthrough tools center observations on the specific features of the curriculum and the experiences students should have as a result of using it.
A walkthrough tool is HQIM-aligned if it enables leaders to determine:
Are teachers implementing the curriculum as designed, are students engaging in the intended grade-level learning experiences, and are all students being provided equitable access to the curriculum’s learning goals?
Effective instructional leadership depends on a shared understanding of HQIM implementation and a common approach to observing classroom practice. This sample coaching day, based on an actual district coaching day, shows how school leadership team members worked with a facilitator with expertise in HQIM to develop consistency and confidence in conducting classroom walkthroughs and observations focused on HQIM implementation.
When conducted thoughtfully, walkthroughs provide valuable insight into student learning, instructional practices, and the systems that support teachers. This document outlines a structure and key considerations before, during, and after walkthroughs to ensure the process is collaborative, supportive, and focused on continuous improvement.
The sample walkthrough tools below are specific to selected HQIM. If you do not see a tool specific to your HQIM, we recommend reaching out to your contact for the HQIM’s publisher to ask if they have a tool they recommend leaders use for walkthroughs.
