A Look at the Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies
The Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies, defined and subsequently refined by Gwinnett County Public Schools educators in 2006, 2018, and 2023 identify the research-based pedagogical strategies supported by the district for use in every classroom.
Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies (QPTS) are instructional strategies based on the study of effective teaching. When these pedagogical strategies are paired with responsive teaching, they address the needs of the learner and, therefore, are the most efficient and effective path to learning for each and every student.
By identifying common research-based instructional strategies, Gwinnett County Public Schools reduces variability of instruction to assure that each and every
student has the very best opportunity to access and demonstrate learning of the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS). The Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies represent the priority instructional strategies that Gwinnett teachers leverage to engage students in learning the AKS.
When teachers pair Quality-Plus Teaching Strategies with Responsive Teaching Practices in the classroom, they address the individual needs of the learner and, therefore, plan the most efficient and effective path to learning for each and every student.
When planning for instruction, we begin with the three components of the instructional core: 1. teachers' knowledge, 2. students' engagement in their own learning, and 3. academically challenging content, our Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS). Assuring that each and every student has the very best opportunity to access and demonstrate learning of the Academic Knowledge and Skills in their courses of study is our priority. Effective instructional planning takes all these factors into consideration, determining which QPTS should be used for instruction based on the AKS and the student’s learning needs.
This begins as teachers create a safe, challenging learning environment for each and every student. When students can engage as a community of learners with a balance of academic press and supportive community, the classroom environment supports the whole learner and ensures that no learner is marginalized.
Teachers create a student-centered learning environment in which teaching and learning occur at high levels, while teachers make thoughtful decisions daily as they monitor student progress and respond to individual student learning. Responsive instruction is not linear, but rather it is continuously adaptive and responsive to student learning needs as identified through ongoing formative assessment of the individual student.
Engaging students in meaningful, relevant instruction with continuous monitoring of student progress increases learning and student engagement. As teachers plan for learning, they develop learning experiences in the phases of Engage, Learn, and Do prioritizing ongoing formative assessment, continuous feedback, and responsive differentiated teaching in an academically safe and challenging environment for each and every student.
