Finally, Meet the Needs of Every Student
Today’s educators face a historic challenge. With engagement sliding, outcomes at risk, and students yearning for teaching that is affirming and meaningful, we need a fresh approach — one that feeds educators’ passion and fortifies instruction.
GLEAM instruction is the most impactful strategy for breaking the predictability of historic achievement patterns so all kids thrive. At Standards Institute, courageous educators come together from across the country to forge a bold path toward truly transformative teaching and learning.
Our engaging, immersive pathways invite educators to experience, understand, and practice transformative instruction and leadership. Participants will reflect on current practice, commit to an action plan, and leave equipped and inspired to make every classroom GLEAM.
“Standards Institute makes me feel like there is hope. I know there are students we can be serving better; our whole school wants to improve outcomes for our students. But I didn’t know where to start or how to address all the needs. UnboundEd gave me the roadmap I needed to lead us forward.”
-Joni Hellstrom, Division Director, Venture Academy
What to Expect
At Standards Institute, educators will learn:
- Content-specific, grade-level standards deeply
- To maintain academic rigor by fostering productive struggle and scaffolding
- Strategies for ensuring affirming and meaningful teaching and learning
- How to plan, design, and deliver GLEAM instruction
Educators will leave Standards Institute with:
- A shared understanding and language for fostering GLEAM instruction
- The mindsets, planning, skills, tools, and actions to deliver GLEAM instruction
- A personalized action plan with context-specific opportunities to ensure GLEAM instruction
- A national community of GLEAM Instruction champions committed to growth and change
Why Standards Institute is Different
Standards Institute is not a traditional conference or workshop but an immersive 30-hour in-person course-like experience, where educators from around the nation actively come together in content- and grade-specific cohorts to hone their craft and make their instructional practices grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful — GLEAM.
Over four days, educators learn to unpack and understand standards, scaffold instruction, and foster productive struggle. Educators leave equipped to uphold academic rigor, make teaching and learning engaging and affirming, and improve outcomes for all students.
Together, we can end the predictability of student outcomes.
Start your GLEAM Journey at Standards Institute.
We had wonderful learning opportunities at Standards Institute 2024. Check out the highlights.
ExploreHow We Organize the Learning
UnboundEd Pathways
-
English Language Arts (ELA) Pathway
Standards Institute™ ELA sessions focus on the supports and scaffolds that work to address students’ unfinished ELA instruction while maintaining the rigor of grade-level standards and curriculum. Educators will:
- Explore the commitment, knowledge, and skills necessary to use ELA standards, texts, and tasks to provide all students access to grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful — GLEAM — instruction
- Leave with a personal action plan for bringing GLEAM instruction to life in their ELA classrooms
-
Math Pathway
Standards Institute™ Math sessions offer participants interactive, hands-on experience planning and implementing grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful — GLEAM — mathematics instruction. Educators will:
- Reflect on math identities and their impact on GLEAM math instruction
- Deepen their understanding of math instructional shifts (focus, coherence, rigor) to support GLEAM math instruction
- Learn a new approach to address students’ unfinished instruction that supports GLEAM math instruction within their school contexts
- Leave with a personal action plan for bringing GLEAM instruction to life in their math classrooms
-
Instructional Leadership Pathway
In the Instructional Leadership Pathway, leaders build a foundation in the key concepts of ELA and math instruction to develop a deeper understanding of both subject areas. Participants will:
- Consider the key components of planning, instructional delivery, and coaching that lead to grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful — GLEAM — instruction.
- Assess their roles as leaders in advancing effective instruction.
- Leave with an Instructional Vision tool, an Observation and Feedback tool, and an action plan to effectively lead GLEAM instruction in their schools.
-
Organizational Leadership Pathway
In the Organizational Leadership Pathway, leaders grow their organizational leadership prowess and learn to create the conditions for effective instruction by reshaping the policies and systems they lead. Participants will:
- Examine barriers to effective instruction and develop a plan to better align time, people, and resources for educational impact.
- Learn how to grow the collective efficacy and impact of educational leadership teams.
- Leave with the tools and skills necessary to create and lead more responsive, connected, and effective school systems that sustain effective instruction in every single classroom.
Pathway Role Bands: Principals and Assistant Principals K–5, Principals and Assistant Principals 6–12, District Leaders K–12
CORE Learning Pathways
-
CORE Learning: Elementary Reading Academy
This pathway offers educators a strong foundation in standards-aligned and evidence-informed reading practices rooted in the science of reading. Educators will:
- Dive into the research on reading instruction and connect research to practice
- Develop high-leverage instructional practices (educational practices that can improve outcomes for every learner, like designing lessons in service of a goal, promoting active student engagement, collecting and assessing data, and more)
- Deliver standards-aligned and evidence-informed reading instruction
Elementary Reading Academy Grade-Bands: K–6
-
CORE Learning: Leadership for Literacy
Participants in the Leadership for Literacy pathway will develop a foundational understanding of the science of reading and learn how to transform their instructional practices to accelerate student literacy. Leaders will:
- Learn practical knowledge about the science of reading and how to implement it across systems
- Develop tools, skills and processes for assessing school-wide literacy programs
- Identify leadership actions that help build professional capacity and introduce new opportunities for students to become successful readers and communicators
Leadership for Literacy Grade-Bands: K–5
Who is Standards Institute for?
Whether you’re a teacher, coach, principal, or district leader, there is a pathway for you.
Together, we can end the predictability of student outcomes.
I learned so much from the Standards Institute. Not only did I gain a deeper understanding of the standards myself, I also learned ways to support and coach teachers on ways to ensure effective instruction based on the standards.
Principal