If a new curriculum shows no gains, what strategy should the principal and leadership team use to decide adjustments?

• A. Reviewing classroom observation data to assess how instructional practices in English language arts changed during the previous year
• B. Surveying parents about curriculum preferences
• C. Expanding homework load without changes to instruction
• D. Replacing teachers who are not meeting targets

Answer: (A)

Using classroom observation data to evaluate how instruction changed is the best way to guide adjustments when a new curriculum shows no gains. This approach reveals whether teachers implemented the curriculum with fidelity, which instructional practices were actually used in English language arts, and how those practices relate to student outcomes. By looking at what happened in classrooms over the year, the leadership team can pinpoint where pacing, strategy use, differentiation, or feedback may need improvement and determine targeted professional development or coaching to raise effectiveness. Other options don’t directly inform instructional quality or implementation: surveying parents about preferences doesn’t reveal how learning is being taught; increasing homework without changing instruction adds workload without addressing underlying practice; and replacing teachers addresses symptoms rather than the instructional changes needed.