Board approves three-year Instructional Empowerment pilot to expand classroom practices and coaching

The board voted 5-0 to approve a three-year Instructional Empowerment (IE) pilot that will start with a cohort of schools in year one and expand over the following two years. Heather Harbour and district staff described a tiered model (foundations, intermediate, advanced) that pairs external coaching with district professional learning, communities of practice and a staggered cost schedule: higher investment in year one and reduced costs in years two and three as schools build internal capacity.

Staff said the initiative will be funded through a mix of general fund allocations and federal Title funding; the year-one package includes a two-day kickoff and multiple professional-learning days, and stipends for teacher participants were discussed. Trustees asked that any time outside contract hours be covered by an MOU and that the district specify stipend amounts and implementation fidelity measures; staff said stipends and implementation details will be clarified and that initial training includes a six-hour session before preplanning.

Supporters noted evidence from prior IE lessons and classroom rigor walks showing qualitative and quantitative improvements when the model is implemented with fidelity. The board approved staff’s recommendation and asked staff to return with impact metrics as assessment data become available.