Establishing a Strong Foundation: Classroom Implementation of the LDC and MDC Frameworks Executive Summary

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high quality instructional and formative assessment tools to support teachers’ incorporation of the Core Common State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Literacy experts have developed a framework and a set of templates that teachers can use to develop content area modules focused on high quality writing tasks closely tied to subject area texts. Math experts have developed formative assessment lessons (FALs) that teachers can incorporate throughout the year’s curriculum. Across both content areas,the tools target the ‘instructional core’1by raising the level of content; enhancing teachers’ skill and knowledge about instruction, content and formative assessment; and catalyzing student engagement in their learning so that they will achieve at high levels.This executive summary provides an overview of our analysis of the school and district-level conditions and contexts that lead to successful adoption of the tools, and a status report of the degree to which such conditions are present in pilot sites after one year of implementation. It examines the actions that school and district leaders can take to support teachers’ adoption and effective implementation of the tools.