GRAHAM ISD

Graham ISD began working with Marzano’s High Reliability School training during the 2017-18 school year. 

Current certifications are listed below:

Level 1: Safe and Collaborative Culture

Level 1 addresses the factors considered foundational to the well-being of a school. Namely, do faculty, staff, students, parents, and the community feel that the school is safe and maximizes collaboration for the enhancement of student learning?

Campuses that achieve Level 1 Certification must have proof the following indicators have been met:

• The faculty and staff perceive the school environment as safe and orderly
• Students, parents, and the community perceive the school environment as safe and orderly
• Teachers have formal roles in the decision-making process regarding school initiatives
• Teacher teams and collaborative groups regularly interact to address common issues regarding curriculum, assessment, instruction, and the achievement of all students
• Teachers and staff have formal ways to provide input regarding the optimal functioning of the school
• Students, parents, and the community have formal ways to provide input regarding optimal functioning of the school
• The success of the whole school, as well as individuals within the school, is appropriately acknowledged
• The fiscal, operational, and technological resources of the school are managed in a way that directly supports teachers

Level 2: Effective Teaching in Every Classroom

Level 2 addresses factors that relate to developing and maintaining effective instruction in every classroom.  This is the central feature of effective schooling- the quality of teaching in the classroom.  

Campuses that achieve Level 2 Certification must have proof the following indicators have been met:

• The school leader communicates a clear vision as to how instruction should be addressed in the school
• Support is provided to teachers to continually enhance their pedagogical skills through reflection and professional growth plans
• Predominant instructional practices throughout the school are known and monitored
• Teachers are provided with clear, ongoing evaluation of their pedagogical strengths and weaknesses that are based on multiple sources of data and are considered with student achievement data
• Teachers are provided with job-embedded professional development that is directly related to their instructional growth goals
• Teachers have opportunities to observe and discuss effective teaching

Level 3: A Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum

Level 3 addresses having a guaranteed and viable curriculum, focused on enhancing student learning.  Guaranteed means that all teachers are aware of the content they are responsible for teaching and are, in fact, teaching that content (standards).

This approach ensures that every student has the opportunity to learn the grade- and subject- appropriate content on which they will be assessed. Viable means that the amount of content is teachable in the time available for instruction.  Essentially, a guaranteed and viable curriculum is one that can be taught in the time available and is being taught in every classroom.

Campuses that achieve Level 3 Certification must have proof the following indicators have been met:

• The school curriculum and accompanying assessments adhere to state and district standards
• The school curriculum is focused enough that it can be adequately addressed in the time available to teachers
• All students have the opportunity to learn the critical content of the curriculum
• Clear and measurable goals are established and focused on critical needs regarding improving overall student achievement at the school level
• Data are analyzed, interpreted, and used to regularly monitor progress towards school achievement goals
• Appropriate school- and classroom-level programs and practices are in place to help students meet individual achievement goals when data indicate interventions are needed

Level 4: Standards-Referenced Reporting of Student Progress

Level 5: A Competency-Based System of Ensuring Student Mastery of Content