Our Approach
Our vision is for a world in which all schools in historically underserved neighborhoods are led by passionate, committed educators with deep knowledge of the science of teaching and learning, and a close connection to their community. These leaders drive continuous professional learning for all staff, so students receive rigorous, engaging, and culturally responsive learning experiences that send them running home each day to share exciting new understandings.
We refer to this type of leader as an Expertise Leader: a leader at any level in a school or network of schools (Chief Academic Officer, Principal, Assistant Principal, Instructional Coach, Dean) who focuses on improving instruction and is continuously deepening their own pedagogical and content knowledge. Their credibility as a leader and manager is derived from their own knowledge and skill as an instructor and their commitment to “walking the walk” by stepping in to demonstrate instructional practices.
Our goal is to support all schools serving historically marginalized communities in finding or developing these kinds of leaders.
THE JOUNCE MODEL EMPHASIZES:
CURRICULAR EXPERTISE & CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
Leaders develop deep knowledge of the content their teachers will deliver, the curricula and assessments with which students will engage, and the daily student-learning data that drive ongoing improvements. They support their teams to effectively implement high quality instructional materials (HQIM) and they understand the detailed science behind teaching and learning in each content area.
Systematic ApproacH to Improving Outcomes
Leaders define outcomes for student learning and the student experience and then constantly collect and respond to data about the implementation of programming and teaching actions that make those outcomes possible.
Frequent Real-Time modeling and live practice
Coaches and teachers address small areas of improvement immediately during practice sessions and in-class, so that teachers can adjust in the moment and practice the skill effectively. Real-time coaching and modeling dramatically shortens the feedback loop, allowing teachers to act on feedback immediately rather than receiving feedback after the fact.