Title: T&L Instructional Observation & Calibration Walks
Date: October 9, 2026
To: All Administrators
From: Dr. Tiffany Hall, Executive Director
Subject: Instructional Observation Groups
Purpose
One of our most important responsibilities as instructional leaders is to understand what effective teaching and learning look like in our classrooms and how we can support continuous improvement.
Instructional Observation & Calibration Walks will provide principals with regular opportunities to visit classrooms, observe instructional practices, and engage in meaningful professional dialogue with colleagues.
These groups are designed to strengthen our collective instructional leadership, develop a shared understanding of effective practices, and provide opportunities to learn from the work happening across our district.
Observation Groups
Participants for this year have already been identified, and facilitators will be reaching out to set up the first group meeting. In order to keep the groups small and conversational, not all principals will be able to participate in the same year. In subsequent years, this will extend to assistant principals. Each group will be focused on a specific area of instructional practice.
| Instructional Focus | Group Facilitator(s) |
| K–3 Literacy | Chelsea Malouf |
| K–3 Literacy | Adrienne Kumik |
| K–3 Literacy | Adrienne Kumik |
| Dual Language Immersion (DLI) | Monty Eyink |
| Co-Teaching | Tiffany Hall |
| HUB Schools | Tiffany Hall / Erin Anderson |
Each group will meet once a month from November through April for a 90-minute school visit. Groups will visit different schools throughout the year, providing opportunities to observe instructional practices in a variety of settings.
These visits are intended to be collaborative professional learning experiences, not formal evaluations of teachers or schools. The emphasis is on objective observation and collaborative discussion to develop a shared understanding of effective instruction across the district.
ECAP
ECAP calibration is required for all administrators and will be incorporated into the Instructional Observation groups. The observations and discussions conducted during these sessions will be modified to fulfill the required ECAP calibration activities, eliminating the need for separate ECAP observation sessions.
To ensure all administrators can meet this requirement, two of the observation groups may have additional participants assigned specifically for ECAP calibration.
Administrators participating in these groups will meet their ECAP calibration requirements through the regularly scheduled sessions and will not need to schedule additional ECAP observation sessions.
Next Steps
Principals will receive information about joining an observation group. Facilitators will coordinate the initial school visits and meeting schedules.
We recognize the many demands on principals' time and want these visits to be focused, practical, and meaningful. Our goal is to develop an effective and consistent learning community by working together and sharing our collective knowledge and experience. Thank you for your commitment to instructional leadership.
