Texas Lesson Study

What is Texas Lesson Study?

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Lesson Study is a job-embedded professional development opportunity in which teachers work collaboratively to develop, teach, and revise research-based lessons. The program aims to improve teacher effectiveness, share best practices, improve student outcomes, and provide a platform to demonstrate mastery within the teaching profession.

Lesson Study is a framework for collaborative, instructional research and lesson design that can be implemented by any campus and is proven to be effective in positively impacting teacher effectiveness and student outcomes (Gersten, Taylor, Keys, Rolfhus, & Newman, 2014). This teacher-driven process has also been shown to increase teacher self-efficacy and professional growth, including reported gains in the ability to craft good questions, use a variety of assessment strategies, provide alternate examples to alleviate student confusion, and implement alternative instructional strategies (Young, 2018).

Videos

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What Are the Goals?

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The TEA Strategic Plan 2019–2023 includes Lesson Study as a part of TEA's effort to improve teacher in-service training and support by introducing teacher-driven, reflective, and job-embedded professional development and structures (p. 4). The three major goals of Lesson Study are described below.

Improve teacher effectiveness

through self-reflective, outcome-oriented, research-based learning communities

Increase self-mastery and public perception of the teaching profession

by producing high-quality research-based documents (similar to the medical and legal professions)

Compile a massive repository of master lessons

that have been delivered, dissected, and refined by teachers

Why is TXLS Important?

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  1. Fosters continuous professional learning: Improves teacher effectiveness through inquiry-based professional development in which teachers work collaboratively to develop, teach, and assess research-based lessons
  2. Bridges the gap between research and practice: Provides a framework for teachers, the practitioners, to review educational research and consider how to embed these findings into a lesson
  3. Shares effective instructional practices: Spreads effective instructional practices so that teachers across the state can access the teacher-designed, -tested, and -approved lessons
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Shows value and respect for the teaching profession
Builds collaborative relationships & improves school culture
Provides educators with data showing students’ learning processes
Enhances pedagogical skills, content knowledge, motivation, and capacity to predict and observe student thinking
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  • Texas Lesson Study was such a powerful and emotionally moving experience for our teachers ... empowering our teachers to find and discuss instructional strategies that are research-based and best serve the needs of our student population.

    Dr. Gwen Perkins
    Area Superintendent for Academic Programs, Denton ISD

  • Lesson study has made me a better teacher. I feel better equipped teaching the TEKS to the rigor they need to be. I feel like I look at lesson planning differently now and I am super pumped for the upcoming year.

    Jonathan Cambambia
    4th Grade Teacher, Lake Air Montessori, Waco ISD

  • For me as a leader, it’s been really inspiring to see how the team has come together ... and how we increased our collective efficacy through the process. Lesson Study was irreplaceable. It brought our PLC to the next level.

    Amanda Sager
    ELA/Reading Instructional Coach, WoodCreek Junior High, Katy ISD

What is the Texas Lesson Study Process?

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  • Examine student data and identify a research theme and student expectation from the TEKS

    1. The campus or teachers create an overarching Research Theme.
    2. Teachers examine the scope and sequence, student data, and the TEKS.
    3. Teachers identify the student expectation(s) from the TEKS for the Lesson Proposal.

  • Review instructional materials, research best practices, and plan an effective lesson

    1. Teachers review instructional materials and research.
    2. Teachers create an assessment.
    3. Teachers map out a unit timeline.
    4. Teachers plan the Research Lesson.

  • Teach the lesson, and collect observation data on students’ learning processes and engagement

    1. Teachers decide among the team who will teach the research lesson.
    2. One teacher instructs the lesson, while the others observe.
    3. The other teachers collect data on student engagement and learning during the lesson.

  • Reflect on the lesson and data collected, and refine lesson accordingly (may reteach lesson)

    1. Teachers and outside observers will reflect on the research lesson and discuss the data collected.
    2. Teachers will decide if they would like to make revisions to the research lesson.
    3. Teachers may repeat Phase 3 and 4.

  • Share the research-based lesson and findings, and network with other Lesson Study groups

    1. Teachers will share the research lesson and findings with fellow teachers.
    2. The Lesson Proposal and video of the lesson will be available on the Texas Gateway.
    3. A network of Lesson Study groups and facilitators will be built across Texas.
TLS step process

Community Support (Enablers)

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  • ESCs and TEA train and support district and campus leaders and teachers.
  • Teachers collaborate in teams of 2–5 (may vary by grade level and or/ content).
  • Teachers have dedicated time to meet during the school day or during a summer TXLS workshop.
  • Lessons and accompanying videos are shared on the Texas Gateway site.
  • Teachers are recognized for their thoughtfulness, expertise, and dedication to their students.

Options to Participate:

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Work With an ESC Facilitator

Teachers receive frequent, ongoing support from an ESC TXLS Facilitator.

Teachers are always the designer and creator of the unit and lesson.

Connect

Contact your ESC TXLS Hub representative.

Train Your Own District/Campus Facilitator

District/Campus staff attend a TXLS Facilitator Training to learn how to facilitate TXLS groups.

District/Campus Facilitator receives periodic support from an ESC Facilitator.

Training

Contact your ESC TXLS Hub representative.

Self-Train via the Online Course

Any Texas educator may complete the TXLS Facilitator Training Course online. Educators may receive technical support from an ESC Facilitator.

The online course may be combined with the face-to-face training as a blended-learning model.

Course Details

Access Master Lessons

Support your students by finding and adapting TEKS-aligned lessons that are designed, tested, and approved by Texas teachers.

Lessons

Where is Lesson Study?

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Texas Lesson Study region map

  • ESCs 2, 18, 19:

    txlessonstudy@tea.texas.gov

  • ESC 6 HUB: ESCs 1, 4, 5, 6, 7

    Traci Seils
    936.435.8220
    tseils@esc6.net

  • ESC 10 HUB: ESCs 8, 10, 11, 12

    Joe Gillis
    972.348.1270
    joe.gillis@region10.org

  • ESC 13 HUB: ESCs 3, 13, 20

    Carolyn Beardsley
    512.919.5137
    Carolyn.beardsley@esc13.txed.net

  • ESC 14 HUB: ESCs 9, 14, 15, 16, 17

    Gail Brown
    325.675.8644
    gbrown@esc14.net