Small group instruction is one of the highest-leverage teaching moves available — but its effectiveness depends on how groups are formed and whether teachers track whether groups are actually working. Step 1 forces data-based grouping into four defined levels. The biweekly review protocol in Step 3 explicitly asks which students have grown enough to move up, preventing the failure mode where groups calcify and students get stuck with a label. The during-group observation log prompts objective language — student said, student attempted — rather than interpretive language, to ensure a critical and action-oriented eye on group work and effectiveness.

All subjects focus areas

Grade band: PK - Grade12

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