Best Practices FAQ’s

What are "Best Practices," anyway?

In general, the term "Best Practices" means "state of the art," as in, "the best anyone is doing anywhere right now." The term doesn’t mean that the ideas are perfect for every situation or classroom, nor does it mean that all other ideas are bad.

In District 108, the subject area Best Practices lists include only those instructional strategies proven by research and experience to be most effective in helping students learn knowledge and skills they will need as adults. Although there are commonalities, each subject has its own peculiar facts, skills and processes. For this reason, District 108 provides separate Best Practices lists for each subject (reading, writing, mathematics, etc.).

Who created the District 108 Best Practices lists and when?

Each subject area is directed by a task force of teachers and administrators, who become expert in the content and instruction of the subject. Best Practices are identified as part of full curriculum studies that periodically re-examine the objectives and materials. In between studies, each task force monitors and updates the lists as needed.

• Language Arts Task Force developed its Best Practices list in the 1999-2000 school year.
• Mathematics Task Force developed its Best Practices list during the 2000-2001 school year.

What evidence shows that these are practices are really the best?

Ultimately, the lists of Best Practices are based on scientific research. They are the instructional strategies that are most clearly supported by the best research available, as identified by the relevant national and state organizations. Here are some of the organizations whose studies are used by District 108 Task Forces:

• American Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
• National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
• National Council for Social Studies (NCSS)
• National Science Teachers Organization (NTSA)
• Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL).
• North Central Regional Research Laboratory (NCREL)
• Various State Education Agencies (e.g., Illinois State Board of Education).

How did the Task Force use evidence to create the list of Best Practices?

The volume of educational research is so large that it is impossible for a Task Forces to use it directly. (See the answer to ‘What evidence shows that these are "Best Practices?" ’) Instead, each subject’s task force analyzes, evaluates, and compares the results of studies conducted by all relevant national and state groups. The practices whose effectiveness is most often supported by the studies are included in the district lists of best practices.