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	Instructional Programs, Practices, & Arrangements
	School Level
	Team teaching, looping, and blocking: equal opportunities for all students to access required knowledge and skills

Although teachers in higher-performing schools are intimately involved in textbook selection, they are expected to use the text as only one of many resources. Rather, teachers are encouraged to select materials and instructional strategies to ensure that students learn the knowledge and skills articulated in the curriculum. A philosophy of doing "whatever works" to help children learn prevails.

School administrators encourage teachers to think creatively in their instructional practices so that students are actively engaged. The middle school day is structured to support inclusion, special services, and flexibility within teams and/or blocks. Cross-disciplinary teams and looping help effective middle schools provide consistent routines for behavior and academic performance to help adolescents benefit from instruction tailored to their individual needs.

With the goal of ensuring that every student has the opportunity to access the curriculum, the schools focus on social and emotional well being and development as well as academic achievement and provide social services designed to remove barriers to learning.

Niagara Middle School, Niagara Falls City School District (NY) uses school-wide rituals and routines to maximize instructional time.