For many schools, the challenge of rigorous instruction isn’t a lack of effort, but a lack of clarity. When curriculum, assessments, and instruction operate in silos, teachers are forced to bridge the gaps themselves, resulting in inconsistent student experiences. At Friendship Academy of the Arts, leadership recognized that true transformation requires instructional coherence: the alignment of what is taught, how it is measured, and how teachers are supported.
By partnering with Achievement Network (ANet), Friendship Academy has created a unified system in which every lesson and data point reinforce one another toward grade-level mastery for every child.
As a result of their focus this year, students in grades 2-8 have shown a 9% increase in mastery of text evidence.
Pairing Wit & Wisdom with HQIA
Instructional coherence at Friendship Academy is anchored by the pairing of High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) with High-Quality Instructional Assessments (HQIA). While the school had the right tools in their HQIM Wit & Wisdom, the addition of ANet’s interim assessments provided the "missing link" that allowed teachers to see the full picture of student progress. This alignment ensures that the rigor found in daily lessons is exactly what students encounter on their path to state standards, removing the guesswork from the classroom.
Principal Tyler Aliperto explains that this coherence creates a "consistent message" across the building. "When everyone is using the curriculum with fidelity, we can see consistency from classroom to classroom," he says. This isn't just about administrative ease. It's about student experience. When the bar for rigor is consistent in every room, every student—regardless of their starting point—is exposed to the same high-level thinking and complex texts.
Anna McKinney, ANet Director of Experience and Impact, notes that this alignment changed the way teachers viewed their own materials. "Teachers were able to see the rigor of the text that is expected of students in a grade-level assessment, and then see that the level of rigor in their curriculum actually matches that.” This realization shifted instructional habits. Instead of simplifying texts for students who were struggling, teachers began using the curriculum’s supports to keep the bar high.
How Do Data-Driven Instructional Cycles Improve Student Reading Growth?
At Friendship Academy, data is not a post-mortem of what went wrong. It’s a live map for where to go next. The partnership has shifted the culture from looking at "scores" to analyzing student thinking. By utilizing ANet’s actionable data, leaders and teachers can identify precise, high-leverage instructional adjustments.
The results of this data-focused approach are measurable and significant:
- Closing the Proficiency Gap: Friendship Academy leaders identified a specific opportunity to increase the average in the standard around text evidence. By focusing their data cycles, they set a goal to raise mastery from an average of 12% on A1 to 30% on A3 across grades 2-8. As of A2, they had increased to 21%, showing progress towards their goal.
- Improving Literacy: Last year, 73% of first-grade students achieved more than a full year’s worth of growth from their NWEA MAP data. This trend continues from this fall to winter showing:
- 63% of all students made their growth goals, with at least 50% in every grade 1-8.
- 100% of 6th graders and 75% of 5th graders met growth goals.
- Growth from Previous School Year: Students at Friendship Academy are up 12 percentiles in reading growth from 46th to 58th, and 34th to 44th in math growth.
- Precision in Re-teaching: Teacher Daniel Kleven highlights that ANet’s distractor analysis in the interim data reports helps him understand why students chose a wrong answer, allowing for a precise correction of student thinking rather than a broad, ineffective review.
Moving from HQIM Adoption to Skillful Classroom Use
While adopting high-quality materials is a vital first step, Friendship Academy and ANet recognize that access to HQIM does not automatically guarantee its impact. A gap often exists between curriculum and classroom instruction. This is where ANet’s partnership matters most, helping educators operationalize coherence.
"Teachers have named that there’s a lot in these materials, and they weren’t always sure where to start," says Anna McKinney. The coaching provided by ANet acts as a filter, helping teachers move from feeling overwhelmed by a robust curriculum to feeling empowered by it.
Executive Director Kerry Kliman notes that this bridge-building is essential for long-term change: "Those ANet assessments have allowed teachers to access the curriculum and helped develop teacher mindset around using data to support instructional material usage.” By focusing on specific teacher actions, the partnership ensures the curriculum is used effectively to meet the needs of the students in the room.
What is the Impact of Teacher Coaching on Instructional Clarity and Confidence?
The bridge between high-quality materials and student growth lies in the teacher's expertise. Friendship Academy and ANet have prioritized a "direct-to-teacher" coaching model that builds instructional confidence. This partnership recognizes that expert coaching provides the focus necessary to master complex materials, empowering educators to lead with clarity.
Teacher Daniel Kleven reflected on this and shared, "Coaching has helped to take a high-quality curriculum... and give us specific things that we can focus on and master.” This support has allowed teachers to shift their mindset from "getting through the lesson" to "mastering the standard." As teachers become experts, they gain the autonomy to make curriculum accessible without compromising on rigor.
Furthermore, this coaching has expanded the school’s leadership capacity. As ANet Coach Anna McKinney points out, the partnership allows principals to focus on the "big picture" of school culture while ANet provides the granular, instructional expertise that drives daily classroom shifts.
How Does a Coherent Literacy Strategy Build Student Confidence?
Ultimately, the goal of instructional coherence is to change students' trajectories. As literacy instruction becomes more coherent, the most profound change is evident in students' experiences.
Teacher Jenny Craig has witnessed a transformation in her students. "Hearing the way students are reading... their confidence has skyrocketed," she says. When students are supported to succeed with grade-level, complex texts, they begin to see themselves as readers.
Executive Director Kerry Kliman sees this as a new era for Friendship. "I’ve seen a lot of growth in the way that our systems have developed...ensuring that students are receiving better and more effective instruction every single day.” By grounding their work in the power of coherence, Friendship Academy of the Arts is ensuring that part of their legacy serves as the foundation for a future of reading success.