Advancing Student Achievement Through System Instructional Frameworks

This eLeadership Guide explores how system education leaders can use instructional frameworks and aligned structures to strengthen coherence, build professional capacity, and advance student achievement. Across Alberta, school authorities have developed a variety of approaches, often described as instructional frameworks, optimum learning frameworks, instructional models, guiding instructional practices, or literacy and numeracy frameworks, to establish shared understandings of effective teaching and learning. Drawing on research and Alberta Stories of Practice, this guide examines how system instructional frameworks are collaboratively developed, implemented, and refined over time. Particular attention is given to the leadership practices and system conditions that help frameworks move beyond documents to become living structures that align system priorities, professional learning, evidence use, instructional leadership, and classroom practice. Through reflection and application, system education leaders are invited to consider how instructional frameworks and related structures can strengthen coherence while remaining responsive to their local contexts and supporting optimum learning for all students.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

• analyze how system instructional frameworks and aligned structures contribute to coherence, quality teaching, and optimum learning for all students;
• identify system education leadership practices that support the collaborative development, implementation, and ongoing refinement of instructional frameworks;
• examine how instructional frameworks connect system priorities, instructional leadership, professional learning, evidence use, and classroom practice;
• explore how Alberta school authorities develop and adapt instructional frameworks and related structures to their local contexts while maintaining shared instructional direction; and
• apply insights from research and Alberta Stories of Practice to assess their current context and inform the development, implementation, or refinement of a system instructional framework.

Source: This graphic is adapted from the Continuous Improvement Cycle in the Alberta Education Funding Manual for School Authorities 2026/27 School Year.