Spreadsheets lie. Classrooms don’t
Every principal we’ve ever coached has had this experience: the data says one thing, but the moment you walk into a classroom, you see something else entirely. That gap between what your spreadsheets show and what’s actually happening at student desks is where every school improvement plan either succeeds or quietly dies. Walkthroughs aren’t paperwork. They’re your most honest source of truth.
Why Data Meetings Mislead
Data is a lagging indicator. By the time a benchmark report tells you fluency is low, the classroom practices that caused it have already been happening for months. Walkthroughs are a leading indicator. They tell you what students are experiencing today which determines what your data will look like in 90 days.
The 7 Things to Look For (in 20 Minutes)
1. Who is doing the heavy thinking?
If the teacher is doing 80% of the talking, students are not doing the work that builds reading brains.
2. Is phonics instruction explicit or embedded?
Explicit means the teacher names the sound, models it, and provides immediate practice. Embedded means hoping students notice patterns. Only one works.
3. Are students reading decodable, accountable text?
Or are they ‘reading’ books they’ve memorized? You can’t tell from a data report you can tell in 30 seconds in a classroom.
4. Is the lesson aligned to the scope and sequence?
If a grade-level team is supposed to be on Unit 3, Lesson 7, is that what’s happening? Or is each teacher freelancing?
5. What happens when a student gets it wrong?
Effective teachers provide immediate, corrective feedback rooted in the science. Less-effective teachers say ‘good try’ and move on.
6. Are interventions actually interventions?
Or are they extra exposure to the same Tier 1 lesson? A real intervention has a different instructional target and a different routine.
7. Is the environment built for engagement or for cuteness?
Beautiful classrooms can be ineffective ones. Look for evidence of student work, anchor charts that are actually used, and routines that don’t require constant teacher management.
| Quick rule: If you walk into a classroom and can’t tell within 90 seconds what students are learning and why, neither can the students. |
Make Walkthroughs Stick
- Calendar them. 4–6 per week for the principal, non-negotiable.
- Use a one-page look-for tool. Not a 47-item rubric a 7–10 indicator card.
- Debrief teachers within 24 hours with one strength and one growth question.
- Track patterns. Three classrooms missing the same indicator is not a teacher issue, it’s a coaching priority.
The principal who lives in classrooms 60 minutes a day knows more about their school than the principal who lives in data meetings for three hours a week. Both matter. But only one tells you the truth in time to do something about it.
| Want a customizable, research-aligned walkthrough tool tailored to your school’s instructional focus? CSAS builds these for school and district leaders book a free strategy call to get yours. |