Student success in the classroom doesn’t happen because a district purchases a great curriculum. It happens because teachers receive consistent support as they learn to teach with it.

That’s why we’re proposing one simple commitment:

Every teacher receives one HQIM-focused observation and coaching session based on that observation every month.

Notice what we’re not asking. We’re not asking districts to redesign professional learning. We’re not asking schools to hire an army of instructional coaches. We’re not asking leaders to overhaul every system they have in place.

We’re asking for one repeatable practice that creates consistent opportunities for teachers to receive curriculum-specific feedback.

Why one monthly coaching cycle matters

When teachers don’t receive curriculum-based feedback, implementation often becomes a guessing game. Just as in any field, teachers need confirmation and praise for actions that produce results–so they can do more of those–and concrete, hyper-specific constructive feedback on what to do to improve. 

Without a regular coaching routine centered on the curriculum itself, feedback and praise often become general rather than actionable, making both less meaningful. 

Consider the difference.

Monthly HQIM-Focused Observation & Coaching	General Observation & Feedback
I noticed your multilingual learners were much more confident using the sentence frames we planned for. Let’s build on that in the next unit by looking at another embedded language routine.	I noticed some of your multilingual learners weren’t participating as much as I’d hoped. Let’s think about ways to increase engagement.
A few students still struggled to access the core text. Next time, let’s try using the text-dependent questions from the teacher guide a little earlier—they’ll give students another entry point before independent work.	Some students struggled with the text today. You may want to think about additional scaffolds for those students.
You’ve really tightened your pacing since our last observation. The next unit is one teachers often find challenging, so let’s look ahead together and identify where you can stay focused on the lesson’s core purpose.	You’re about two weeks behind pacing. Let’s see if you can pick up the pace over the next few weeks.

The difference isn’t that one leader cares more than the other; it’s that one system has created a routine for curriculum-based coaching.

That routine is the real incentive to use the materials. When a teacher knows that feedback and materials-specific support is on its way, they’ll be more motivated to use the materials rather than fall back on materials they find or create themselves. Their go-to move can be to ask for support with components of the curriculum they find challenging rather than replacing them.

We know what you’re thinking.

Recently we asked education leaders how difficult it would be for every teacher to receive a monthly HQIM-focused observation and coaching cycle.

Many said it would be very difficult.

Their reasons were remarkably consistent.

“We do not have coaches, and this would all be on the shoulders of principals.”

“One literacy coach per building with 30–45 classroom teachers does not have this kind of time.”

“Our coaches and building administrators are spread very thin with their time.”

These aren’t excuses; they’re real operational constraints.

Three ways to make monthly coaching achievable

I spent the first couple of days of this month in Delaware working alongside state and district leaders to plan for HQIM implementation for the upcoming school year. Here are three ways that we discussed making coaching more accessible. 

1. Expand who can coach.

If additional coaches are out of the budget and principals and instructional coaches are the only people expected to provide feedback, monthly coaching quickly becomes impossible. 

Instead, build an instructional leadership team.

Some of the best coaching teachers can receive is from their peers. Can you leverage lead and mentor teachers in your building for each grade level or content area? They can deepen their knowledge of the HQIM and provide teachers with curriculum-based coaching. 

The goal isn’t to have every observation come from the same person.

The goal is for every teacher to receive consistent curriculum-focused feedback every month.

2. Make coaching lighter—but more frequent.

Many leaders picture a formal observation followed by a lengthy post-conference.

It doesn’t have to look like that. My colleague Litsy Witkowski recently proposed a much more streamlined, intuitive practice.

A focused 10–15 minute walkthrough, followed by a 15-minute coaching conversation, is often more actionable than waiting for a comprehensive formal observation.

Consistency matters more than perfection.

3. Prioritize where support is needed most—while building toward the goal.

If serving every teacher immediately isn’t realistic, don’t abandon the commitment. Phase it in.

Start with teachers who are new to the profession, new to the curriculum, or implementing HQIM for the first time. Build systems, refine your coaching routines, and expand the cadence over time.

The important thing is that monthly curriculum-based coaching becomes the expectation, not an occasional opportunity.

Start with one commitment.

Districts often talk about strengthening implementation. But implementation doesn’t improve because of broad intentions. It improves because of repeatable habits. 

One monthly HQIM-focused observation and coaching cycle gives teachers regular opportunities to refine instruction, receive actionable feedback, and build confidence with their curriculum.