Total Learning Guidelines and Recommendations

The Total Learning Institute

Total Literacy Program Implementation
Recommended Guiding Principles and Conditions

The following, based on prior implementations, are recommended pre-conditions for successful Total Learning implementation. These conditions provide the best opportunity for success and sustainability.

1. A Total Learning leader is selected by the group to communicate with The Total Learning Institute about any issues, schedule meetings, and generally troubleshoot use of Total Learning Digital. This administrator or teacher becomes a member of the TLD Advisory Group across implementations, and holds a scheduled weekly meeting with an assigned TLD trainer.
2. The principal is prepared to support change through all steps and stages. Written buy-in from the Board of Education, superintendent, teachers/staff, and parents supports the implementation.
3. After an initial introductory workshop, signed “buy in” from 90% of the teaching staff before implementation begins, indicating commitment to change, with clear rationale and intent. Involving parents in the approval process will strengthen likelihood of success.
4. Parameters and goals are clearly stated, including the number of classrooms/teachers, grade levels, and specific groupings if any, length of time; with assessment measures for each component that include qualitative and quantitative measures.
5. An explicit outline specifies time expectations for:
   1. Implementation in the classroom;
   2. Teacher preparation within contracted time;
   3. Related professional development during scheduled PD days and in classrooms;
   4. On-going, budgeted formative and summative assessment.
   5. Adherence to schedules for key milestones.
6. Strong arts personnel and programs are in place. In lieu of this condition, the first year focuses on building multi-modal, multi-sensory, research-based, developmental curricula and teacher skills. Time for multi-sensory teaching and learning in the arts (music, visual art, movement, and drama) is maintained or increased throughout the implementation, and woven throughout all curriculum delivery.
7. All involved commit to at least one weekly social media entry on the TLD website from the first week of implementation.
8. A parent component is planned and scheduled with parent representatives before implementation, then implemented.
9. Leadership conferences are regularly scheduled and held with administrative leadership.
10. For the teachers’ sake, no other large initiatives should begin simultaneously.