Maximizing Opportunity to Learn
A Guide for Equitable and Ambitious Instruction
Published on 24. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-0-8077-8376-4 (ISBN)
Description
Ensure all students have the best opportunity to achieve academic success by using instructional approaches proven to have the most impact, while also avoiding common practices that ultimately hinder student learning (K-12).
Maximizing Opportunity to Learn advocates for teaching that combines high expectations with high leverage practices so that all students, especially those who historically have been marginalized, consistently experience maximized opportunities to learn. The authors introduce classroom teachers and instructional leaders to the Heuristic for Equitable and Adaptive Teaching (HEAT), a model for equitable and ambitious instruction that is both grounded in research and concrete enough to be put into practice.
Ambitious instruction demands that every student engage with tasks of high cognitive demand. "Equity" in this sense means more than inclusion; it requires creating the conditions so that every learner is positioned as capable, agentic, and able to achieve at high levels. In addition to providing proven-effective practices, the authors also challenge the efficacy of some common instructional practices, such as questioning and differentiation, illustrating how they often undermine equity rather than promote it.
Book Features:
Explains how reducing variation in instructional quality and variation in student experience are the keys to achieving effective, equity-centered instructional improvement.
Explains what instruction that supports every student looks like, as opposed to an ineffectual equity-neutral instructional approach or culturally relevant pedagogy that can be framed as only relevant to students of Color.
Demonstrates why several common instructional practices that are still heavily promoted in the field are counter to the goal of equity and do not lead to improved outcomes for all students.
Provides specific guidance for leaders on how to develop a district-wide strategy for developing, supporting, and sustaining equitable and ambitious instruction.
Maximizing Opportunity to Learn advocates for teaching that combines high expectations with high leverage practices so that all students, especially those who historically have been marginalized, consistently experience maximized opportunities to learn. The authors introduce classroom teachers and instructional leaders to the Heuristic for Equitable and Adaptive Teaching (HEAT), a model for equitable and ambitious instruction that is both grounded in research and concrete enough to be put into practice.
Ambitious instruction demands that every student engage with tasks of high cognitive demand. "Equity" in this sense means more than inclusion; it requires creating the conditions so that every learner is positioned as capable, agentic, and able to achieve at high levels. In addition to providing proven-effective practices, the authors also challenge the efficacy of some common instructional practices, such as questioning and differentiation, illustrating how they often undermine equity rather than promote it.
Book Features:
Explains how reducing variation in instructional quality and variation in student experience are the keys to achieving effective, equity-centered instructional improvement.
Explains what instruction that supports every student looks like, as opposed to an ineffectual equity-neutral instructional approach or culturally relevant pedagogy that can be framed as only relevant to students of Color.
Demonstrates why several common instructional practices that are still heavily promoted in the field are counter to the goal of equity and do not lead to improved outcomes for all students.
Provides specific guidance for leaders on how to develop a district-wide strategy for developing, supporting, and sustaining equitable and ambitious instruction.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
259 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8077-8376-4 (9780807783764)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Thomas Nobili has 18 years of experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and central office administrator and is currently a consultant for Partners for Educational Leadership and TJN Core Consulting.
Isobel Stevenson has over 35 years of experience as a teacher, district leader, and university instructor and is currently a program coordinator with Partners for Educational Leadership.
Andrew Volkert is a continuous improvement (CI) strategist and professional learning facilitator with Partners for Educational Leadership.
Isobel Stevenson has over 35 years of experience as a teacher, district leader, and university instructor and is currently a program coordinator with Partners for Educational Leadership.
Andrew Volkert is a continuous improvement (CI) strategist and professional learning facilitator with Partners for Educational Leadership.
Content
Contents
Preface ?xi
Who Are We to Be Writing About Equity? ?xi
Acknowledgments ?xv
1. ?Introduction ?1
Why Did We Write This Book? ?1
Equity Is Excellence ?2
Opportunity to Learn ?5
Equitable and Ambitious Instruction ?9
2. ?Equity and Expectations ?18
Mechanism ?19
A Brief History of the Research on Teacher Expectations ?21
Current Research on Expectations ?24
Bias and the Limits of Awareness ?27
Expectations and Teacher Perceived Self-Efficacy ?31
3. ?Holding Environment ?35
Why Place So Much Importance on the Classroom Environment? ?37
A Note on Mindset ?40
Equity and Holding Environment ?41
Desirable Features of the Classroom Holding Environment ?42
The Challenge of Building an Equitable Holding Environment ?49
4. ?Grade-Level Content and Task ?51
Why Does Curriculum Matter (Especially for Equity)? ?52
Why Does Grade Level Matter (Especially for Equity)? ?54
A Word About Rigor ?58
Task ?59
The Connection Between Task Instruction and Equity ?61
A Learning-Oriented Approach to Task ?64
A Product- or Assessment-Oriented Approach to Task ?69
5. ?Thinking as Learning ?72
How Thinking Works ?73
The Equity Challenge: Who Gets Asked to Think? ?75
Core Concepts for Planning Equitable Thinking ?78
Designing for Thinking: Planning for Outcome Versus Process ?89
6. ?Adaptive Teaching ?94
Adaptive Teaching and Formative Assessment ?95
The Elicit, Interpret, and Respond Cycle ?97
Making Thinking Visible ?98
Interpreting Student Thinking ?102
Teacher Response: The Instructional Fulcrum ?104
The Role of Teacher Response in Maintaining Cognitive Demand ?106
7. ?Potentially Problematic Practices ?110
Questioning and Wait Time ?110
Differentiation and Scaffolding ?113
Grouping ?118
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria ?120
Feedback ?122
8. ?Motivation ?126
Motivation Is Not a Personality Trait ?127
Maslow and the Myth of Needs as Prerequisites ?129
Intrinsic Motivation and Its Misuse ?130
Distinguishing Motivation From Engagement ?131
Competence Motivation ?133
Perceived Self-Efficacy ?134
Flow ?136
Stereotype Threat ?137
Psychological Safety ?138
Being Relevant Versus Being Interesting ?139
Goals ?140
Choice, Autonomy, and the Illusion of Agency ?142
Behaviorism Isn't All Bad ?143
Agency as the Real Goal ?144
9. ?Conclusion ?147
Systems Thinking and the Complexity of Instructional Improvement ?148
Opportunity to Learn Is a System Stock, Not an Outcome ?150
Beliefs About Students are Both the Source and Product of Opportunity to Learn ?152
Maximizing Opportunity to Learn Is Everyone's Responsibility ?154
Belief Change Through Practice, Not Compliance ?155
Final Thoughts ?157
References ?159
Index ?177
About the Authors ?187
Preface ?xi
Who Are We to Be Writing About Equity? ?xi
Acknowledgments ?xv
1. ?Introduction ?1
Why Did We Write This Book? ?1
Equity Is Excellence ?2
Opportunity to Learn ?5
Equitable and Ambitious Instruction ?9
2. ?Equity and Expectations ?18
Mechanism ?19
A Brief History of the Research on Teacher Expectations ?21
Current Research on Expectations ?24
Bias and the Limits of Awareness ?27
Expectations and Teacher Perceived Self-Efficacy ?31
3. ?Holding Environment ?35
Why Place So Much Importance on the Classroom Environment? ?37
A Note on Mindset ?40
Equity and Holding Environment ?41
Desirable Features of the Classroom Holding Environment ?42
The Challenge of Building an Equitable Holding Environment ?49
4. ?Grade-Level Content and Task ?51
Why Does Curriculum Matter (Especially for Equity)? ?52
Why Does Grade Level Matter (Especially for Equity)? ?54
A Word About Rigor ?58
Task ?59
The Connection Between Task Instruction and Equity ?61
A Learning-Oriented Approach to Task ?64
A Product- or Assessment-Oriented Approach to Task ?69
5. ?Thinking as Learning ?72
How Thinking Works ?73
The Equity Challenge: Who Gets Asked to Think? ?75
Core Concepts for Planning Equitable Thinking ?78
Designing for Thinking: Planning for Outcome Versus Process ?89
6. ?Adaptive Teaching ?94
Adaptive Teaching and Formative Assessment ?95
The Elicit, Interpret, and Respond Cycle ?97
Making Thinking Visible ?98
Interpreting Student Thinking ?102
Teacher Response: The Instructional Fulcrum ?104
The Role of Teacher Response in Maintaining Cognitive Demand ?106
7. ?Potentially Problematic Practices ?110
Questioning and Wait Time ?110
Differentiation and Scaffolding ?113
Grouping ?118
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria ?120
Feedback ?122
8. ?Motivation ?126
Motivation Is Not a Personality Trait ?127
Maslow and the Myth of Needs as Prerequisites ?129
Intrinsic Motivation and Its Misuse ?130
Distinguishing Motivation From Engagement ?131
Competence Motivation ?133
Perceived Self-Efficacy ?134
Flow ?136
Stereotype Threat ?137
Psychological Safety ?138
Being Relevant Versus Being Interesting ?139
Goals ?140
Choice, Autonomy, and the Illusion of Agency ?142
Behaviorism Isn't All Bad ?143
Agency as the Real Goal ?144
9. ?Conclusion ?147
Systems Thinking and the Complexity of Instructional Improvement ?148
Opportunity to Learn Is a System Stock, Not an Outcome ?150
Beliefs About Students are Both the Source and Product of Opportunity to Learn ?152
Maximizing Opportunity to Learn Is Everyone's Responsibility ?154
Belief Change Through Practice, Not Compliance ?155
Final Thoughts ?157
References ?159
Index ?177
About the Authors ?187