Assistant Principal Kelley Malec of Muessel Elementary shares data gathered from the Rigor Appraisal. The school used Rigor Appraisal® and its companion tool, RigorWalk®, along with the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning® to improve student achievement.
Every school starts from a different place. The four schools in this article, in South Bend, Indiana; School District U-46 in Illinois; and Morgan County, West Virginia, each worked with Instructional Empowerment through school improvement partnerships. All four used the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning®, RigorWalk®, and coaching.
Their results, at a glance:
- Muessel Elementary (South Bend, IN): 3rd-grade reading proficiency rose from 16.7% in 2021 to 58.2% in 2025, a gain of 41.5 percentage points.
- Madison STEAM Academy (South Bend, IN): 3rd-grade reading proficiency rose from 35.8% in 2021 to 72.7% in 2025, a gain of 36.9 percentage points.
- Tefft Middle School (School District U-46, IL): The principal reports a decrease in student behaviors and an increase in engagement.
- Warm Springs Middle School (Morgan County, WV): The school met and exceeded its 45-day goal for peer-to-peer student engagement.
Student Achievement Gains in South Bend, Indiana
In South Bend Community School Corporation, Muessel Elementary and Madison STEAM Academy each partnered with Instructional Empowerment, using the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning, RigorWalk, and coaching.
RigorWalk has offered school leaders a new level of clarity. “I’ve had a very good lens to look through to see what is and what is not happening,” shared Howard Edwards, Director of Student Learning. These insights into instructional trends—gathered without additional testing—have been transformative for leaders focused on student outcomes. “It’s been really informative for our principals,” said Edwards.
Madison STEAM Academy Increased 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency from 35.8% to 72.7%
By allowing leaders to not only track progress but also identify areas for instructional improvement, RigorWalk helps leaders determine the necessary next steps that drive student success. “You can see it in the data that students are making the progress,” said Edwards.
In 2021, the year before the partnership began, 35.8% of Madison STEAM Academy third grade students demonstrated proficiency on the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD-3) assessment (Indiana Department of Education, 2025a). By 2025, proficiency reached 72.7%, a gain of 36.9 percentage points (see Figure 1). Edwards shared that the school’s principal attributed this growth to “what she learned during RigorWalks.”
Figure 1. Madison STEAM Academy’s 3rd-grade IREAD-3 proficiency, 2021 to 2025. Source: Indiana Department of Education, Indiana GPS dashboard.
Muessel Elementary Increased 3rd Grade Reading Proficiency from 16.7% to 58.2%
Madison STEAM Academy isn’t the only school within the district seeing growth. In 2021, the year before the partnership began, only 16.7% of Muessel Elementary students met proficiency (Indiana Department of Education, 2025b). By 2025, that number had more than tripled to 58.2%, a gain of 41.5 percentage points (see Figure 2).
These results are consistent with research showing that the more classroom visits school leadership teams conducted using RigorWalk, the higher the student achievement in math and ELA (Basileo et al., 2024). “The principals are getting into the classrooms more,” stated Edwards. “Getting in the classroom makes a huge difference.” By detecting instructional gaps, offering timely feedback, and tracking learning goals, leaders are ensuring Tier 1 instruction is improving across schools.
Figure 2. Muessel Elementary’s 3rd-grade IREAD-3 proficiency, 2021 to 2025. Source: Indiana Department of Education, Indiana GPS dashboard.
Edwards’ experience implementing RigorWalk and the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning within South Bend School Corporation has turned him into a strong advocate. “I’m a big believer in what Instructional Empowerment is doing and the supports that are being offered.” As a district leader, Edwards often comes back to one question: “What are you doing to monitor and make sure the quality of instruction is being carried out in your building?” With the successes he and the district are currently experiencing, Edwards shares that, “RigorWalk with Instructional Empowerment has really helped that out.”
Students at Muessel Elementary work together using the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning.
Achievement Gains for Student Groups at Muessel and Madison STEAM
The schoolwide gains reached student groups that schools work hardest to serve.
Between 2024 and 2025, Muessel’s economically disadvantaged students gained 25.8 percentage points and its Black students gained 20.5.
At Madison STEAM Academy, Black students gained 22.1 points, Hispanic students 15.0, English learners 12.2, and economically disadvantaged students 20.1 (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. One-year change in 3rd-grade IREAD-3 proficiency by student group, 2024 to 2025, in percentage points. Source: Indiana Department of Education, Indiana GPS dashboard.
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A School Improvement Guide in Illinois
At Tefft Middle School in School District U-46, Illinois, school leaders are using the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning, RigorWalk, and coaching to drive schoolwide growth. “We have been doing this consistently,” shared Principal Richard Lebron. “We’ve used the strategies aligned to the different RigorWalk questions to guide our school improvement plan.”
Using RigorWalk Pillars to Align to State Standards and Increase Rigor
RigorWalk has three pillars:
- Standards-Based Student Evidence
- Organizing Students to Achieve the Standard
- Monitoring to Take Action Within a Lesson
By focusing on these pillars, leaders can ensure that rigor is present and accessible to all students. “You have a frame of reference for what you’re looking for in the classroom with a very clear rubric of what it is you want to see,” explained Lebron. “We want to make sure that the tasks or work that students are doing is aligned to state standards. Usually, state standards are a higher level of taxonomy that you don’t see when students are working by themselves.”
Using RigorWalk Data to Drive School Improvement
Tefft Middle School utilizes RigorWalk data for an ongoing cycle of reflection, professional learning, and targeted action to drive schoolwide improvement.
- Progress Monitoring: Tefft’s data team regularly reviews instructional trends and insights to ensure the walkthrough data meaningfully supports student growth. “We meet every two weeks to look at how we’re progressing in terms of our goals related to the different RigorWalk questions,” said Lebron.
- Targeted Professional Development: These insights also inform the focus of targeted professional development. “Based on the data and our performance over the past two weeks, we decide how we’re going to provide professional development during the month. That’s how we’re continuously modifying our plan to make sure we stay on track.”
- Data-Based Prioritization: Lebron also includes RigorWalk metrics in the school’s weekly newsletter, along with a clear message about instructional priorities. This cycle of feedback and adjustment supports professional learning and ensures everyone is aligned around school improvement.
The Results: Improved Student Behavior and Engagement
Tefft’s ongoing cadence of instructional observation and accountability has helped shift the school’s learning culture as the school utilizes the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning. “There has been a fundamental change in our school,” said Lebron. “We have moved from teacher-centered instruction to more student-centered instruction.”
Lebron noted the impact of this shift: Improved student behaviors and engagement levels. “We’ve seen a decrease in student behaviors and an increase in engagement overall,” Lebron shared. With RigorWalk, leaders can identify instructional issues such as low rigor and student disengagement, factors that can often lead to an increase in challenging student behaviors. These issues can then be addressed through the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning, which is designed for rigorous, engaging student team tasks. “When you’re engaged, you are less likely to be disruptive in the classroom.”
“We’ve seen a decrease in student behaviors and an increase in engagement overall.”
Overall, Lebron feels that the implementation of the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning and RigorWalk has been a success. “Moving toward a more student-centered approach has been great for our school,” Lebron shared. “It has allowed our students to be more engaged and take more ownership of their learning.” As the end of the current school year approaches, Lebron is eager to see how these changes in instruction will influence testing. “We’re looking forward to seeing how this pays off as we continue growing in terms of our state assessment scores.”
Leadership Growth in Morgan County, West Virginia
In Morgan County Schools, Warm Springs Middle School partnered with Instructional Empowerment to implement the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning, RigorWalk, and coaching. The school improvement partnership has strengthened leadership and instructional practices to drive meaningful change. “As a growing administrator, I’ve always been looking for ways to improve,” said Jamie Harris, principal of Warm Springs Middle School. “RigorWalk has truly helped me grow as an academic educator. It helped me provide better academic feedback to teachers.”
By focusing on student learning instead of teacher performance, educators can use data from classroom walkthroughs to ensure instructional decisions are based on student needs. “It’s improved the consistency of our classrooms from top to bottom,” Harris shared. “It’s held us accountable for what we’re doing.”
“RigorWalk has truly helped me grow as an academic educator. It helped me provide better academic feedback to teachers.”
Early Success: Exceeding Engagement Goals
The district’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. In February 2025, the Morgan Messenger spotlighted Morgan County Schools’ partnership with Instructional Empowerment, noting early signs of success at both the middle and high school levels.
With the support of RigorWalk, Harris and his team at Warm Springs Middle School were able to not only achieve but exceed their 45-day goal of increasing peer-to-peer student engagement, specifically within student groups, through the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning.
As the district continues to scale its use of RigorWalk, leaders now have access to the predictive insights needed to track instructional progress and ensure all students receive high-quality learning—without the guesswork.
Students at Warm Springs Middle School engage in the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning. Photo from Warm Springs Middle School Facebook page.
What These Four Schools Had in Common
Each of the schools highlighted in this article started with its own goals and built a school improvement plan to match. All four used the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning to change how students work together in classrooms, RigorWalk to see whether instruction was improving, and coaching for continuous improvement.
As these schools show, school improvement looks different in each building: higher reading proficiency in South Bend, fewer behavior problems and more engagement at Tefft, and stronger leadership feedback and student engagement at Warm Springs. As these schools and districts continue their shift to more rigorous, student-centered learning, their successes serve as a model for driving meaningful change in education.
References
Basileo, L. D., Lyons, M. E., & Toth, M. D. (2024). Leading Indicators of Academic Achievement: Investigating the Predictive Validity of an Observation Instrument in a Large District. SAGE Open, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241261119
Indiana Department of Education. (2025a). Madison S.T.E.A.M. Academy. Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed. https://indianagps.doe.in.gov/Summary/School/4629
Indiana Department of Education. (2025b). Muessel Elementary School. Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed. https://indianagps.doe.in.gov/Summary/School/4621
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About Instructional Empowerment
Our mission is to end generational poverty and eliminate achievement gaps through redesigned rigorous Tier 1 Instruction that ensures deeper learning for ALL students.
