Every student has a job
Students work in small teams where each member holds a role with clear responsibilities. It’s hard to drift when your team is counting on you.
Teacher champion pilot
Fewer Disruptions. More Engagement. Students Leading the Learning.
The Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning is a research-validated instructional model, supported by ESSA Tier 2 evidence, that reduces classroom disruptions by engaging students in rigorous, student-led team learning with roles, norms, and protocols for self-regulation.
Start with five volunteer teachers. Watch behavior change as engagement rises.
Explore the Model of Instruction
ESSA Tier 2 evidenceA research-validated instructional model for deeper learning
Why do disruptions keep happening, even with PBIS?
In a teacher-directed lesson, most students spend the majority of the time listening and waiting.
Students who are bored, or lost find something else to do, and disengagement turns into disruption. Teachers end up managing behavior instead of teaching, and principals end up managing referrals instead of leading instruction.
The research
Research and evidence for reducing disruptions
At Walnut Middle School in Grand Island, Nebraska (771 students, 85% free or reduced lunch), discipline referrals fell from 777 to 489, a 37% drop, and positive behavior recognitions rose from 90 to 272 in one year. Engagement improved for English learners and students receiving special education services.
37%Fewer discipline referrals in one year
90 → 272Positive behavior recognitions
Why haven’t more behavior systems fixed it?
PBIS, reward systems, and behavior interventions shape behavior from the outside. They set expectations, but they don’t change students’ moment-to-moment engagement during instruction.
These systems often assume students already have the self-regulation skills needed to meet expectations, but many students are still developing those skills. Self-regulation is learned through intentional practice, modeling, and support within the learning process, not simply through posted expectations or incentives.
How disengagement turns into disruption
- 1The teacher directs the lessonMost students spend the majority of the time listening and waiting.
- 2Bored or lost students driftThey find something else to do.
- 3Disengagement turns into disruptionTeachers stop teaching to redirect behavior.
- 4Teaching turns into managingTeachers manage behavior; principals manage referrals.
Behavior systemsShape behavior from the outside with expectations and incentives
Student-led teamsChange engagement inside the lesson and build self-regulation
How it works
How does student-led team learning reduce disruptions?
Students learn to regulate themselves and each other
Norms and structures teach self-regulation, peer-regulation, respectful discourse and debate, and how to resolve team conflict, so the team stays productive. The model doesn’t assume students arrive with these skills; it builds them.
Work worth engaging in
Rigorous, interdependent tasks give students real problems to solve together instead of worksheets to finish alone.
A sense of belonging
Each teammate becomes a trusted peer, and the team shares responsibility for everyone’s learning.
Impact and results
What results have schools seen?
37%Fewer referrals in one year
At Walnut Middle School in Grand Island, Nebraska (771 students, 85% free or reduced lunch), discipline referrals fell from 777 to 489, a 37% drop, and positive behavior recognitions rose from 90 to 272 in one year. Engagement improved for English learners and students receiving special education services.
Walnut Middle School case study (2018)288 → 36Referrals over two years
At Willard Elementary in School District U-46, Illinois, discipline referrals fell from 288 to 36 over two years of implementing the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning, while chronic absenteeism dropped 6.6 points.
Willard Elementary case study (2025)79%Of schools reduced chronic absenteeism
In a study of 76 schools across 10 districts in 7 states, 79% of schools implementing the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning reduced chronic absenteeism, with a median reduction of 5.6 percentage points.
Applied Research Center brief (2025)In their words
What principals and coaches are saying
“There was a huge decrease in referrals because our kids were just more engaged in class. They were doing things that were meaningful to them and they were happy to be there.”
“Teachers started to see that when students had some control in a positive way over their own learning, they wanted to learn.”
The teacher champion pilot
How does a teacher champion pilot work?
You invite teachers to volunteer; you don’t assign them. A team of 3 to 5 teachers learns the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning together through interactive modules that take under 1 hour a week and apply in class the next day. An Instructional Empowerment coach, always a former educator, supports the team through live virtual coaching sessions.
- Getting Started
Launch teams
Students learn team roles, norms, and protocols. Early wins are often visible in the first week.
- Building Momentum
Design rigorous tasks and shift to coaching
Teachers design rigorous, interdependent team tasks from the curriculum they already use, and shift from directing all aspects of learning to coaching students toward greater ownership of learning.
- Measuring Success
Review and decide
You review student evidence with your team and decide whether to expand. Classrooms begin evolving within weeks.
Because the pilot starts with teachers who want to try it, you expand something your staff already supports, not something you have to sell.
Start with a pilot
Choose your pilot
Pilot OneStart here
Getting Started with Teachers
$2,500- 5 volunteer teachers, each with a one-year Teacher Digital Resource Suite subscription
- A Classroom Toolkit for each teacher, including printed and laminated student tools and a Teacher Guidebook
- 2 hours of live virtual coaching
Pilot TwoRecommended
Teachers, Instructional Coach, and School Leader
$6,750- Everything a teacher team needs: 10 teacher suites and Classroom Toolkits
- An instructional coach suite with the Coaching Walk tool
- A school leader suite with progress reporting
- 4 hours of faculty coaching and 2 hours of leadership coaching for you
Need a quote or purchase order?Talk to an expert educator and we’ll reply within two business days.
Funding your pilotMany schools fund pilots with Title I or Title II professional development funds. Check allowability with your federal programs office.
Not ready to buy?Join a live 30-minute product tour with an expert career educator, or explore the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning.
The best behavior plan is a lesson students want to be part of.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning replace PBIS?
No. PBIS sets schoolwide expectations; the Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning changes what happens inside the lesson, so students are engaged and managing their own teams. Schools use them together.
What is student-led behavior management?
Student-led behavior management means students use team roles, norms, and structures to keep themselves and their teammates on task, resolve conflict, and support each other. The teacher coaches the process instead of policing it.
Will this work with students who struggle with self-regulation?
Yes. The model teaches self-regulation and peer regulation explicitly rather than assuming students already have those skills. Walnut Middle School, where 85% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, cut referrals 37% in one year.
How much time does the pilot take for teachers?
Teachers spend under 1 hour a week on interactive learning modules and apply what they learn the next day. Live virtual coaching sessions are 1 hour each: 2 in Pilot One, 4 in Pilot Two.
Do we need a new curriculum?
No. The Model of Instruction for Deeper Learning works with your adopted curriculum and high-quality instructional materials. Teachers learn to turn existing lessons into rigorous, interdependent team tasks.
What grades and subjects does it work in?
The model is used in elementary, middle, and high schools across all content areas. Classroom Toolkits are grade-band specific.
What happens after the pilot?
At week 16 you review results with your team and your Instructional Empowerment coach. Schools can expand by adding a second cohort of volunteers, upgrading to include coaches and leaders, or bringing onsite professional development to the whole staff.
