For the past ten years, Ambrosia Johnson has been unwavering in her mission to ensure every child has access to a superior education.
“I founded a charter school here in Brooklyn, New York in the neighborhood that I actually grew up in,” says Johnson, now an Instructional Consultant with Lavinia Group.
Johnson's path to founding Ivy Hill Prep was deeply personal. Raised in East Flatbush, she experienced firsthand the scarcity of high-quality educational options, a challenge that led her mother to seek alternatives for her education.
She established Ivy Hill Prep, an elementary charter school, in 2018 in her childhood neighborhood of East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY. Despite the challenges of launching during a global pandemic, Ivy Hill earned accolades from the New York State Education Department for its remarkable academic achievements.
Even with a 100% remote learning model, 85% of Ivy Hill Prep students advanced to meet or exceed grade-level expectations in literacy and math.
“I was able to come back into my neighborhood and found a school from the ground up. It was an amazing experience.”
The Essence of Intellectual Preparation
At Lavinia Group, Johnson works with schools to implement data-driven intellectual preparation and student work study.
At the core of Lavinia Group’s approach to working with schools across the country is the concept of intellectual preparation; an approach that aligned well with Johnson’s pedagogy and has driven double-digit growth in math and ELA achievement with partner schools.
Lavinia Group’s approach allows educators to dive deep into student work, identifying specific areas of misunderstanding to tailor teaching strategies effectively. Teachers can quickly improve learning outcomes using concrete evidence to align instruction with each student's needs.
The process involves educators deeply engaging with the content they will teach, anticipating challenges and misconceptions, and strategizing how to most effectively convey lessons.
“Intellectual preparation is essentially a process educators take prior to teaching lessons that allows them to intentionally and strategically prepare for the most critical aspects of the lesson they are going to teach,” Johnson explains.
Johnson emphasizes the critical importance of high-quality intellectual preparation, explaining it enables teachers to address students' conceptual gaps more effectively and confidently navigate student misconceptions.
"It’s important to consider not only the lesson being taught on a particular day, but also what knowledge and understanding we are imparting to students that can enrich their learning experience and empower them to apply their deep understanding across various contexts in the future."
“It is imperative that educators are spending time analyzing and internalizing the content that they are going to teach. Far too often educators underestimate the importance of intellectually preparing before they teach or they’re not given adequate time to do so,” says Johnson.
“The most noticeable difference is confidence. Prepped, you can move about the space and teach more freely.“
More than mastering content, Johnson explains intellectual preparation is as much about evaluating and understanding the needs of your students as it is about being familiar with the content you’re going to be teaching.
“When you intellectually prepare at a high level, you don't only think about the content in front of you, but you're also thinking strategically about the data of your students and you're thinking. You are far more effective at closing student gaps faster and more effectively when intellectually prepared.”
By analyzing assessment data, teachers can tailor instruction to address specific areas where students struggle, facilitating more rapid and profound learning gains.
“We want teachers thinking about the exemplary responses they’re listening for. When we don't, we tend to just accept anything that kind of sounds good.”
Cultivating a Culture of Preparation
Johnson explains that creating a culture that values intellectual preparation is paramount. It often requires a shift in mindset, practice, and support structures.
“You have to create a culture around intellectual preparation. It can’t just be an expectation for teachers to do it, without being taught how to do it effectively,” Johnson cautions.
Lavinia Group helps schools move beyond mere expectations to a comprehensive system of support and learning for educators.
"Lavinia Group not only helps schools establish structures for important meetings but also provides support to teachers and leaders in analyzing data to inform instructional decisions. For some of our partner schools, we take a hands-on approach by leading these meetings ourselves, while for others, we empower leaders through coaching to build their capacity in data analysis and meeting facilitation. Many of the schools we collaborate with have integrated intellectual preparation meetings into their daily routines," she explains.
At the heart of cultivating a culture of preparation is the establishment of a supportive framework that acknowledges the complexities of teaching.
Coaches play a pivotal role in guiding teachers through the intellectual preparation process, offering them strategies, feedback, and insights that are crucial for effective teaching.
“Teachers need the support of a coach to walk them through all of the steps to implement high-impact intellectual preparation,” says Johnson.
This personalized support helps teachers navigate the challenges of lesson planning, content delivery, and student engagement with a deeper understanding and confidence.
Work study, another form of data collection, can also assist in how teachers are preparing for lessons they’re going to teach in the future.
Work study, as described by Johnson, represents a critical component in the cycle of continuous improvement and personalized instruction. This method of data collection and analysis focuses on the detailed examination of student work products, such as assignments, tests, and projects, to gain insights into individual and collective learning progress, challenges, and strengths.
Work study provides educators with a concrete basis for understanding the current academic standing of their students. By understanding the specific needs of their students, teachers can differentiate their teaching methods and materials to better support diverse learners. Ultimately, work study provides an invaluable opportunity for teachers to ensure every student has the support they need to advance their learning.
“When you have student work in front of you and you spend time really diving into the work to analyze what you have, you can identify where students are and where they need to go. In the classroom, as a teacher, it means that I can prompt them according to the very thing they need.”
The insights gained from work study sessions directly inform lesson planning and instructional strategies. Teachers can use this information to tailor their lessons to address specific areas where students are struggling.
"If a significant number of students are making the same error, teachers can plan a targeted review session or incorporate more practice opportunities for that particular concept in future lessons,” recommends Johnson. She adds that schools should not only analyze the data but also develop instructional plans in response to it.
“This step is often overlooked or not effectively executed, leading to a lack of meaningful change.”
It is important to recognize that not all instances of student errors stem from the same source. In some cases, there may be multiple misconceptions present in the classroom. We work with teachers and leaders to not only identify these various misconceptions but also to tailor the instructional plan to address them in different ways, based on the level of support each group of students requires. This may involve implementing strategies such as small group instruction, whole group instruction, individualized instruction, revising homework assignments, organizing parent meetings to engage families, and more."
Work study represents a powerful tool in the arsenal of educational strategies aimed at improving student learning outcomes. By providing a structured approach to analyzing student work, it enables teachers to gain valuable insights into student understanding and progress. These insights inform more effective lesson planning, personalized instruction, and data-driven decision-making. As such, work study is not just another form of data collection; it is a critical process for fostering educational excellence and ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.
Refine Teacher Practice with Instructional Coaching
Lavinia Group, a division of K12 Coalition, works directly with instructional leaders and teachers to refine teacher practices through our proven Rapid Improvement Cycle. From intellectual preparation and data analysis to student work analysis and instructional management, our experienced instructional coaches—comprising former expert teachers, principals, and superintendents who have themselves achieved remarkable classroom results— elevate educational outcomes. Explore Lavinia Group's support today.
Learn More: https://laviniagroup.org/consulting/
