Staff development on the Essential Elements of Instruction for the purposes of improving student achievement through best teaching practices is ongoing throughout the district. This intensive focus includes teachers and administrators from throughout the district at elementary, middle, and high schools.

This training for all newly hired teachers is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the district's instructional framework. The training includes direct instruction on the Essential Elements of Instruction, emphasizing ways of effectively applying these concepts in the classroom. The elements serve as principles upon which instructional decisions are based regarding: 1) what to teach – the content; 2) how the students will learn and then demonstrate what they've learned; and 3) what teacher actions will be needed to accomplish 1 and 2.

This teacher leadership program is designed to extend teachers' influence beyond their own classrooms to their teaching teams, schools, and the entire district. The training program is developed around a rigorous three-year commitment to the consistent and appropriate application of the essential elements of instruction in every classroom in the San Marcos Unified School District. In addition to expanding their own levels of expertise, teacher leaders will serve as peer mentors and coaches. Teacher leaders will present model lessons, facilitate classroom observations, plan and deliver staff development, and create a library of video taped instructional vignettes to be used as training tools for district professional development.