Leonardo da Vinci is credited with saying, “Realize that everything connects to everything else.” As someone who’s lived the school leadership life and now partners with districts every day through NWEA, I can tell you this quote hits home. In schools, everything really does connect. Assessment choices shape instruction. Instruction influences what we look for in monitoring. Monitoring shapes conversations in professional learning communities. Professional learning either pulls all of that together or makes it feel even more scattered.
And, honestly, in a lot of places, the pieces exist, but they don’t always talk to each other. They’re aligned on paper, but they aren’t actually working together in real life. That’s where coherence in K–12 systems comes into play.
Building coherence: The leadership blueprint for making data actionable
Most districts I work with already have alignment. They have curriculum maps, pacing guides, testing calendars, MTSS charts, PLC schedules—you name it. The structures exist. But here’s the truth: alignment is what’s written down; coherence is what people actually do. Alignment is the plan. It’s having the right pieces. Coherence is the practice. It’s using the pieces together consistently with purpose. Coherence is what makes a system feel like it’s working instead of constantly pulling in different directions.
After COVID-19 school closures, coherence became essential, not optional. NWEA’s ongoing research into student performance shows that many students continue to grow more slowly than pre‑pandemic cohorts, which is why the 2025 MAP® Growth™ norms update was needed to reflect current national student performance trends and demographic shifts. When growth is harder to come by, coherence becomes the accelerator, the way to help adults row in the same direction so students can move forward faster.
The building blocks of a coherent system
Coherence isn’t magic. It’s built on four elements that connect and reinforce each other. When these are working together, everything feels easier and more focused.
Element 1: Assessment that actually means something
In a coherent system, assessments aren’t just another thing on the calendar. People understand:
- What each tool measures
- When to use it
- Why it matters
- How results actually influence instruction
MAP Growth supports this clarity through a full suite of reports—Student Profile, Class Profile, School Profile, and District Profile—that turn assessment data into decisions about instruction, intervention, flexible grouping, and schoolwide priorities. These reports help identify strengths, learning gaps, and patterns, such as rapid guessing behavior, that guide teachers toward the next step, rather than leaving them wondering.
When everyone uses the same reports and interprets them the same way, assessment becomes a shared language. Teachers aren’t guessing. They’re not drowning in data. They’re working from a shared baseline that helps them make decisions with clarity and confidence.
Element 2: Instruction that lines up across all tiers
Aligned instruction is where a lot of systems slip without realizing it. In coherent systems:
- Teachers plan from shared, high‑quality materials.
- Intervention reinforces core instruction instead of replacing it.
- Enrichment extends priorities, not random extra tasks.
- Kids feel like they’re on one learning journey, not being bounced from program to program.
MAP Growth helps here, too, by offering growth projections based on national norms, giving teachers a realistic sense of what typical growth looks like for similar students nationwide. These projections, found in our “2025 norms quick reference” fact sheet, help teams set stretch-but-achievable goals and align instructional moves across core and intervention settings.
And when schools pair that clarity with the coherent, high‑quality core curriculum and Personalized Path adaptive learning tools provided by our parent company, HMH, teachers get a unified system where instruction, practice, and data reinforce one another instead of competing for time and attention.
This is how Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 stop feeling like separate programs and start acting like one system.
Element 3: Data conversations that feel safe and useful
If data talks feel scary or judgmental, coherence doesn’t stand a chance. Coherent systems build a culture where:
- Data is a flashlight, not a hammer.
- Teachers trust their teams.
- Questions are welcome.
- Curiosity is the norm.
- PLCs aren’t compliance; they’re where real learning happens.
PLCs are an especially crucial component contributing to coherence in K–12 systems. If they feel like compliance, stop and check in with your teachers. Ask them how they feel about their PLC, and take a moment to observe how your teams are talking to each other. The conversations in compliant vs. thriving PLCs sound different. Instead of “Why didn’t kids grow here?” you’ll hear comments like, “I noticed this pattern…. What do you think is going on?” That kind of shift changes everything.
If your teams need support transitioning from compliant to productive PLCs, I encourage you to learn more about the Center for Model Schools, led by HMH. It offers data‑powered PLCs, a professional learning pathway that helps educators build data‑savvy, action‑oriented team structures using a five‑step data teams process. Through hands‑on work with authentic student evidence and ongoing coaching, teams build the habits and routines needed for coherence in K–12 systems. I also encourage you to read the articles in the NWEA Data Detectives series.
Element 4: Professional learning that sticks
Coherent professional learning isn’t about hours or events. It’s about giving educators the support and time to actually use what they learn. It’s days that feel connected to the boat you are rowing together.
In coherent systems, professional learning is:
- Ongoing
- Connected to real classroom work
- Reinforced in PLCs
- Supported by coaching
- Aligned across assessment, instruction, and monitoring
The goal? Not “Did we deliver professional learning?” but “Is our practice improving together?” And if not, why not?
MAP Growth integrates beautifully with ongoing professional learning when leaders use its reports and norms not just for analysis, but also as part of continuous improvement cycles, coaching conversations, and strategy reflection. Note that we offer numerous professional learning workshops on MAP Growth that explore a variety of topics.
If your district wants help building a comprehensive professional learning system that reinforces coherence and the connected elements, the Center for Model Schools offers multiple relevant services.
Culture first: Because none of this works without trust
Every school has a vibe. You can feel it the moment you walk in. Coherence in K–12 systems starts with the vibe, the culture. But a culture can’t thrive without trust. This requires you to build a safe, productive culture around data. To do this, aim to do the following:
- Be clear about the purpose (and non-purpose). Data = improvement, not judgment. Data is often an accountability measure, but without first creating an environment where educators feel safe talking about it, you run the risk of not being able to change in the ways your school needs.
- Keep conversations curious. Notice and wonder first; solve and unpack later. Too often we skip to problem solving without understanding what we are noticing or seeing from a big to small picture.
- Don’t overwhelm people. You can be data rich but action poor. It is better to use fewer and better data sources than all the data you have. Think about the data that aligns to your goals and what you are trying to achieve that will build that culture of trust.
- Celebrate progress. Small wins matter. They build momentum. Just as we often skip to problem solving when we are looking at data, we can quickly jump to the “poor” data. Take time to celebrate the small wins. (If you want more on this, check out my previous article about how the work you do is a marathon, not a sprint.)
Culture is the soil where all the other work grows. If you want support assessing your current culture and identifying leverage points for change, the Center for Model Schools offers model schools insights, which provides a holistic analysis of district or school systems, culture, and instructional practices that come complete with recommendations and an implementation plan.
Steps you can start with tomorrow
Achieving coherence in K–12 systems is not an easy feat. Here are some small, doable steps that can help coherence take root right away.
- Reflect. Honest reflection is the heart of coherence work. Ask yourself and your team the following questions: Where are we already coherent? Where do things break down? What looks aligned on paper but not in practice? What’s one small move we can try this month?
- Create a simple throughline. Pick one grade level and one priority in your school or district. Then define the following: the baseline assessment you’ll use, what success looks like, the instructional strategy you’ll emphasize, the quick checks you’ll use to measure progress, and when you’ll regroup. This gives everyone the same north star.
- Use a tighter PLC routine. I suggest trying this 20‑minute structure: Five minutes for quiet review (What stands out? What surprised me?). Ten minutes for pair sharing using sentence frames. Five minutes for group synthesis (two or three strengths, two or three challenges, and one next step). It’s simple. It’s consistent. And it builds shared thinking fast.
- Turn professional learning into a mini cycle. Take the last strategy you introduced and run a two‑week cycle. During the first week, have every teacher try the strategy. During the second, ask them to bring evidence to the PLC, reflect, and tweak the strategy as needed. Instructional coaching should support the same focus. That’s how professional learning becomes habit, not just an event.
We’re here to help
Coherence isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection. It’s about making the system make sense for both adults and students. When adults are aligned in purpose and practice, kids feel that stability. They grow faster. They feel supported. They experience school the way it should be—as one connected journey instead of a series of stops and starts.
Need a helping hand? We’re here for you. NWEA (data, assessment, and professional learning) + the Center for Model Schools (systems, structures, leadership, and professional learning) + HMH (curriculum and other instructional resources) = a full ecosystem designed to support all four elements of coherence. If you’re ready to understand where your system is today and where it can go tomorrow, let’s talk. Reach out to your account executive or contact us today.
