December 2025

As we move into the heart of the school year, our collective work continues to center on coherence — ensuring what we teach, how we teach it, and how we support educators all align to one shared purpose: improving outcomes for every learner across Delaware.

This month, that coherence is especially visible in the professional growth goals teachers selected statewide. One of the top three indicators chosen for this year’s Professional Growth Goals was Indicator 3.3: Academic Language & Vocabulary — a powerful reminder that language is not an “add-on” to instruction, but the foundation that allows students to access rigorous content, express their thinking, and participate meaningfully in every classroom.

At the same time, our Learning Walks continue to bring together administrators, instructional coaches, and department staff to strengthen our shared lens for high-quality teaching. And across the state, we see school leaders modeling what coherence looks like — including our featured team this month from the Sussex Consortium, a group deeply committed to excellence, equity, and responsiveness for every student, every classroom, every day.

If you'd like to nominate an educator or leader to be spotlighted in a future issue, please email Angela Socorso. We would love to celebrate the great work happening across our schools.

In this issue, you’ll find:

Spotlight: Celebrating the Sussex Consortium leadership team — champions for Excellence, Equity, and Responsiveness.

This Month’s Focus: A deep dive into Indicator 3.3: Academic Language & Vocabulary — what it is, why it matters, and how leaders can strengthen it.

Leader Action Hub: A short, high-impact modeling video demonstrating what strong academic language instruction looks and sounds like — and how leaders can use it to sharpen feedback conversations.

Professional Opportunities: Statewide sessions and collaboration highlights.

Resource Spotlight: Resources to support academic language and vocabulary 

This month, we proudly spotlight the administrative team of the Sussex Consortium, whose daily work exemplifies Excellence, Equity, and Responsiveness — Every Student, Every Classroom, Every Day.

The Consortium serves some of Delaware’s most exceptional learners, providing intensive, individualized supports grounded in evidence-based practices. The leaders model what it means to pursue high-quality instruction with unwavering belief in student potential.

What makes this team stand out is not only what they do, but how they do it — with positivity, collaboration, and a deep commitment to creating natural, supportive, and inclusive learning environments. Their partnership with families, staff, and the wider community ensures each student is positioned to thrive.

This year, the Consortium leadership team also said “yes” to engaging in monthly learning walks, demonstrating their dedication to continuous improvement and shared professional learning. Their openness, reflective stance, and energy elevate everyone around them — and reinforce the heart of our work: every student deserves great teaching and great care, every single day.

Last year’s statewide CEI analysis revealed an important trend: The most frequently cited rubric connection was 2.2 Learning Experiences (19%), while the least cited was 3.3 Academic Language & Vocabulary (only 5%).

This year, we’re beginning to see promising movement. Twelve percent of teachers selected 3.3 as their Professional Growth Goal — placing it 3rd among the nine indicators. This tells us that more educators are recognizing the power of academic language in accelerating student learning.

But a gap still remains.

Academic language is the engine of rigorous learning. When students can name concepts, use discipline-specific vocabulary, and explain their thinking with precision, they access deeper reasoning and stronger communication skills. Yet our feedback data shows we may not always be naming or reinforcing this vital area in observations and CEI statements.

Before we can strengthen 3.3, we need a shared definition.

Academic language includes the discipline-specific words and phrases students must know, use, and apply to communicate their thinking with precision. These words are not part of everyday conversation — they are learned through intentional modeling, explicit instruction, and repeated use in meaningful tasks.

To support students in reaching deeper levels of reasoning, teachers must help them:

- name concepts,

- use accurate terminology, and

- explain or justify their thinking using the language of the discipline.

Not all vocabulary supports rigorous thinking. The diagram below clarifies the three tiers of vocabulary and highlights which tiers align with Indicator 3.3.

To clarify what counts as true academic vocabulary, here’s a simple visual that distinguishes academic terms from everyday language.

What High-Quality Practice Looks Like (Levels 3–4)

Leader Action:
This month’s Leader Action Hub gives you a practical tool you can use in your next Learning Walk, PLC, or coaching conversation. The short video below provides a clear model of academic vocabulary instruction aligned to Indicator 3.3—showing what it looks like when a teacher explicitly teaches a term, models precise language, and provides students with opportunities to use vocabulary to explain their thinking.

How Leaders Can Use It:

Use this clip as a shared model during Learning Walk debriefs, PLCs, or coaching sessions.
As you watch with your team, look for:

-Where the teacher models vocabulary

-How the teacher explicitly teaches the meaning of the term

-Moments when students use vocabulary to explain their thinking

-Connections to Levels 3–4 of the DTGSS rubric

Try This in Your Next Walkthrough

Collect evidence in two quick columns:

-Teacher Moves: How is vocabulary introduced or modeled?

-Student Moves: How do students use the vocabulary in talk or writing?

Use your evidence to draft one high-quality action step that strengthens explicit teaching and student use of academic language.

Session on Performance Area 3 

School principals are invited to a two-hour, virtual session on Performance Area 3 - Rigorous Assignments (3.1) to be held 9-11:00 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20. Held in partnership with Research for Better Teaching (RBT), the session will focus on identifying evidence of rigorous assignments and crafting high-quality action steps aligned to DTGSS 3.1. Principals will gain practical tools for observations, calibration, and feedback, and will earn two hours toward DTGSS re-credentialing. Register for  PDMS course #44134. For more information, access the PA 3.1 flyer. (DDOE contact: Angela Socorso)

Leadership Lift 2025: Sharpening observation and feedback
Principals, strengthen your observation and feedback practice with our new 30-minute quick learning series designed specifically for administrators! These virtual sessions build your skills step-by-step, culminating in a personalized Leader Action Plan to drive teacher growth For more information, view the flyer.

DTGSS sessions for teachers by teachers 
The Delaware Department of Education is offering virtual DTGSS sessions (4:30–5:30 PM) to support educators in strengthening their instructional practices and understanding of the DTGSS process. Each month features a focused theme, with special sessions dedicated to Early Childhood and Special Populations. Participants will earn clock hours toward re-licensure. For more information, view the flyer: DTGSS sessions for teachers by teachers.

DTGSS office hours – Monthly support for observation and feedback
School and district staff are invited to join DTGSS Office Hours, held the third Wednesday of each month from 9:00–10:00 AM, beginning August 20, 2025, through May 20, 2026. These informal, one-on-one support sessions offer space to analyze evidence, refine debrief questions, ask questions about DSC, and strengthen your use of the DTGSS framework. Whether you’re looking to think through feedback or clarify next steps, we’re here to help. Drop in as needed.  Let’s strengthen your DTGSS practice—one thoughtful conversation at a time. We’re here to support you! Join Zoom Meeting here. Contact Angela Socorso.

WWC: Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades

Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School 

Instructional Coaching: Tools, resources, and readings used with coaches in the Title I Instructional Coaching Cohort

8 Strategies for Teaching Academic Language — practical, content-area strategies to build academic language (Edutopia)

Five Research-Based Ways to Teach Vocabulary — a research-backed toolkit for vocabulary routines 

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