Inquiry-Driven Practice
Improve practice with inquiry cycles.
See results within weeks.
Inquiry-Driven Practice helps schools and districts improve by using short inquiry cycles. Leaders, educators, and preservice teachers can test evidence-based strategies, collect data during daily work, and use what they discover to make timely adjustments that elevate teaching and learning.
Why Education Systems
Use Inquiry-Driven Practice
Schools and districts invest heavily in curriculum, professional learning, and improvement efforts. But it is a challenge to implement these consistently, and it usually takes too long to find out what actions are actually helping
Inquiry-Driven Practice closes those gaps, offering a practical way to use evidence, make mid-course corrections, and strengthen implementation while daily work is underway.
More than just PD
Every education professional has problems of practice to solve and improvement goals to advance. What they often still need are clear, research-backed solutions and timely evidence about what works.
Inquiry-Driven Practice brings together practical evidence-based approaches, tools and resources in our Strategy Studio platform, and guided hands-on inquiry cycles.
Developed by researchers and practitioners, the method is:
It goes beyond informational sessions by offering:
Participants attend workshops and receive expert guidance as they use Strategy Studio tools and resources to:
By the end, participants have completed at least one full inquiry cycle
and are ready to continue using the process on their own with confidence.
The Inquiry-Driven Practice Suite
Each professional learning program teaches the same Inquiry-Driven Practice method, but applies it to a different role and context.
Strategy Studio
Our Strategy Studio platform powers the Inquiry-Driven Practice experience, making inquiry cycles easier to plan, manage, and learn from.
What Participants Are Saying
What Inquiry-Driven Practice Delivers
For Districts and Schools
- Better visibility into implementation across schools, classrooms, and initiatives
- A practical structure for continuous improvement during the school year
- Timely evidence to back decisions and mid-course corrections
- Clearer progress to share with boards, families, and other stakeholders
- Stronger return on investments in curriculum and professional learning
- A shared approach that can scale across roles and buildings
For Teachers
- Confidence to implement high-quality instructional practices and improve practice without adding unnecessary work
- Evidence within weeks showing what is working in their classrooms
- Clear, manageable adjustments to make right away
- Support for refining, replacing, or deepening strategies based on evidence
For Leaders
- Better visibility into implementation quality across classrooms and initiatives
- A stronger way to lead improvement, not only evaluate outcomes
- Timely evidence to guide decisions before summative results arrive
- Stronger leadership practice through structured inquiry cycles
For Coaches
- Clearer insight into what teachers are actually implementing
- Coaching guidance grounded in research and local evidence
- A consistent inquiry structure that strengthens coaching over time
- Shared language and protocols that help spread what works
For Educator Preparation Programs
- A practical way to connect preparation coursework to real classroom practice
- Early habit-building around evidence-based strategies and inquiry cycles
- Stronger alignment between program goals, field experiences, and classroom implementation
- Support for developing confident, reflective, inquiry-driven educators
For Preservice Teachers
- More confidence in making instructional choices during field experiences
- Greater readiness to respond to student needs from day one of a career
- A practical improvement process for growing skills before entering the classroom full time
Request a 15-Minute Consultation
No sales pitch. Connect directly with a specialist on our Inquiry-Driven Practice team to discuss your priorities.
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Our Services
We offer a wide selection of services backed up by practice area expertise, honed by decades of practical experience.
Inquiry-Driven Practice Blog Posts
Districts spend a great deal of time and resources on strategic planning and school improvement efforts. Leadership teams set priorities, start initiatives, and track progress using data systems and periodic reviews. Yet a persistent challenge [...]
Teachers bring passion and expertise to their classrooms every day, but many don’t see themselves as researchers. Data analysis, effect sizes, and systematic inquiry can feel intimidating or disconnected from daily teaching. But what if [...]
Beyond “Cruel Optimism”: Teacher as Researcher’s Authentic, Effective Professional Learning Approach
Marzano Research The alarm sounds at 5:30 AM. A teacher jolts awake, desperate to squeeze in some lesson planning before the school day begins. Later, during her precious 25-minute lunch break, she'll watch that short [...]
Education leaders are always on the lookout for professional learning that delivers real results. With limited budgets and precious little time, they need initiatives that make a measurable difference for teachers and student outcomes. A [...]