What should be prioritized for continuous improvement in instructional practices?

Prioritizing regular assessments aligned to curriculum pacing embraces a proactive and systematic approach to instructional improvement. This strategy ensures that student evaluations occur consistently throughout the academic year, allowing educators to gather timely feedback about student understanding and mastery of the material. By aligning assessments with the pacing of the curriculum, teachers can identify specific learning gaps and adjust their instructional strategies accordingly to meet students' needs.

This ongoing assessment cycle empowers educators to refine their teaching methods, tailor lessons, and offer targeted interventions. When assessments are strategically aligned with what is being taught, it creates a cohesive and more effective instructional environment. This practice ultimately leads to enhanced student learning outcomes, as adjustments can be made in real-time based on students' performance and understanding.

The other options present useful practices but do not emphasize the continuous and responsive nature of assessments in the same way. Annual performance data reviews, while important, often look back at past data rather than facilitating real-time changes. Testing students only at the end of the school year can provide limited insight into ongoing progress, and maintaining records of student portfolios is beneficial for collecting evidence of work but does not focus directly on improving instructional practices on an ongoing basis.