MATTAWA - In its effort to improve instruction, the Wahluke School District had instituted a program of weekly administrator visits to classrooms.

"It's important for building principals and superintendents to be instructional leaders," Superintendent Aaron Chavez said.

Chavez leads the Wednesday walk-throughs by a group of administrators. They employ the University of Washington-developed "Five dimensions of Teaching and Learning."

After administrators observe a classroom, the group discusses what was observed in the context of the five dimensions.

Those are: purpose, student engagement, curriculum and pedagogy, assessment of student learning and classroom and culture.