Instructional coherence means all elements of an instructional program — from core instruction to interventions to adjusted or extended time — work in concert to advance the same set of priorities, goals and grade-level student experiences.
CCSSO created a report, Making Sense of Instructional Coherence at the State Level, that examines how state education agencies can create the conditions for instructional coherence so that students experience connected, purposeful learning across their core classes, intervention blocks and tutoring. Drawing on school-level examples and state spotlights, the paper explores three key components of instructional coherence: a shared goal, quality materials and coordination. It outlines concrete actions that states can take to set a clear vision for students’ daily experience at school and to align materials, assessments and guidance to that vision.
Additionally, CCSSO developed a three-part video series highlighting students and teachers in two school systems that CCSSO and state leaders visited in 2025 to better understand what instructional coherence looks like in practice and the role states could play to set conditions for it.
Instructional Coherence: An Overview
Instructional Coherence: The Student Experience
Instructional Coherence: The Educator Experience
