The History and Progression of Manual Rounds: A Structured Peer Observation Process for Teachers in Urban School Settings

Research shows that half of all teachers working in urban school settings leave the profession within five years, and many who choose to leave are the ones who are most effective (Coggins & Diffenbaugh, 2013.) Manual Rounds, a structured peer observation process based on the established practice of instructional rounds, was implemented at Manual Academy in 2010 to strengthen teaching practices and enhance student learning experiences in the classrooms of teachers new to an urban school setting. Project improvements were made incrementally over three years' time, with a different Manual Rounds model launched in the fourth year. This article offers an overview of instructional rounds before describing the history and progression of Manual Rounds from various stakeholder perspectives including administrators, experienced teachers, new teachers, and Bradley PDS facilitators. We believe the case study shared in this article will offer other school-university partnerships insight and ideas for designing and implementing their own instructional rounds processes.