This resource was created to help educators see the connections between lead4ward’s instructional tools and STAAR 2.0. The redesigned state assessment aligns with high‐quality classroom instruction, focusing on engagement, critical thinking, and multiple ways of assessing learning.

Instructional Priorities
In analyzing both highly successful instruction and the STAAR redesign, three instructional priorities emerged.  

Since lead4ward’s think it up questions, thinking stems, and instructional strategies playlist align with the instructional priorities, using these instructional tools
to plan instruction will help teachers and students prepare for STAAR 2.0.

The following pages showcase each instructional priority and its connection to lead4ward resources:

• Think It Up Questions | Thinking Stems – Specific think it up questions have been developed to align with each instructional priority. When teachers ask these questions during instruction, we encourage students to use the thinking stems resource to frame their responses, talk with a friend, and then capture their ideas in writing.
• STAAR 2.0 Connections – STAAR 2.0 item types are aligned with each instructional priority. Depending on how the questions are structured, many STAAR item types can be aligned to more than one priority.
• Strategies Playlist Connections – While playlist strategies can align to multiple instructional priorities, we have highlighted a few to help teachers begin planning instruction with STAAR 2.0 in mind.