Imagine taking a road trip without a destination. For the adventurous traveler, that might sound exciting. But when you have somewhere important to be, wandering without a map only leads to frustration, wasted time, and a car full of people wondering why they ever got in.

Schools feel that way too when they try to improve instruction without a clear vision. They can work incredibly hard, cover miles of ground, and still end up unsure whether they moved in the right direction.

This is why the Tier 1 Promise matters.

At Thrive, we define the Tier 1 Promise as a clear, shared vision of what high quality instruction looks like across a school or system. It outlines the core elements every student should experience in every classroom, such as access to grade level content, instruction grounded in Universal Design for Learning, strong social and emotional supports, and consistent behavioral expectations. It gives educators a common destination and helps teams align their daily work to a purpose that supports all learners.

To make that vision real, schools need a process for leading change. At Thrive, we know there is no cookie-cutter path to building a strong Tier 1. Each school community brings a unique history, set of relationships, capacity, and local realities, which means the work must be responsive and deeply contextual. That’s why our approach is grounded in co-design. We partner with teams to create the conditions for change in ways that are practical, human-centered, and sustainable.

Rather than applying one framework onto a school, we pair over a decade of experience working alongside schools with research-backed practices, staying grounded in the people, resources, and needs in front of us. Our approach is informed by well-established change and implementation research, including Kotter’s emphasis on urgency and shared leadership (Kotter, 2012), ADKAR’s focus on adult readiness and skill-building (Prosci, n.d.), implementation science’s attention to staged, supported change (National Implementation Research Network, n.d.), and Bridges’ reminder that change is both technical and human (Bridges, 2009).

Below is the Thrive Tier 1 Implementation Journey, an example of how we support schools and systems to move from an instructional vision to consistent, sustainable classroom practice. While every context shapes the path, these phases reflect what we see most often in strong Tier 1 implementation.

We begin by understanding what is already happening across classrooms. This includes a thorough inventory of the materials, routines, strategies, and supports educators are actually using with students, not just what is officially adopted or provided by the school. This step helps surface strengths to build on, identify inconsistencies that impact student experience, and ensure the Tier 1 Promise is rooted in what teachers and students actually need.

A Tier 1 Promise is not simply a list of initiatives or resources. It is a shared commitment to the instructional experience every student deserves. 

In this phase, teams engage in discussions about values, beliefs, and practices that will guide the Promise across grade-level access, UDL-aligned instruction, integrated SEL supports, and consistent behavioral expectations. We also begin clarifying the “look-fors” that make Tier 1 observable, so the vision can translate into classroom practice.

With clarity on core practices and insights from the inventory, we co-create a draft Tier 1 Promise that describes what high-quality instruction looks like across the system. The goal is to define the student experience, not just adult actions. When teams share a clear picture of the destination, decisions become more intentional and the work becomes more coherent.

In many systems, this phase also creates an important bridge between long-term vision and daily practice. A Portrait of a Graduate often captures the skills, mindsets, and outcomes a community wants for students over time. The Tier 1 Promise translates that aspiration into the concrete classroom experiences that make it possible, what students should consistently see, feel, and engage in every day. In this way, the Promise becomes a practical pathway for bringing the Portrait of a Graduate to life through instruction.

This clarity also supports alignment in areas that are often seen as operational. For example, even when a curriculum is board-approved, it does not guarantee consistent use or strong implementation. In reality, classrooms can quickly become a mix of adopted materials, well-intentioned supplements, and the occasional late-night Teachers Pay Teachers find. A Tier 1 Promise creates the space for teams to agree on what materials, routines, and expectations will anchor instruction so students experience stronger coherence across classrooms.

A Tier 1 Promise is only powerful if people see themselves in it. We share the draft broadly and gather input from educators across roles, ensuring all voices are heard, including those who are traditionally left out of vision-setting conversations. Just as importantly, we make space for real disagreement. A Promise that everyone “agrees with” on paper, but doesn’t feel true in practice, will not lead to meaningful change. We intentionally create psychologically safe spaces for staff to name concerns, push back, and say “no” out loud. Surfacing tension early allows teams to work through misalignment, strengthen the draft, and build authentic ownership that can sustain implementation over time.

Once the Promise is finalized, the real work begins: designing the conditions for it to live in daily practice. This phase focuses on alignment, including schedules, collaboration structures, coaching support, professional learning, walkthrough tools, and role clarity. Even the best roadmap fails if the road is full of obstacles. Systems must identify what is creating friction, respond to real barriers, and make it easier for educators to enact the Promise consistently.

Rather than expecting instant consistency across every classroom, teams build momentum through intentional learning cycles. This can include testing high-leverage routines, using walkthrough evidence and student work to reflect on implementation, and refining practices in real time. Early wins matter here. They build confidence, make the work feel doable, and signal that change is not only possible, it is already happening.

Over time, systems can go deeper in one component of the Tier 1 Promise, strengthen practice, and then layer on the next. This approach keeps the work manageable and supports sustained acceleration. The goal is not perfection overnight. It is building shared habits and strong adult learning systems that can adapt without losing coherence.

This phase becomes especially important during moments of change, such as a new curriculum adoption or shifts in state guidance. For example, when California released updated math frameworks, many systems felt pressure to pivot quickly. Schools with a strong Tier 1 Promise were better positioned to respond thoughtfully. Rather than starting from scratch, teams used the Promise to ask: What stays the same about the student experience? How do these new materials or expectations align to our shared instructional commitments? What needs to be refined, and what can remain stable?

By returning to the Promise as a reference point, systems can integrate new requirements, strengthen practice over time, and avoid initiative overload. The work stays grounded in a clear vision, even as external conditions evolve.

The final destination is culture and sustainability. When the Tier 1 Promise becomes part of planning time, walkthroughs, coaching conversations, professional learning and leadership decisions, it shifts from a project into a way of operating. Systems solidify this shift by memorializing the Promise in living tools used for onboarding, training, and reflection. Returning to it regularly keeps the work visible and ensures it continues to guide daily practice for years to come.

At Thrive, we believe deeply in co-designing a Tier 1 Promise. The power is not just in the final product, but in the process itself. This work is not a silver bullet or a one-time fix. A Tier 1 Promise alone will not transform instruction unless it is paired with the mindset, habits, and systems that allow change to take hold over time.

Our goal is to help schools shift how they think about change. Rather than searching for the next initiative or perfect framework, we focus on building the conditions that make improvement possible: shared ownership, honest feedback, aligned systems, and continuous learning. When educators are meaningfully engaged in shaping the vision, naming what will work, and addressing what won’t, Tier 1 becomes something people believe in and are willing to carry forward.

Each phase of the journey builds clarity, strengthens alignment, and creates the conditions for lasting change. Over time, schools develop stronger adult learning systems, clearer instructional coherence, and greater capacity to adapt as new challenges, initiatives, and guidance emerge. The result is a Tier 1 Promise that is lived daily in classrooms and experienced consistently by students.

If you want to see what this journey looks like in practice, explore an example from our work with the California Montessori Project.

If you’re looking for a partner to support your Tier 1 work in a way that is contextual, human-centered, and sustainable, reach out at contact@thrivesd.org. We’d love to learn about your community and goals.

References: 

• Bridges, W. (2009). Managing transitions: Making the most of change (3rd ed.). Da Capo Press.
• Kotter, J. (2012). The 8-step process for leading change. Kotter International.https://www.kotterinc.com/8-steps-process-for-leading-change/
• National Implementation Research Network. (n.d.). Active implementation frameworks. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. https://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/active-implementation-frameworksProsci. (n.d.). What is the ADKAR model? A guide to the key elements of change management. https://www.prosci.com/methodology/adkar