Research Based Instructional Strategies (RBIS) are a set of practices that require conceptual or philosophical shifts in the approach to instruction.  The RBIS are 4 content-specific practices that are supported by research and should be present in all classrooms, regardless of instructional materials. The 4 RBIS are:

1. Foundational Skills: Allow students to devote their mental energy to meaning-making across a wide variety of texts for their own purposes as readers and writers, but they must be taught to crack the code of our language. The instruction must be systematic, meaning it follows an intentional research-based progression.It must be explicit with opportunities for students to read, write, listen, and speak.It must include practice in text-including making meaning of what is read.
2. Text Complexity: Complex texts are those that provide students opportunities to work with new language, knowledge and ways of thinking. They typically contain more implicit meaning and use unconventional structures, use figurative language or unfamiliar language, assume the reader has life experience that will contribute to his/her understanding of the text, and have literal meaning that is intentionally at odds with the meaning, or the purpose might be implicit or hidden.
3. Knowledge Coherence: When using a knowledge-based approach we start with the text. Through study of the text itself and what students can gain from it, we practice the skills embedded within the standards. Knowledge helps readers make inferences and resolve ambiguity. Knowledge also helps readers free up working memory by chunking information and helps build vocabulary.
4. Text Based Responses: Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational. Text based responses are critical to students’ literacy development. Writing about what you read strengthens comprehension.

By the end of the day, participants will have a deeper understanding of the 4 RBIS and be able to use this knowledge to make instructional decisions for their districts.